Kistvault runs a single shared crypto core on iOS and Android, pinned to the same golden test vectors on both. A vault created on one platform opens on the other — byte for byte — because the two builds are verified to produce identical output, not merely to interoperate "well enough".
The threat it solves
Ecosystem lock-in. Most vaults are single-OS, or they don't share a container format, so switching phones means a clumsy export-and-pray — or leaving your encrypted data behind entirely. An iOS-only photo vault simply can't help you the day you move to Android.
How it works
- Create anywhere. Make a vault on iOS or Android — same format,
format_version 1. - Move the container. Export the encrypted container and carry it to the new device.
- Open it. Enter your credential or Recovery Kit — same bytes in, same vault out.
The key difference
"It opens on the other phone" is a tested fact here, not a hope. The guarantee is enforced by pinned cross-platform test vectors, so the two implementations can't quietly drift apart.
Questions
Android → iOS, really?
Yes, both directions. Shared core, shared test vectors.
Is the encryption identical?
Verified byte-exact against the same vectors on each platform.
What moves across?
The encrypted container; your credential or Kit still opens it on the new platform.