Coerce: a decoy vault for when you're forced to unlock
If someone forces you to open the app, refusing can make things worse. Coerce gives you a pattern that opens a believable, harmless vault instead.
Coerce is a Pro feature that adds a decoy vault with its own pattern. Draw it under pressure and the app opens a vault with a few ordinary files, so you can show there was nothing to hide. Your real vaults stay untouched. Optionally, the Coerce pattern can also erase every other vault, but that's off unless you type PERMIT to allow it.
Setting it up
- In Settings, tap Set up a Coerce vault and read the explanation.
- Draw your current pattern to confirm it's you.
- Draw a Coerce pattern that looks clearly different from your real one (the app rejects ones that are too close).
- Add a few ordinary files, so the vault looks lived in.
You can test the Coerce pattern at any time from Settings. The test only checks the pattern; nothing opens or changes.
Make it believable
An empty vault looks suspicious. Add some harmless photos, a document or two and a note. Editing the Coerce vault is safe: a banner reminds you it's the Coerce vault, and nothing is erased while you edit it.
Keep them locked, offline
Sealcloak encrypts your photos, videos and files on your phone. No account, no cloud, no internet permission.
The optional erase
You can choose to make the Coerce pattern erase every other vault when it's drawn at the lock screen. It's off by default and needs you to type the word PERMIT. Erasing is permanent and can't be undone on that phone. Backups you made yourself aren't touched. Think carefully before turning it on, and keep a backup somewhere safe.
Limits
Coerce is camouflage, not magic. Someone who knows the app well may suspect a decoy, and anyone who searches the phone with forensic tools works on a different level. Use it as one layer alongside strong encryption and a pattern nobody knows.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Coerce vault erase my files by default?
No. By default it only opens the decoy. Erasing other vaults is a separate option you must turn on by typing PERMIT.
Can someone tell it's a decoy?
The app shows nothing that says a vault is a decoy at the lock screen, and nothing shows how many vaults exist. Fill it with ordinary files so it looks real.
Is Coerce free?
Coerce is part of Sealcloak Pro, along with calculator mode, a custom icon and unlimited files and vaults.
What's the difference from the duress mode in other apps?
The idea is similar. In Sealcloak, the decoy is a real, editable vault with its own pattern, and erasing is opt-in rather than automatic.
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