An encrypted gallery vault for Android devices
About this app
Valv is an encrypted gallery, storing your sensitive photos, GIFs and videos securely on your device. Choose a password or PIN-code and protect your gallery. Valv encrypts your files using the fast ChaCha20 stream cipher.
Features
* Supports images, GIFs, videos and text files * Organise using folders * The app requires no permissions * Encrypted files are stored on-disk allowing for easy backups and transfers between devices * Supports multiple vaults by the use of different passwords * Day/night modes * Add notes/text to files
Encryption
Files are encrypted using ChaCha20 and keys are derived using PBKDF2 with HMAC-SHA512.
Licensed under GPL-3.0-only, by Arctosoft AB.
What's New in v2.4.1
Imported from the F-Droid repository index.
- * Reduced folder loading times
- * Remember video playback position, e.g. after screen rotation
- * Added a button to create a new folder in the current directory
- * Long press on an empty folder to delete it
- * Increased maximum iteration count to 2 million
- * Menu option to scroll to the first/last file with a note
Version history
Apr 14, 2026 · 6 MB · Android API 28–36 · code 41
Imported from the F-Droid repository index.
- * Reduced folder loading times
- * Remember video playback position, e.g. after screen rotation
- * Added a button to create a new folder in the current directory
- * Long press on an empty folder to delete it
- * Increased maximum iteration count to 2 million
- * Menu option to scroll to the first/last file with a note
SHA-256 62530637f576b2b9c49077d3e8e7cbaee882b6bdd048b1e5d4a909248c52c133
Jul 21, 2025 · 5.7 MB · Android API 28–36 · code 39
Imported from the F-Droid repository index.
- * Added biometrics. You can now unlock one vault with biometrics (fingerprint, face, etc.)
- * Every password/vault now has its own set of folders. E.g. using a new password will no longer show folders added using a different password.
- Note: this means that you will have to add your folders again as they are not carried over from the previous version.
SHA-256 6fabe48ea6e7618da7363a6ae5432c77a4928cb0a6367e387cb0592b1f8887c7
Jan 28, 2025 · 5.4 MB · Android API 28–35 · code 37
Imported from the F-Droid repository index.
- * The folder preview and file count now update after modifying the folder contents
- * Added a setting to hide all files encrypted using a different password
- * Added a setting to go to the password screen when locking instead of exiting
- * Fixed duplicate files in the All folder
- * Fixed images being displayed in the wrong orientation
- * Fixed missing fast scroll bar
SHA-256 9fe48f2d566675ef41e266f0f5af5618cbe8e16ebc19728d73f5423b6b4ac816
Will it run on your device?
74%
- Targets newer Android builds, so legacy devices may be excluded.
- Multiple CPU architectures are covered.
- Aligned with the latest Android target SDK expectations.
Installation Guide
Open Settings on your Android device
Go to Security → Unknown sources (or Install unknown apps)
Enable "Allow from this source" for your browser or file manager
Open the downloaded APK file from your Downloads folder
Tap "Install" and wait for installation to complete
Launch the app from your home screen
Make sure to re-enable Unknown Sources restrictions after installation for security.
How to install this safely
How to verify the file you downloaded
Before you install anything, confirm the file is the one described here. On a computer, run shasum -a 256 your-download.apk (macOS or Linux) or certutil -hashfile your-download.apk SHA256 (Windows), then compare the output character-for-character with the SHA-256 on this page. If a single character differs, the file is not the build we recorded — delete it.
What the signing certificate proves
Every Android app is signed with a private key that only its developer holds. The fingerprint on this page is a hash of the matching public certificate, and it proves continuity rather than identity: it tells you a build came from whoever signed the earlier ones. Android enforces this at install time — if a package claiming to be se.arctosoft.vault is signed with a different key, the system will refuse to install it over your existing copy. A fingerprint that changes between releases is worth pausing on, because a repackaged app that has been modified by someone else cannot keep the original signature.
How to roll back to an earlier version
If the current release misbehaves, 2.3.1 is the last build before it. Android will not install an older version code over a newer one, so you must uninstall Valv first — which clears its local data unless you have a backup. Reinstall the older APK only if its signing fingerprint matches the build you already trust, and check the API range: an older release may target an Android version your device has moved past.
Why we list sources instead of hosting everything
The official store channel is almost always the right choice: it updates automatically and carries the publisher's own distribution guarantees. A direct APK is useful when a device has no store access, when a rollout has not reached your region, or when you need a specific version — and only when the publisher has authorized that copy. APKBrowse does not list pirated, cracked, or unauthorized rebuilds of Valv, and a listing is removed when the evidence for it stops holding up.
Get Valv
Every source we list for se.arctosoft.vault is legality-reviewed. Pirated or cracked builds are never offered.
Other sources
F-Droid listing
officialF-Droid builds this app from source and signs it. This is its official listing, with older builds and full release notes.
Source code
verified publisherThe upstream repository this build is compiled from.
We check legality and signature continuity, but device behaviour still varies. Install at your own discretion.
App Information
Security Verification
We record provenance; we do not run malware scans. Verify the hash yourself before installing.
SHA-256 Hash
62530637f576b2b9c49077d3e8e7cbaee882b6bdd048b1e5d4a909248c52c133
Signing certificate
06dd0cd0942f0c8b29fb2f19f6d4853eb7d69df0c98352197f24ade170a93aba
Permissions Required
What each permission lets Valv do. A highlighted one is worth a second look — not necessarily wrong, just worth asking whether this app needs it.
Previous Versions
The signing certificate fingerprint for this release is on record, so a build that does not match it did not come from this publisher.
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