What does a fake password open?
People looking for a photo vault with a fake password usually want an ordinary-looking collection instead of their private one. In NullVault, this is a real separate vault reached with its own valid pattern. Opening it is non-destructive unless it has explicitly been designated as a duress vault.
Use ordinary decoy vaults for separate benign content. Duress and Android panic wipe are different destructive actions. A decoy cannot guarantee safety under pressure or make other device traces disappear.
Compare the outcomes
| Question | Ordinary decoy vault | Destructive duress vault |
|---|---|---|
| Opens plausible content | Yes | Yes |
| Reveals a master vault list | NullVault does not show one | NullVault does not show one |
| Destroys access to other local vaults | No | Yes, by design |
| Protects exported backup files | They remain separate | Exported backups are not deleted |
| Can guarantee safety during coercion | No | No |
Example: Alex creates a work-receipts vault that can be opened in public without exposing a personal vault. That is compartmentalization, not destruction. If Alex designates it as the duress vault, entering its pattern during a coercion event also invalidates local access to the other vaults. A mistaken entry can therefore cause permanent local loss.
Questions to answer before enabling duress
- Is permanent local loss preferable to disclosure in your specific threat model?
- Is there a current encrypted backup, and is it stored outside the device?
- Is the backup recovery phrase separate and accessible after the incident?
- Could a child, partner, or your future self enter the duress pattern accidentally?
- Could visible data loss increase danger rather than reduce it?
What destructive duress does not delete
It does not erase exported backup files, recipient copies, Android system snapshots, cloud-provider metadata, or previously written physical storage cells. It cannot retract content already displayed or exported. It is an access-invalidation response, not a universal erasure guarantee.
Destructive duress is available on iOS and Android, but the exact key invalidation and backup boundaries differ by platform. Review the duress vault feature and security limitations before relying on it.
Guide reviewed: 12 September 2026.