Support

What if I forget my passcode?

Use your recovery kit. On the unlock screen, tap Forgot your passcode? and type the recovery code from the kit. Capital letters, spaces, and dashes don’t matter. Then choose a new passcode.

Your old passcode stops working, your recovery code keeps working, and Face ID or Touch ID is turned off for that vault until you turn it on again in Settings.

What if I lose my recovery kit and forget my passcode?

Then no one can open the vault, not even Bishop Vault. There is no account, no server holding a copy of your key, and no reset link, so there is nothing we can do on our side.

That is what makes the vault private, and it is also why the kit matters. Print it or save the PDF somewhere other than your phone, and keep it somewhere safe. If you still remember your passcode, make a new backup and look at your kit again in Settings, then Recovery.

What is in the recovery kit, and where should I keep it?

The kit is a one-page PDF with the vault ID, the long key, and the recovery code. The long key is a random key made on your device when you set up; you need it to open a backup or your vault on a new device. The recovery code is the other way in if you forget your passcode.

Write it down or save the PDF somewhere other than the device that holds the vault, such as a printed page in a safe place. Anyone who has the kit can open the vault, so keep it as carefully as you would a spare house key. To see the kit again, open Settings, then Recovery, and type your passcode.

How do I back up my vault?

Open Settings, then Backup, then Back up vault. Bishop Vault asks for your passcode first, then makes one encrypted file. Save it somewhere other than the device, such as iCloud Drive, a computer, or a USB drive.

The file doesn’t update itself, so make a new one after you add things. To use it, choose Restore from backup. You’ll need the long key from your recovery kit, and your passcode or recovery code.

How do I move my vault to a new iPhone, iPad, or Mac?

Make a backup file on the old device (Settings, then Backup, then Back up vault) and move it to the new one. On the new device, tap Get started, then Restore from a backup file, and choose the file. Type the long key from your recovery kit and your passcode or recovery code.

You get a copy of the vault as it was when you made the backup. Face ID and Touch ID stay on each device, so turn them on again on the new one.

I restored a new phone from my old one. How do I open my vault?

If you restored the new phone from a device backup (iCloud Backup, a computer, or a Mac’s Migration Assistant), your vault files are already there, but the long key isn’t, because it is protected so that it works only on the device it was made on. Bishop Vault shows a page called Open your vault on this device. Type the long key from your recovery kit, and Bishop Vault checks it against your vault and saves it on the new phone. Then type your passcode as usual.

Without the kit, the restored vault can’t be opened. That is why the kit matters.

What if someone saw my recovery kit?

A kit that someone has seen opens the vault until you replace it, and changing your passcode doesn’t stop it. Make a new recovery kit, in Settings, then Recovery, gives the vault a new recovery code, and the old kit stops opening the vault. Bishop Vault asks for your passcode first. Save the new kit right away, then destroy the old one.

The long key in the kit can’t be changed, so the new kit has the same long key, but on its own it opens nothing without your passcode. Old backup files and old device backups still open with the old kit, so after you make a new kit, delete your old backups and make a new one.

Does Bishop Vault support more than one vault?

Yes. Bishop Vault supports more than one vault.

Is Bishop Vault sold in France?

No. Bishop Vault is not sold in France at launch. France requires apps that use encryption to be registered with its government first, and we have not done that yet.

Why does Face ID ask for my passcode sometimes?

Face ID (Touch ID on a Mac) is a shortcut that you turn on yourself, and it never replaces the vault passcode. Bishop Vault asks for the passcode again after a restart, after 7 days, and after 5 tries that don’t recognize you.

Some things always need the passcode, even with Face ID on: changing the passcode, backing up, seeing the recovery kit, making a new recovery kit, restoring, and deleting a vault. Face ID never falls back to your device’s own passcode.

How long are the waits after wrong passcodes?

The first 5 wrong tries have no wait. After that, each wrong try brings a longer wait: 30 seconds, then 1, 5, 15, and 60 minutes. Every wrong try after that waits 60 minutes.

The count is stored on your device. Quitting the app, restarting it, or reinstalling it doesn’t reset it, and setting the clock back starts the wait over. The right passcode or recovery code clears the count.

Does Bishop Vault keep my photos’ location?

No. Location data is removed from every photo and video as it comes in. A video is refused if any location data is left in it.

Can I get my things out?

Yes. Open an item and tap Export, or select several and export them together. You can also export your diary as one text file. Even without Plus, you can open, edit, copy, export, delete, and back up every item.

An exported copy is no longer encrypted, so keep it somewhere safe. Bishop Vault clears its own temporary copy when you tap Done or Back, or when the vault locks.

What does Plus add?

The free plan holds up to 25 items in each vault, and includes notes, search, previews, the document scanner, your recovery kit, and backup and restore. Bishop Vault Plus removes the limit on items and adds albums, with nothing to set up.

It also adds three options you use only if you want them: the diary, strict lockout, and intruder photos. Strict lockout and intruder photos stay off until you turn them on in Settings, then Passcode.

How do I cancel Plus?

Plus is a yearly subscription through your Apple ID. It renews every year at the same price unless you cancel at least 24 hours before it renews. Apple handles it: on an iPhone or iPad, open Settings, tap your name, then tap Subscriptions. On a Mac, open the App Store and choose your account, then Subscriptions.

Everything you added stays yours. If Plus ends, you keep your diary: you can still read, edit, export, and delete every entry, but you can’t add new ones.

How do intruder photos work?

Intruder photos are part of Plus and are off until you turn them on. When you do, the app asks for camera access. After the number of wrong passcodes in a row that you set, the front camera takes one photo, encrypted the moment it is taken, and it stays on your device.

On an iPhone or iPad, iOS may play its shutter sound, and the Mac shows its camera light. Bishop Vault adds no sound of its own.

What can’t Bishop Vault do?

It protects against everyday snooping. It can’t stop spyware already on your device, or someone watching you type your passcode. It can’t reset a passcode for you, because it never holds the key.

A copy of the files alone can’t be read. A lab that pulls everything off an unlocked phone, including its Keychain, would still have to guess your passcode, and a long passcode is what stops that. Bishop Vault makes no promise against forensic tools, police, or border searches.

No outside security review yet. How it works lists what it protects against and what it can’t stop, in plain words.

Can Bishop Vault see my photos?

No. There is no account and no sign-up, and nothing in your vault is sent to Bishop Technology Solutions, LLC. Everything is encrypted on your device. It opens only with your passcode (together with the long key on your device), your recovery code, or Face ID or Touch ID if you turn it on.

Where is the full help?

In the app, under Help. Open Settings, then Help. It lists every guide in four groups, you can search it, and it works offline.