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What is a decoy password?

·Written by the developer of Stash

A decoy password is a second PIN that opens a different, harmless vault, so the real one stays closed if you are made to unlock the app. It is also called a duress PIN, fake PIN or guest PIN. This page explains how it works, where it helps, and where it does not.

How a decoy password works

A vault app with a decoy feature accepts two codes:

  • Your real PIN opens your actual vault.
  • The decoy PIN opens a second vault that holds only what you put there.

From the outside the two look the same. The idea is that if someone pressures you to open the app, for example a thief who has taken your unlocked phone, you can enter the decoy PIN instead of refusing.

When a decoy vault helps

  • Pressure in the moment: someone insists on seeing what is in the app and you cannot simply say no.
  • Looking over your shoulder: if someone sees you type a code, it is better if it is the decoy.
  • Showing the app is harmless: some people simply prefer that opening the app in front of others shows nothing private.

What a decoy vault cannot do

Be clear about the limits before you rely on one:

  • It is not invisible. iPhone shows how much storage each app uses in Settings > General > iPhone Storage. A large vault with an almost empty decoy can look odd.
  • It does not stop a forensic examination. Someone with specialist tools and time can learn more about an app's data than its screens show.
  • It is not a safety plan. If you are in danger from someone close to you, an app is no substitute for help. Contact local emergency services or a support organisation for your situation.
  • It needs believable content. An empty decoy vault is not convincing. Add a few ordinary items.

What iPhone offers instead

iOS has no decoy passcode, but it has related protections:

  • Require your passcode instead of Face ID: press and hold the side button and either volume button until the power-off slider appears, then tap Cancel. Face ID stays off until you enter your passcode.
  • Stolen Device Protection (Settings > Face ID & Passcode): when your iPhone is away from familiar places, some sensitive actions need Face ID or Touch ID and may include a delay, so a stolen passcode is less useful.
  • A strong passcode. Nothing replaces it.

The guest PIN in Stash

Stash, our app, has this feature under the name guest PIN (Premium). You set a second PIN; entering it on the calculator opens a separate guest vault that contains only items you have placed there. The guest PIN is stored as a salted hash like the main PIN. Stash also offers intruder photos: after a wrong PIN, the front camera takes a photo that is encrypted and stored in your vault.

Illustration drawn from the app's interface. Sample content. The guest vault: the same Files screen, holding only what was put there.

Our own terms say it plainly: the guest vault is a privacy feature, not a guarantee in any legal or personal-safety situation.

FAQ

Is a decoy password the same as a duress PIN?

Mostly. "Duress PIN" sometimes means a code that also wipes data or sends an alert. A decoy password only opens a different vault.

Can someone tell that a decoy vault exists?

Possibly, from app storage size or by knowing the app. Assume a determined person may suspect it.

Does iPhone have a fake passcode?

No. iOS has one device passcode. Decoy codes exist only inside apps that offer them.