Start Strong
Protect the iPhone first
- Keep a strong iPhone passcode enabled. Hidden Room's device-bound vault depends on it.
- Use a unique six-digit Hidden Room passcode that is not an easy date, repeated pattern, or reused PIN.
- Remember the passcode before storing important contacts. There is no recovery or support override.
- Keep iOS and Hidden Room updated.
Choose the Right Unlock
Balance Face ID convenience and coercion risk
Face ID is fast and remains on the device, but someone may be able to pressure you to look at the phone. Prefer the Hidden Room passcode when coercion is a realistic concern. Changing enrolled Face ID appearances disables Hidden Room Face ID until the vault passcode is entered.
Reduce Exposure
Reveal and transfer only what you need
- Hold a masked value only long enough to read it, then release to hide it.
- Leave external sharing Off unless you actively need calls, messages, email, websites, or messenger handoff. In iOS version 1.2.17 and later, swipe copying is available by default and does not require Allow Sharing. Earlier versions require that setting for copying too.
- Before a handoff, confirm the destination and nearby people who may see the screen.
- Assume calls, messages, websites, recipient devices, and other apps can retain traces outside Hidden Room.
Lock Promptly
Match Auto Lock to your environment
Use Immediate locking on a shared device or in a higher-risk environment. Longer foreground inactivity options reduce interruption but leave more time for someone to see an already unlocked vault. Unsaved contact edits are discarded when Hidden Room locks.
Understand Capture
Screenshots cannot be taken back
Hidden Room responds to detected recording and mirroring and locks after iOS reports a screenshot. iOS reports still screenshots after creating them, so the screenshot may already exist. Avoid revealing a sensitive value when capture risk is unacceptable.
Deletion Choices
Enable destructive options only after considering misuse
- Wrong-passcode erase starts Off because anyone holding the phone could intentionally reach the selected limit.
- Automatic expiry starts Off because missing the chosen unlock window can cause permanent loss after the next correct passcode.
- Emergency Erase is irreversible and cannot erase traces held outside Hidden Room.
- Offload App keeps documents and data. Use Delete App when you intend iOS to remove the app container.
High-Risk Situations
Do not rely on one app alone
For journalism, advocacy, stalking, or coercive-control concerns, consider the full environment: device ownership, Apple Account access, backups, carrier records, other apps, notification previews, physical observation, and whether the phone may already be compromised. When personal safety is involved, use a trusted professional safety plan appropriate to your situation.
Support
Keep private data out of support messages
Support cannot open or recover your vault. If you report a problem, share the app version, iOS version, and non-sensitive steps to reproduce it. Never send a passcode, contact value, screenshot of sensitive content, or vault file.