SealdayKeep your capsules safe for years
Sealday has no servers, so your capsules live on your iPhone and in your iPhone backup. If you delete the app without either, they are gone. A vault file is an export that stays sealed: import it on a new phone and capsules still open only on their dates. Exporting is always free.
Coming soon to iPhone
Where are my capsules stored?
In the app's storage on your iPhone, encrypted. iOS includes the app's files in your iCloud Backup or computer backup if you have backups switched on. That backup is controlled by you and Apple, not by Sealday.
What is a vault file?
A single archive that holds all your capsules in sealed form. It carries no spare keys. Share it to Files, iCloud Drive or AirDrop from You > Backup and restore. Importing merges capsules into the app and skips duplicates.
The file stays sealed, so keeping a copy does not weaken the time lock.
Backup, export, import and deletion are free on every plan. Sealday does not hold sealed content hostage.
What is inside a vault file?
Every capsule in its sealed form: the encrypted content, the time-locked key and the capsule's details such as title, dates and state. It also carries your Tables and the encrypted photo and voice files that belong to the capsules. The file ends in .sealday-vault.
Two things are left out on purpose. The welcome capsule from the Sealday team is not exported, and neither are spare keys, which never leave the iPhone Keychain.
How do I export one, step by step?
With no capsules there is nothing to export, and the screen says so.
- Open the You tab and tap Backup and restore.
- Check the last-copy line. It shows the date of your last vault copy, or "No vault copy yet".
- Tap Export vault file and choose where it goes in the share sheet: Files, iCloud Drive, AirDrop or a messenger.
- Confirm that the file arrived, then keep it somewhere that is not this phone.
How often should I back up?
After your first seal, Sealday suggests keeping a copy, and it reminds you every six months if you have not exported. For a capsule meant to wait several years, a vault file stored in two places is cheap insurance.
How do I delete everything?
Open You > Delete all data, type DELETE and confirm. Sealday erases capsules, drafts, tables, keys in the Keychain, scheduled reminders and settings on that iPhone. Purchases stay with your Apple ID.
What should I do before a long wait?
A short routine for capsules that will wait years.
- Seal the capsule and note the open date in your calendar.
- Open You > Backup and restore and export a vault file.
- Save the file to iCloud Drive or another place that is not this phone.
- Check that iCloud Backup is on for the iPhone.
- Export a fresh file whenever you add capsules.
How do I restore on a new iPhone?
Spare keys are tied to the iPhone that made them. On a new phone, your own capsules open on their date through the beacon like any other, but the early-opening exit is not there.
- Restore the new iPhone from your iCloud or computer backup. Sealday and its capsules come back with it.
- If the app is empty, install Sealday, open You > Backup and restore and tap Import vault file.
- Pick your
.sealday-vaultfile. Sealday adds the capsules it does not have and skips the ones it does. - Check the Capsules tab: each one shows its original open date.
What are the three kinds of copy?
The third copy exists only for capsules you have already opened. Use it when you want your letter as a text file or your photos as image files. The export is a zip with a letter file, a guesses file with your marks, the photos and the voice note.
| Copy | What it holds | Still sealed? |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone backup (iCloud or computer) | The app and its storage, by iOS | Yes |
| Vault file | All capsules, Tables and media, no spare keys | Yes |
| Exported opened capsule | Letter, guesses with marks, photos and voice as plain files | No, it is a readable copy |
What can a vault file not do?
It cannot open a capsule early, and it does not contain spare keys. A capsule restored from a vault file still opens only on its date, through the drand beacon. It also cannot bring back a capsule you never exported, if the app and its backups are lost.
Does Sealday remind me to back up?
Yes, with one local notification three days after your first seal, then every six months while no export has happened. It reads "Keep a sealed copy" and suggests saving the vault file to iCloud Drive. You can switch it off under You > Reminders.
There is no automatic export and no cloud sync. Both would need a server or an account, and Sealday has neither.
Why not sync the capsules automatically?
Because a sync service would need your capsules to pass through someone's servers. Sealday keeps them on your iPhone and in the backup you already control. The price is a small amount of manual work, a file saved now and then.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if I delete the app?
Its capsules are deleted too, unless they are in your iCloud Backup or a vault file.
Does a vault file reveal my content?
No. It stays encrypted, and capsules open only on their dates.
Can I move to a new iPhone?
Yes. Restore from an iPhone backup, or import your vault file in the new install.
Can I open a vault file on another platform?
No. Only the Sealday app on iPhone reads it. The content inside stays encrypted until each open date.
Do I need to export again after every new capsule?
A new export includes everything, and importing skips duplicates. Export again after you add capsules you would hate to lose.
Will my own capsules still open if I restore from a vault file?
Yes, on their dates through the beacon. Only the early-opening exit is missing, because spare keys are not in the file.