User Guide

Capture & Seal

Open Picture or Video from the hub.
Frame your subject and tap the mechanical shutter control.
FactLockCam seals the capture on-device—SHA-256 fingerprint, AES-GCM encryption, and a transactional journal that records prepare/commit integrity.
When the phone is online, a fingerprint of the signed capture record is anchored on Polygon. A capture made offline is anchored after the phone reconnects. Until then its public record shows as pending. Only that 32-byte fingerprint goes on Polygon, never the photo or video.

Archive & Inspect

The Archive tile lists sealed items in grid or chronology view. Tap an item to inspect metadata, view a thumbnail, decrypt the full asset on demand, export a certificate, or Send Proof.

Send Proof

Send Proof shares the original as one .flcproof file the recipient checks themselves. A small proof opens in the browser from the link. A large proof opens in the free FactLockFile desktop Viewer, coming for Mac, Windows and Linux once each version is tested. A large proof's unlock key comes as a note beside the file. You do not create a password. Media is never uploaded or stored by FactLockCam. Three results wait on the other side: the file, the signature, and the public record. Change the file. Break the match.

Choose Send Proof from the asset inspector or the Archive action sheet.
The app builds one .flcproof file and makes the unlock key. You do not create a password.
Small proof: the key goes in the link. Share the file and the link through the share sheet (Messages, Mail, AirDrop, Files, or any Android share target).
Large proof (photo or video 25 MiB or more): before the share sheet opens, the app shows the unlock key with a Copy button. It shares the .flcproof file together with a note named factlockcam-unlock-key.txt, because AirDrop can drop message text. Send both.
The recipient saves the file. For a small proof they open the link and choose the file, and the page unlocks it in their browser. A large proof opens in the free FactLockFile desktop Viewer, coming for Mac, Windows and Linux once each version is tested. Until then, the recipient should keep the file and the note together in the same folder. A lost key note can't be recovered. The key may still be in the text of your message; if not, run Send Proof again to make a new file with a new key.

Media is never uploaded or stored by FactLockCam. The file travels as an attachment through the app you pick, and the key travels in the same message, so treat that message like the file itself. Unlocking the file is not proof of the public record. File, signature, and public record are three separate results.

What your recipient gets (small proof)

Anchor the Original.

A FactLockCam proof is attached. One file. The link unlocks it. No app, no account, and nothing is uploaded.

Save factlockcam-proof.flcproof, then open this link and choose that file:
https://factlockcam.com/open/#key=<unlock-key>

Three results wait on the other side: the file, the signature, and the public record.
Change the file. Break the match.

— FactLockCam

Backup & Restore

FactLockCam is non-custodial, so backup is yours to manage. Two files cover it, and Account & Settings → Backup & Restore gathers every action in one place. FactLockCam never holds either file or its password.

1. Back up your keys (`.factlock`)

Open Account & Settings → Backup & Restore → Export archive keys.
Choose a backup password (8+ characters) and confirm it.
Save the .factlock file to Files, iCloud Drive, or another location you control. It contains your signing key and archive encryption key—not your photos or videos.

Keys are stable for an install, so one export covers every capture until you Lock, reinstall, or change devices. The panel shows when keys were last exported.

2. Back up sealed items (`.flcproof`)

Open any item in Archive and choose Export sealed backup.
Set a password for that file.
Save the .flcproof container wherever you keep your records.

Export sealed backup writes the same container Send Proof uses, but for you. It does not consume a Send Proof share. Each file holds one item's original media, title, description, and signed capture record. If you lose its password, that copy cannot be recovered. New sealed backups use the current .flcproof format. Older files still open.

3. Restore

Keys: after Lock archive or a reinstall, the locked screen asks for your .factlock file and password. Sign in with the same email first on a reinstall. Once unlocked, the app can read any sealed files still on this device. Media that left with the uninstall must be restored from .flcproof copies you saved.
Sealed items: open Account & Settings → Backup & Restore → Restore sealed backup (or the Restore backup tile in an empty Archive), choose the .flcproof file, and enter its password. The item returns with its original fingerprint and capture record. No new seal is created and no quota is used.
Large sealed backups (photo or video 25 MiB or more) do not restore into the phone's Archive. The app points you to the desktop Viewer instead. A large proof opens in the free FactLockFile desktop Viewer, coming for Mac, Windows and Linux once each version is tested. Keep the file and its password.

A restored item keeps the wallet that signed it. A package sealed by another account can still be restored; it appears as Historical and is never re-anchored by you.

Account & Burn

Account deletion (Burn Account) requires double confirmation and invokes perform_full_burn to purge cloud-linked profile data. Local encrypted files are wiped from the device as part of the burn flow. Public step-by-step instructions live on Delete Account.