What is the panic pattern in Cryptile?
The panic pattern is an extra pattern you choose in Cryptile Plus. When you draw it, every vault on that phone stops opening.
How do I set up the panic pattern?
- Upgrade to Plus. The panic pattern is not in the free plan.
- Write down the recovery phrase for every vault you want to keep.
- Open the settings and choose the panic pattern.
- Draw a pattern that differs from all your vault patterns.
- Test it only when your recovery phrases are safe. Drawing it is not undoable on that phone.
To get your vaults back, restore each one from its recovery phrase and draw a new pattern.
How does the panic pattern work?
Your pattern is mixed with a secret kept in your phone's Keychain. The panic pattern destroys that secret. It also re-rolls the decoy slots.
Without the secret, the files on the phone cannot be opened, even with the right pattern. The encrypted iCloud backup does not hold that secret, so the recovery phrase still works.
What does the panic pattern protect against?
- Being made to open the app. Draw the panic pattern and the vaults close for good on that phone.
- Handing over the phone. The files stay ciphertext, and the key is gone.
- Someone copying the app's files later. The secret they would need no longer exists on the phone.
What does the panic pattern not protect against?
- Anyone who already has your vault open or copied. It cannot undo what was seen or exported earlier.
- Someone watching you draw. The trail is hidden, but your hand is not.
- Forgetting your phrases. Lose the recovery phrase and the vault is gone. There is no reset.
- Short patterns. A short vault pattern can still be guessed if someone has your files and Keychain before you panic. Use 8 or more cells.
Read the security page for the full limits, and decoy vaults for the quieter option.