Privacy By Design For Everyone

SeedVault

SeedVault

Seedvault Backup is an open-source data backup application for Android.

Welcome to SeedVault, an open-source encrypted backup app for inclusion in Android-based operating systems!

While every smartphone user wants to be prepared with comprehensive data backups in case their phone is lost or stolen, not every Android user wants to entrust their sensitive data to Google's cloud-based storage. By storing data outside Google's reach, and by using client-side encryption to protect all backed-up data, Seedvault offers users maximum data privacy with minimal hassle.

Seedvault allows Android users to store their phone data without relying on Google's proprietary cloud storage. Users can decide where their phone's backup will be stored, with options ranging from a USB flash drive to a remote self-hosted cloud storage alternative such as NextCloud. Seedvault also offers an Auto-Restore feature: instead of permanently losing all data for an app when it is uninstalled, Seedvault's Auto-Restore will restore all backed-up data for the app upon reinstallation.

Seedvault protects users' private data by encrypting it on the device with a key known only to the user. Each Seedvault account is protected by client-side encryption (AES/GCM/NoPadding). This encryption is unlockable only with a 12-word randomly-generated key, the same mechanism that protects the keys of Bitcoin wallets.

With Seedvault, backups run automatically in the background of the phone's operating system, ensuring that no data will be left behind if the device is lost or stolen. The Seedvault application requires no technical knowledge to operate, and does not require a rooted device.

The Calyx Institute is proud to sponsor the development of Seedvault Backup as part of our nonprofit mission to develop tools that anyone can use to build "privacy by design" into their internet access. Seedvault Backup will be a key feature of The Calyx Institute's privacy-focused Android-based operating system, CalyxOS, which is currently in development.

Seedvault Backup is an open-source application. The source code can be found here.