# Hedgehog Bits

> Hedgehog Bits is an encrypted, offline vault for iPhone that looks like a collection of quick brain games. Notes, photos, videos and files are encrypted on the device with Argon2id and AES-256-GCM. No servers, no accounts, no sync.

Hedgehog Bits is an iPhone app (iOS 26 or later). It opens with the question "Who is playing?". Typing the vault password opens an encrypted vault; any other answer opens ten brain games. All data stays on the device. There is no server, account, sync, analytics, advertising or password recovery.

Key facts:

- Platform: iPhone, iOS 26 or later. Works fully offline.
- Stores: notes, photos, videos, audio, PDFs, text and other files, in folders.
- Encryption: Argon2id (256 MiB, 3 passes) password key; random 256-bit master key wrapped with AES-256-GCM; per-item HKDF-SHA256 keys; AES-256-GCM in authenticated 1 MiB chunks.
- Storage: on the device only; excluded from iCloud backups, computer backups and Quick Start transfer; iOS FileProtection.complete.
- Backup: manual export to one encrypted `.hhbits` file, protected by an HMAC; all-or-nothing restore on a new iPhone.
- Forgotten password: the vault cannot be recovered by anyone.
- Availability: coming soon to the App Store.

## Pages

- [Home](https://hedgehogbits.com/): overview of the app
- [Features](https://hedgehogbits.com/features/): everything the vault and games do
- [Demo](https://hedgehogbits.com/demo/): a 50-second video and a step-by-step walkthrough with screenshots
- [Security design](https://hedgehogbits.com/security/): cryptography, iOS hardening, backups and known limitations
- [FAQ](https://hedgehogbits.com/faq/): common questions and answers
- [Privacy policy](https://hedgehogbits.com/privacy/): no data is collected by the app or this website
- [Feedback](https://hedgehogbits.com/feedback/): request features or report bugs by email at info@hedgehogbits.com

## Comparisons

- [Hedgehog Bits vs the iPhone Hidden album](https://hedgehogbits.com/compare/iphone-hidden-album/): The iPhone Hidden album keeps photos out of view behind Face ID. Hedgehog Bits encrypts them with its own password and keeps them off iCloud. The difference.
- [Hedgehog Bits vs calculator vault apps](https://hedgehogbits.com/compare/calculator-vault-apps/): Calculator vault apps hide files behind a working calculator. How that compares with Hedgehog Bits, what to check about encryption, and where both have limits.
- [Hedgehog Bits vs cloud-based vault apps](https://hedgehogbits.com/compare/cloud-photo-vaults/): Some vault apps back up to their own cloud with an account. Hedgehog Bits keeps everything on the iPhone. The trade-offs between convenience and control.

## Blog

- [What a disguise can and cannot do](https://hedgehogbits.com/blog/2026/11/what-a-disguise-can-and-cannot-do/): Hedgehog Bits looks like a set of brain games. An honest look at what that cover protects against, where it stops, and what actually keeps your data safe.
- [Moving your vault to a new iPhone](https://hedgehogbits.com/blog/2026/10/moving-your-vault-to-a-new-iphone/): Hedgehog Bits stays out of iCloud and phone-to-phone transfer on purpose. Here is how to move your vault yourself with an encrypted backup file.
- [How Hedgehog Bits encrypts your files](https://hedgehogbits.com/blog/2026/10/how-hedgehog-bits-encrypts-your-files/): A walk through the vault's encryption: Argon2id key derivation, a wrapped master key, per-item HKDF keys and chunked AES-256-GCM, and why each choice was made.
- [Introducing Hedgehog Bits: a vault with no servers](https://hedgehogbits.com/blog/2026/10/introducing-hedgehog-bits/): Why we built a private iPhone vault that keeps everything on the device, with no accounts, no sync and no way for us to see your data.

## Optional

- [Full text for language models](https://hedgehogbits.com/llms-full.txt)
- [RSS feed](https://hedgehogbits.com/feed.xml)
- [Sitemap](https://hedgehogbits.com/sitemap.xml)