Organize files and folders

Step by step

1. Make a folder inside a folder

   In the All tab, hold your finger on an empty space and give the folder a name. Or select files first and use Menu › Add to new folder.

   Turn on ID & documents folder in the same popup for a blue folder with an ID card on it, easy to spot and also shown in the Docs tab. To change an existing folder, select it and use Menu › Make it an ID & documents folder.

2. Move files

   Select the files first, then hold one of the selected files and drag it onto a folder. To move files back up, drag them onto the ↑ Move out to … bar that appears.

3. Select several files

   Hold a file to select it, then tap others. Faster: keep your finger down after holding and slide over other files to select them all; near the top or bottom edge the list scrolls by itself. The menu now offers Select all, Add to favorites, Add to new folder, Export to phone and Delete.

4. Keep favorites at the top

   Select files or folders, then Menu › Add to favorites. Favorites get a small star and always stay at the top of their folder, whatever the sort order. You can also use Add to favorites from the menu while viewing a file. To undo, select them and use Remove from favorites.

5. Find files

   The tabs show Photos, Videos, Audio and Docs on their own. Hold a tab and drag it to put the tabs in the order you like. Menu › Sort orders by name or date, and Menu › Search finds files by name or date.

   In a big folder, drag the scroll bar on the right edge to move quickly through it.

6. Make files bigger or smaller

   Pinch the files with two fingers: spread them apart for bigger tiles (2 in a row), pinch together for smaller ones (up to 5 in a row). Vaultessa remembers your choice.

   To see only the pictures, turn off Settings › File names. Folder names then appear on the folder itself, and notes and voice recordings always show their title inside the tile.

7. Rename a file or mark it as a favorite

   While viewing a file, tap the star at the top to add or remove it from favorites, or use Menu › Rename to give it a new name.

8. Take files out of Vaultessa

   Select them, then Menu › Export to phone. Choose Export and keep in Vaultessa or Export and remove from Vaultessa. Exported files are normal, unencrypted files on your phone.

9. Add another pattern folder

   Inside any open folder, tap Menu › New pattern folder, draw the new pattern three times, name it and write down its recovery code. New pattern folders can only be made from inside a folder, so someone who picks up your phone can't add their own. Vaultessa Free has room for 2 pattern folders.

10. Delete

    Deleting is permanent: there is no trash, and only a backup can bring files back. To delete a folder inside a folder, open it and use Menu › Delete this folder. To delete a whole pattern folder, use Menu › Delete folder and draw that folder's pattern to confirm.