ivault™ FAQ & Help Center

How can I get started with the ivault App? Where can I find help using ivault?

After signing up, a brief tutorial will introduce you to the main features of the ivault App. Add your home address to set up your personalized local activity feed      and start connecting with people next door. Next, you can add your first item to your Private Vault    . (Read more about why adding your home address and your first item is important below.)

To get started find all the answers to your questions in our FAQs here, or visit our community blog: Our starter guide series explains all the basics of the ivault App in detail and offers numerous ideas, tips and examples on how to use it to its full potential: Get started.

What are the main features and advantages of the ivault App?

ivault offers a great variety of features for practical use and even more possibilities to be socially engaged in your local community. It is important to state that there are both private features (to secure your belongings) and public features (to connect with your local community), which you can read more about below.

You are welcome to visit our blog to explore all the advantages of the ivault platform and get even more ideas on how to use the ivault App.

1. What are the private features of the ivault App?

With ivault, you can protect valuables and other things that are important to you by adding items to your Private Vault    – a securely encrypted safe for digital copies of your belongings on your mobile phone.

This feature is an advantage that has never been there before, and it is completely private and 100% secure. One of the main benefits is, that you can easily report and find lost or stolen items later if needed by using one of the social app features (see below): Report something as missing to the ivault community and get help from users nearby. This increases your chances of getting back something you lost.

2. What are the public / social features of the ivault App?

As a social platform, ivault enables you to share local news and stay up-to-date on what’s happening around you on your activity feed      . Find events near you and other opportunities, and get help fast whenever you need it. Help others find lost or stolen items and get rewarded. Or lend out tools and other things to make a little money on the side.

Meanwhile, we provide the highest level of cybersecurity possible. In contrast to common social networks, that have a long history of misusing and abusing user data, we finally want to make a change. We are using the most advanced technology to actually protect your personal data and privacy as a user.

Why does ivault ask me if I’m at home? Do I need to provide my home address?

The ivault App is based on your main location or home address. It is needed as a reference for the algorithm to show you the most relevant posts from your local community on the activity board      (= your local news feed).

But don’t worry: No one can see your home address in the app, and we will never share it with anyone. Read more about how ivault protects your privacy here. Simply select your location on the map. You can change it in your profile settings anytime.

Why does ivault ask me to add my first item to my Vault? 

In the brief introduction, you will be asked to add your first item to your Private Vault   . We chose to do this as it is a good idea to add items that can easily get lost right away before they get lost or stolen.

So, it does not only serve the purpose of getting you familiar with the main app features but also as a precaution for you: The ivault App allows you to store digital copies of your valuables to protect them against loss and theft, which in turn enables you to quickly report them as lost or stolen and get help fast if needed.

Below you can read more about adding items to your vault, reporting lost or stolen items, or lending items from your vault to make a little money on the side.

How can I contact the ivault support team?

To contact the ivault support team, fill out our contact form, or send us a direct email to support@ivault.app. We are looking forward to helping you as soon as possible.

How can I invite friends to join the ivault Community?

Go toyour profile     (bottom-right corner) and select Invite Friends. You can also share your posts    on other social platforms to show your friends what’s happening on the platform, or to let them know that you are using the ivault App.

How do I sign up and create a new account?

Open the ivault App, tap Let’s go, select your preferred signup / login method: You can sign up via Google or Facebook, or swipe up to use your Apple ID or email address to register and create a new account. Then follow the instructions to create a new account and confirm your registration.

More signup options: Can I sign up with my email address?

When you open the ivault App, you will see some of our signup options, like Google, Facebook, or Apple. If you prefer not to register via these services, simply swipe up to enter your email at the bottom.

Why use two-factor authentication to confirm registrations?

We use two-factor authentication to check if it is really you who registered your email address. We want to be sure no one is using your email or your identity without your permission. Likewise, we want the ivault platform to have the best quality and highest security possible, and make sure no spam or malicious content enters our databases.

How do I choose a good username? Should I use my real name?

ivault is a social engagement platform for local communities. As we want to enable users to trust each other, we highly recommend using your real name for a username on our platform (as well as adding a profile picture).

Using a fake identity – even as to a fun username – might result in fewer people reacting to your posts due to trust issues, for example, when you are asking to borrow something from your neighbors.

Password security: How do I choose a safe password?

To secure your data with a safe password, use both upper and lower case letters, numbers, and special characters. A minimum of 8 eight characters is needed. Do not use your name and birthday, please. Instead, create a new password that you have never used before and that no one can know or guess. And, of course, do not tell it to anyone.

How do I log in to my ivault account?

Whenever you need to log in to your account again, select the same login method as before. Then you will be logged in to your existing account automatically.

How can I log in on a different device?

Open the ivault App, and select the same login method you chose to sign up with earlier. Swipe up to see more login options. Then enter your password.

How can I change my login / email address?

Go to your profile     (bottom-right corner) and tap the pencil to edit your email. Type in the email address you want to use instead. Make sure it’s spelled correctly and save your changes. You will be asked to enter a one-time PIN to verify your new email. Please check your inbox (or spam folder) for the confirmation mail and enter the code to confirm the changes.

How can I change my password?

If you want to change your password, you need to log out of your account first: Go to your profile    , tap Settings → Log Out. Then go to the login section again and select Forgot password. Within the next few minutes, you will receive an automated email with a one-time link that allows you to reset your password and create a new one.

How do I log out of my ivault account?

Go to your profile    (bottom-right corner) and tap Settings. There, you will find the Log Out button to sign out of your ivault account on this device.

“Email already taken”: My email seems to be registered already or used by someone else. What can I do?

The “Email already taken” message appears, when you try to sign up with an email that is already in use. This means you have registered before, or someone else is using your email address. Tap Forgot password to get a one-time link to reset your password via email. Don’t forget to check your spam folder, if it looks like you didn’t receive it. It may take a few minutes.

If you are not sure, whether you registered this email before and suspect that someone else is using your email, please contact support@ivault.app.

I did not receive a confirmation email with the registration code. What can I do? 

It may take a few minutes until the code to confirm your email registration will arrive in your inbox. If you have not received the registration PIN to confirm your email address after a few minutes, be sure to check your spam folder. If it did not work, try again (and check for spelling mistakes), or choose a different signup method.

I forgot my login. What can I do?

Make sure you are using the same method to sign in as you used to sign up before. Try a different login method, or email address, if it doesn’t work. If you still cannot log in to your ivault account, please contact us at support@ivault.app.

I forgot my password. How can I reset a lost password?

Use the Forgot Password link below the login field to get a one-time link via email and reset your password. It may take a few minutes until the automated email arrives in your inbox. Don’t forget to check your spam folder.

Why have I been logged out?

There are several reasons why you may have been logged out of your account. Either there has been a problem with an update, or you recently changed your smartphone settings. You can simply log in again and do not have to worry about it. If you are unable to log in, or it keeps happening, please contact support@ivault.app.

Has my account been restricted or blocked?

We reserve the right to block accounts that violate our rules and policies. If your account has been blocked, you will get notified when you try to log in again. Please read our general terms & conditions to get further details.

If you are convinced we made a mistake and there was no reason to block your account, please contact our support team, and we will try to solve the issue together: support@ivault.app

How does the local activity feed work?

When you open the ivault App, you will see the activity feed (    ) with posts from the ivault community. The activity feed serves as your personalized local news feed with all the posts from your next-door community. Your activity feed is tied to your current location and, by default, the top posts will be those closest to you.

You can search through posts from your town using filters (    →    or    ). The map view    allows you to see the location of posts nearby on the map. Learn more about this below.

How does the local search engine work?

With the local search engine and the search bar above the activity feed, you can search for a specific keyword. If you’re looking for your lost keys, for example, type in “keys” to see if someone nearby has reported that they found lost keys. Tap the magnifying glass in the top-left corner to start searching, or use the search filters (    →    or    ) below the search bar to get more accurate results.

Icons and symbols in your activity Feed: What does it mean?

Here is a list of icons and symbols from your local activity feed to guide you through the ivault App:

	Open filters: Tap the icon in the top-left corner next to the search bar to show, hide and select the search filters, category filters, and the map view below.
	Search filters: Tap the first icon on the left to sort your feed and search results by distance, date, or relevance.
	Category filters: Tap the second icon on the left to sort your feed by category: Alerts, Questions, Found, Lost, and Lending. Posts in the activity feed will be marked with the correspoding symbol from this list.
	The map view: Tap the map icon on the right to take a look at the location of posts nearby on the map.

What categories of posts and filters are there?

To open the filter selection, tap    →  1.   or 2.    . The first filter enables you to sort or search by distance (preset), date, or relevance. The second filter is the category filter that allows you to look at certain types of posts while temporarily hiding others. You can choose between 5 categories to look at below (see also different types of posts to create your own posts).

1. Alerts = Community alerts are important and urgent notifications from people near you (to create an alert, see also: Alert your community)
2. Question = Community questions asked by other users from around town (to post a question, see also: Ask the community)
3. Found = Posts about discoveries such as lost items that have been found in your vicinity (to report something you found, see also: I found something)
4. Lost = Lost or stolen items, that have been reported in your area (to report something as missing, see also: Report a lost or stolen item)
5. Lending = Posts about items you can borrow from other users next door (to lend something to others, see also: Lend an item)

How does the map view work, how can I see posts on the map?

In your activity feed (    ), you can select the map view    to look at posts and their location on the map. The posts at the bottom of the screen are arranged in order by how close they are to your current location. Select a post to see the exact location and read it. To close the map view and return to the activity feed, tap the map icon again.

How can I sort my activity feed (by relevance, distance, date, or category)?

Next to the search bar, you will find a button to open a selection of filters     to sort your local activity feed. Use the first filter     to sort your feed by distance (preset), date, or relevance. Use the second filter     to look at a specific type of post: Select alerts, questions, found, lost, or lending (see below).

How can I use filters to get better search results?

You can improve search results by using the search filters below the search bar. Tap the top-right button    next to the search bar, to open the filter selection. Use the first filter     to sort your feed by distance (preset), date, or relevance. Use the second filter     to look at a specific type of post: Select alerts, questions, found, lost, or lending (see below).

If you are looking for lost keys, for example, you might want to set the category to “found” and filter the results by date to look for posts about found keys that have been reported near you within a certain period of time.

How can I interact with other users and posts from my local activity feed?

To interact with other users in the ivault App, you need to react to posts on your activity feed (    ) or add a post yourself for others to leave a comment or, if you choose to allow others to contact you directly, to send you private messages. Read more about these three options here:

1. Leave a public comment
2. Send a private message (if enabled)
3. Create posts for your local community

How can I add a comment to someone’s post?

Tap on a post in your activity feed      , and add a comment right below. Please be sure not to disclose any personal information in a public comment for everyone to see.

How can I contact someone via private message?

Open a post from your activity feed      , and tap the speech bubble in the top-right corner next to the author’s profile picture and name. If you can’t find the speech bubble icon there, you can only leave a public comment below the post to get in touch, as the user chose not to allow others to send private messages.

How can I share a post to help others?

Open a post in your activity feed (    ) and tap the sharing icon     in the top-right corner above the post text. You can choose between different sharing methods to distribute posts on other social platforms, send posts via messenger, or copy links to share content elsewhere.

“No posts yet”: Why is my feed empty? Are there no users in my area yet? What can I do?

When you open the ivault App, you will see your local activity feed (    ) with all the posts from people near you. In some cases, it might be empty, as there are no posts yet. This happens, for example, when you are one of the first persons to use the ivault App within your hometown, or when you are in a small town or village that is far away from other cities.

Now, here’s how you can still start using the ivault App: As market researchers might say you are among the very few special people called trendsetters, innovators, or first adaptors (of a new product), we highly encourage you to make the first post for your local community to show them the way.

Thus, you can see if someone is already there to answer your post. Moreover, you can share your posts    on other platforms, and invite your friends to get your local community together step by step.

Be patient. Soon, others will follow your call as a trendsetter. Rewards?

Where can I view my recent activity?

First of all, you will find all of your posts along with posts created by other users in your local activity feed and search results. To view your recent community posts (alerts and questions), go to your profile    → View my Posts.

Your lost & found posts, on the other hand, will be stored in your Private Vault    along with items you posted for lending: Every item in your vault has a symbol in the bottom-right corner to show whether you made a public post about it and what kind.

Can I adjust my activity feed to see posts from a different location than my home?

Your local activity feed is tied to your current location. When you’re at home, you will see local news from users near your home address. When you are in another place away from home, you will see the local posts from the place you’re visiting.

How can I save a post for later in case I need to get in touch?

To save a post, you can copy a link using the social sharing icon   next to the author’s name, or take a screenshot and use the search engine later, when you need to find it again.

I need to find a post I saw earlier. How can I find it?

Sometimes you might want to find a specific post again you saw in the app earlier, e.g. when you found an item, and you remember that someone reported something similar as lost a few days ago. If you cannot find the post you are looking for by scrolling through your activity feed      , you can search for a specific keyword you remember and use the filters (    →    or    ) to improve your search results. However, it might still need a bit of scrolling, or even another try with a different keyword.

If you can’t find the post you are looking for, it is possible that it was deleted. You can also create a new post, e.g. ask the community a question to see whether they know the person and can get in touch. Be patient, it might take some time for the right person to see your post. 

How can I find a specific user I want to interact with? Like someone I know or someone I saw earlier on the ivault platform…

You can find a specific person in your private messages, as long as you interacted with them before. As we are very serious about protecting user privacy, it is not possible to search for a user by typing in a name into the search bar like you would on other social platforms, and you cannot view other users’ profiles. However, here are some ideas on how to find out if your friends already using ivault:

1. Scroll through the feed to find out who’s there.
2. To see if some of your friends are already using ivault, create a post and ask the community to get in touch if they know you. But please be sure not to disclose any sensitive information about other persons.
3. Ask your friends in person if they have already heard about ivault, and invite them to join the community.
4. Found a lost item that has been reported earlier, but can’t find the user who reported it? Add an I found something post and ask the user to reach out to you instead, so you can return it.

How can I add a post in the ivault App?

To add a post in the ivault App, tap the plus    in the menu bar at the bottom of your screen and select the type of post you want to create: Report a lost or stolen item, alert your community, report something you found, lend an item, or ask a community question. Read more about the different post categories below.

Note: You can also add an item to your  Private Vault    from here. This is not a public post, but a fully private entry that only you can see in your ivault account, which you can read more about here.

What types of posts are there in the ivault App?

In the ivault App, there are 5 different main categories of public posts or types of content you can select to create a post. You can post about an item that, or make a social post to update your local community and connect with people around you by tapping the plus    to add a new post and select one of the post categories below:

1. Report a lost or stolen item: 
Notify your local community about a missing item and get help from others to find it again fast.
2. Alert your community: 
Send out important and urgent notifications to inform your local community about happenings such as road accidents.
3. I found something: 
Post about discoveries you made, like lost items you found. Someone might already be looking for it, and you may get a finder’s reward.
4. Lend an item: 
Post offers for your neighbors to lend or borrow your items to lend and borrow and make a little extra cash.
5. Ask the community: 
Ask a question to get local help, receive good advice, or just to get in touch and chat with people around you.

Alert your community: How can I set up community alerts in the ivault App?

To create a community alert, tap the plus   at the bottom of your screen. Select Alert your community and choose what kind of alert you want to add: There are safety alerts, construction alerts, street treasures, and general alerts for everything else. Then follow the instructions in the app to share this post with your local community.

I found something: How can I report something I found (and return it to the rightful owner)?

To report an item you found, tap the plus    in the menu bar. Select I found something and follow the instructions in the app to create a post.

Note: If you found a lost item with personal information, like a wallet, passport, or credit card, make sure, you don’t display the owner’s personal information publicly for everyone to see. And don’t forget to allow users to contact you directly via private messages, so no personal information will be shared in public comments below your post.

Lend an item: How can I lend something to local community members and make money?

There are 2 ways to lend an item to other users in the ivault App: If you already saved the item to your Private Vault   , select the item you want to lend to your local community, scroll down and turn on the option Lend this item to the community.

If you haven’t registered the item yet, you can still add post about the new item to lend: Simply tap the plus    in the menu bar on the bottom of your screen and select Lend an item. This enables you to add a new item and follow the instructions in the app to share a lending post.

Ask the community: How can I post community questions 
to ask people nearby?

Tap the plus    in the menu bar on the bottom of your screen to add a new post. Select Ask the community and follow the instructions in the app. You can ask your community for help, a piece of advice, an opinion, or anything else that is on your mind.

I want to connect with my local community, but I have no idea what to post. What can I do?

As you might already know, you can, for example, start lending items such as tools or sport equipment to local community members (and make some extra cash), or simply ask a question. However, if you don’t have any items to lend, or do not happen to feel very creative about asking random questions at the moment, we recommend you start by introducing yourself:

Create a new post    and tell the community, who you are, what you do, what hobbies you are interested in, what your favorite dog breed is, and so on. You can even post a picture of your dog to connect with other dog lovers around town. And, hopefully, you will get to know others from your local community with the same interests and hobbies soon.

Note, that there are things you should not post on the ivault platform, so please be sure to comply with our community policies and guidelines.

Lost & Found: Why should I add a description of the item with unique details?

When reporting a lost or found item, the ivault App asks you to describe the item in detail and include unique characteristics like barcodes or scratches because it helps other users to recognize the item, when they see it. Details that make an item unique can be used as a verification to identify if the item is really yours.

Lost & Found: Why should I add pictures to my posts?

When you are creating a lost & found post, you will always be asked to take a photo or upload pictures from your library. It is crucial to add pictures when reporting a lost or stolen item, so people know what to look for. It helps others to identify an item you lost (or found) and largely increases your chances to get back a lost or stolen item.

Likewise, if you found an item, that was lost or stolen, take a picture, so the owner can easily recognize his or her lost item on the ivault platform.

Note: If you found a lost item with personal information, like a wallet, passport, or credit card, make sure, you don’t display the owner’s personal information publicly and don’t forget to allow users to contact you directly via private messages, so no personal information will be shared in public comments below your post.

Lost & Found: Why should I add a finder’s fee?

When reporting a lost or stolen item, adding a finder’s fee will drastically increase your chances to recover a missing item. An appropriate reward can incentivize more people to actively be on the lookout for your lost keys, a lost phone, or a lost notebook.

In some countries like Germany, a finder’s fee relating to the value of the lost item is even set by law, and you are legally obligated to pay it if someone returns your lost notebook. We kindly recommend you look up the legal terms for your country and/or state to learn more about it and what’s the matter in a specific situation.

Why does no one react to my posts? What can I do to increase my reach and get more people to see my posts?

There are several possible reasons, why no one has reacted to your post yet. If you are living in a small town, for example, there might not be as many ivault users yet. Thus, it may take some time until someone reaches out to you. In cases, the time you published a post is responsible for a lack of reactions. Especially, when you posted in the middle of the night. So, just be patient or try it another time.

Something else you might want to check for: Are you using a trustworthy username to interact with others on the ivault platform? Have you added a nice and friendly profile picture? These things are crucial for others to decide whether they want to trust you and get in touch.

To reach more people, you can always share your posts    on other social platforms, or invite your friends to get your local community together step by step. If that doesn’t help try boosting visibility or sending active alerts the next time you create a post.

I can’t find a post I published. Where can I see my recent posts?

Find all of your recent community posts (community alerts or questions) in your profile   , under View my posts. In your Private Vault    , every item you made a post about has an icon to show whether it is public, e.g. for lending or for lost & found posts. Finally, you will find all of your posts along with others in your local activity feed (and search results)    .

How can I edit my posts?

To edit community alerts or questions, go to your profile    → View my posts and select the post you want to change. Then tap the pencil to edit the information.

To edit a lost & found or lending post, go to your Private Vault   , select the item you made a post about that you want to change now, and tap the pencil to edit all the details.

How can I delete or remove a post from the activity feed?

You can delete a community post – like community alerts or questions – from your profile     → View my posts, select the post you want to remove and delete it.

If you would like to delete posts about an item you reported or offered for lending, go to your Private Vault    , select the item and scroll down to the bottom of the entry. There, you can turn off the option This item is lost or Lend this item to the community.

General help with your Private Vault: What is it, and what is it used for?

Your Private Vault    is a secure digital safe or wallet in the ivault App. It holds digital copies of your valuables and other things that are important to you, mainly to protect them against loss or theft. This feature is completely private and 100% secure: Only you can see what’s inside your Private Vault.

You can digitalize and store all kinds of assets on your phone and if something goes missing, you can easily report a lost or stolen item on the public platform for the ivault community to help you find it. Through the verified timestamped entry in your Private Vault, you can also prove to a finder that you are the rightful owner of a found item. On top of that, you can also add items to your vault to make money from lending.

How does it work? How do I protect my valuables by adding them to my Private Vault?

With ivault, you are saving digital copies of your items to keep track of your assets on your phone and prove that they are really yours. The timestamped entries serve as a fraud protection, as you can prove you have been the rightful owner of all the items in your Private Vault for a long time. The sooner you add items, the better.

Adding items to your vault is a precaution to protect your things against loss or theft, as it increases your chances to get back lost valuables and other items that are important to you thanks to many other users who can help you find them effectively.

However, your data and the items you stored inside your Private Vault are protected with a secure encryption standard and 100% private. You are the only person who has access to your vault and you have full control over what you want to make public, e.g. when you need to report something as lost or stolen.

So, basically, you can manage all your things in one place that is securely encrypted on your smartphone. This way, you can also keep track of things you lent out to people next door.

Help with icons and symbols in your Private Vault: What does it mean? 

In the bottom-right corner of each item in your Private Vault, you will see an icon that tells you more about the item. Here is a list of the different icons and symbols and what they mean:

	The Safe: All items you saved to your vault will be marked with the safe as a default icon. It means they are 100% private. You are the only person who can see them – solely on your phone.
	Lost: Items you posted as lost or stolen. These items can be seen by other users on the activity feed as you reported them to the community. Read more below.
	Lending: Items you posted for lending. These items can be seen by other users on the activity feed as you offered them for your local community to borrow. Read more below.
	Found: Items you posted as found. These items have been added to your Private Vault for safe-keeping automatically after you reported them as found and can be seen by other users on the activity feed. Read more below.

Who has access to my Private Vault? How private is it?

Your Private Vault is 100% private and secure. You are the only one with access to your Private Vault, as long as you do not give away your phone or password to another person. Read more about password safety here and data security and privacy below.

Is it really safe to store valuables in my Private Vault? How safe is it?

Yes, it is perfectly safe: Your information is securely encrypted with the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) with 256-bit keys (AES-256) — the strongest government-approved algorithm for encrypting data in the industry.

Moreover, you are the only one who has access to your vault. No one else can see what’s inside your vault. So, as long as you do not give away your phone or password to another person, it is 100% safe to store your valuables in your Private Vault.

Save an item to my vault: How to add items to your Private Vault

To add an item to your Private Vault, tap the lock    or the plus    in the menu bar on the bottom of your screen and select Save an item to my Vault. Then follow the instructions to add an item to your Private Vault, and save the new entry. Find a complete step-by-step guide with all the details, tips examples on how to add items and protect your valuables with ivault (coming soon).

Why should I add items to my Private Vault? 

With ivault, you can digitalize and store all kinds of items on your phone in your Private Vault. There are several reasons why this will make your life a little easier:

1. If something goes missing, you can report it as lost or stolen for the ivault community to help you find it and get it back much easier than before.
2. Most people will have trouble getting a good picture of their lost keys after they are gone… Thanks to the ivault App, you, on the other hand, already saved some pictures of your keys as a precaution if they will get lost someday. Now, it drastically increases your chances to get back your lost keys as it helps others to easily identify your lost keys, when they see them.
3. Through the verified timestamped entry in your Private Vault, you can prove that you are the one and only rightful owner of an item. Imagine someone has found your lost keys, wallet, or phone: They want to be sure they are giving it back to the actual owner and not hand it out to the wrong person.
4. Moreover, ivault enables you to register items for lending. Thus, you can also make money through items stored in your Private Vault.

What kind of items should I add to my Private Vault?

Our kindest recommendation is to add your most important and most-likely-to-get-lost-or-stolen items first: your smartphone, laptop, keys, and wallet, your wedding ring, your favorite necklace, or your watch. To save some pictures of your bike and/or car is a good idea as well.

Then there are some things, of course, that are irreplaceable even if they are not valuable at all, and when they get lost you want to get them back. That could be your children’s favorite toy and anything else that can easily be thrown out of a stroller and cause them emotional suffering later.

Next, it’s helpful to register your dog or cat, too, even if they’re not “items”, of course. However, it is critical to act quickly and get as many eyes as possible to be lookout right away, when your pet suddenly goes missing. Thus, it’s good to have a lost pet post ready to be sent out to everyone nearby.

Finally, after setting up your “emergency vault” you can add items you want to make some money off by lending them to people next door: You might want to add gardening tools, cleaning tools, sports equipment, and so on.

By the way, as a collector, you can digitalize your full collection of Pokémon cards, healing stones, drones or samurai swords to always carry them with you in your pocket 24/7, and have verified proof of ownership of every single piece.

How many things can I add to my Private Vault? Is there a limit to the number of items?

There is no limit to the number of items you can add to your Private Vault.

Why should I add a description with unique details like scratches or barcodes?

Describing your item in as much detail as possible is a simple but smart precaution in case you need to report the item as lost or stolen later: An in-depth description of your item helps others to recognize your lost item easily. Especially unique details like scratches, barcodes, or other characteristics that make your item special will help others identify it as yours. This will drastically increase your chances of someone finding it and getting it back to you.

So, the more you can tell the ivault community about your item (even the reason why it is so important for you), will ultimately increase your chances of getting it back. The more details you can show, e.g. by adding clear images from different angles, the better. Read more below.

Why should I add pictures of my item for safe-keeping in my Private Vault?

When you register a new item to your vault, adding a few clear images of your item — from different angles, if possible — is very important. It is a simple but smart measurement to have pictures ready in case you need to report an item as lost or stolen later: Most people don’t have a picture of their keys and when they’re gone it is too late.

So, adding pictures will help others to recognize your item if they find it somewhere. Especially, pictures of unique details, like scratches or barcodes, will help finders identify your lost item and drastically increase your chances of getting it back.

This is what your Private Vault is for: It’s the place to wisely store all this information – just in case.

PRO TIP: If you want to report an item from your vault that you just lost, you might want to add another picture of the place where it is most likely to be found (e.g. with the help of Google Earth, if you cannot go back to that location for the moment). The more details and visual hints you can give to the ivault community, the higher your chances of getting it back.

How can I edit items I added in my Private Vault?

Go to your Private Vault    and select the item you want to edit. Tap the pencil icon next to details you would like to change and edit them separately. Don’t forget to click Save at the bottom of the entry after you’ve made your changes.

How can I remove items from my Private Vault?

Go to your Private Vault    and select the item you want to remove. Tap the trash can in the top-left-corner to delete it. Note that you cannot restore items once deleted. However, you can always add items to your Private Vault again.

How can I report lost or stolen items from my Private Vault?

Go to your Private Vault (4th button in the menu bar) and select the item you want to report as lost or stolen and select it. Scroll down to the bottom of the entry and tap I lost this item. Then follow the instructions to report the item as missing and post it. Don’t forget to add an appropriate finder’s reward to incentivize more people to help you find it, and turn on private messages and notifications.

Now, other local users can see that you are looking for a lost or stolen item in their activity feed. If you haven’t pre-registered an item you lost, you can still create a post about it here: Report a lost or stolen item.

How can I lend out items from my Private Vault?

Go to your Private Vault (4th button in the menu bar), select the item you want to lend out to people next door. Scroll down to the lending option at the bottom of the entry where it says Lend this item to the community. Turn it on to make it available for lending and save the changes. Others can now see your item in their local activity feed and contact you to ask for details such as costs and borrow it from you.

If you haven’t pre-registered an item you would like to offer for lending, you can also add new items and create a post here: Lend an item.

When there are items in your vault that are not yours: Why are found items added to my vault?

When you report something you found (I found something), it will appear in your Private Vault    . You could say you are a temporary holder now, responsible for the safe-keeping of the lost item until the owner is found.

However, it doesn’t mean you can keep the item or throw it away when no one reacts to your post. Please bring it to the closest lost & found office near you if you haven’t done so already or read more on how to optimize your posts to reach more people.

I can’t find an item I added to my vault. What can I do?

When you add a new item to your vault, it will appear on top of the list in your Private Vault (4th button in the main menu). If the new item is not there, it is possible you didn’t properly save the new entry. In that case, you need to add it again.

If you already added numerous items, and you can’t find an item you added long ago, look again, it should still be there if you did not delete it. However, you can always add it as a new item, even if you’re uncertain whether you registered it before. Don’t forget to save your new entry! The item will be listed on top of your Private Vault again. If you keep having trouble, please contact us at support@ivault.app.

General help with in-app notifications, push notifications, and messages in the ivault App

When you are using ivault, you will only receive the most relevant news tied to your location as in-app notifications, and push notifications if you want. You will be notified about public comments on your posts and private messages from other users via push notifications (e.g. if someone found a lost item you reported).

Note that other users can only reach out to you via private messages if you chose to allow them to contact you. Find all your messages and notifications by tapping the bell icon    in the menu bar at the bottom of your screen.

How can I turn on or turn off push notifications?

To never miss a thing, go to your phone’s notifications settings to turn on notifications from the ivault App. To have notifications turned on is extremely important in case someone found an item you reported as lost or stolen and tries to get in touch to give it back to you. If they cannot reach you because you turned off notifications at some point in the past, they will eventually give in and in the worst-case abandon your item, and you will never get back what’s yours.

This is why we kindly recommend not to turn off notifications from the ivault App at all, so you won’t miss critical messages in a situation like this in the future, and we promise not to spam you. Of course, it is your choice to turn off notifications, but instead of doing this right away, consider our alternative:

Get in touch with us instead and tell us why you want to turn off notification, what notifications you would like to avoid getting and what you’re missing to improve your experience altogether. Your opinion matters to us as it will help us to improve our app not only for you but for other users as well. So, feel free to contact us via support@ivault.app or write a comment on the blog.

How can I send private messages to contact other users from the ivault community?

You can only contact users in reaction to their posts, which you can find on your local activity feed      . Leave a public comment below a post, or send a private message, if the author of this post allows other users to contact them directly via private messages. Please always be kind and friendly to others and comply with our community rules and policies, whenever you add a comment or send a private message.

How do I get private messages in the ivault App?

Other users can only send you private messages in reaction to a post you made. So, in order to receive private messages from other users, you need to create a post   . Be sure to check the option Allow other users to send me private messages before publishing your post, so you won’t miss them.

I need to send someone a message, but the speech bubble is missing. What can I do?

When other users prefer not to receive private messages, we should, of course, respect their privacy. Alternatively, you can always leave a public comment below a post.

If you need to get in touch with someone because you found a lost wallet, for example, please do not disclose any personal information in a public comment. It is possible that users forgot to allow private messages before. To get in touch, create an I found something post, and enable private messages for the owner to contact you instead. Then add a link to your post in a public comment below his original post.

Why is my inbox empty? Why is no one sending me any private messages?

Other users can only send you private messages in reaction to a post you made. To receive messages from other users, you need to add a post   and make sure to check the option Allow other users to send me private messages before publishing.

If you have already done that, but your inbox is still empty, be patient: Sometimes it takes a while until your post reaches someone who can help you. Especially, if you’re living in a small town, where there are only a few people. Meanwhile, you can share your posts     on other social platforms to reach more people, or invite your friends to join the community. If you have already done this as well, find out how to increase your reach here.

How do I enable private messages so other users can contact me directly?

Other users can only send you private messages in reaction to a post you made. Create a post   and follow the instructions. In the end, the ivault App will ask you to check the option Allow other users to send me private messages and turn on push notifications before publishing your post.

How can I report an inappropriate message or the person who sent it to me?

You can report a message by tapping the flag    in the top-right corner. Then select what kind of problem you want to report and if you feel it would be better to avoid getting any more messages from this person, you can block the user: Read more about reporting and blocking here.

How can I customize my profile and adjust account settings?

Tap the profile icon    in the bottom-right corner of the main menu to go to your profile and account settings. There you can add or change your profile picture, add a phone number, change your email or home address, e.g. after moving to another town. Read below for more details.

Who can see my profile and personal information?

In contrast to other social networks, your profile is not public and other users cannot visit your profile and view your personal information. Only you have access to your data, that is your phone number, email, and home address.

Whenever you create a post for your local community, you have full control over what to share with your community. Other users will see your username and profile picture along with the content of your post. You can select whether you want to allow users to contact you via private messages inside the ivault App.

How can I change my personal information?

Tap the profile icon    in the bottom-right corner of the main menu to go to your profile and account settings. There you can add or change your profile picture, add a phone number, change your email or home address, e.g. after moving to another town. To change the information about personal belongings (items you added to your vault), go to your Private Vault    and edit your items.

How can I add a profile picture, and why is it recommended to do so?

Go to your profile    (bottom-right corner), and tap the camera next to the picture frame to add a profile picture. Choose from your gallery, or open your camera to take a selfie.

We kindly recommend adding a friendly profile picture, so other users know they are talking to a real person from around town. It is proven to also increase your reach and get help fast as people are more likely to trust you. They might have seen you around somewhere, and consider that you look familiar.

How can I add or change my phone number in the ivault App?

Go to your profile    (bottom-right corner) to add your phone number. Tap the pencil to edit your phone number, and don’t forget to SAVE your changes.

How can I change my email address in the ivault App?

Go to your profile    (bottom-right corner), tap the pencil to edit your email address, and type in a new one. Don’t forget to SAVE your changes. You will then be asked to enter a one-time PIN to confirm your new email with your old email to confirm it is really you. Check your inbox (and spam folder) for the confirmation mail. Be patient, it may take a few minutes. Then type in the PIN code to confirm your changes.

How can I change my home address in the ivault App?

Go to your profile    (bottom-right corner), tap the pencil to edit your home address, and type in a new one. Confirm the right location on the map, and don’t forget to tap SAVE in the top-right corner.

How can I change the time zone and country settings in the ivault App?

The time zone and country settings of the ivault App are tied to your phone’s time zone and country. To use the ivault App in a different country or time zone, go to your phone’s time zone or country settings and select the right time zone or country. Then, re-start the ivault App so that the changes take effect.

How can I change the language settings in the ivault App?

The language of the app is tied to the language settings of your phone. To use the ivault App in a different language, go to your phone’s language settings to select the right language: At the moment, you can use ivault in English and German. Then, re-start the ivault App so that the changes take effect.

How can I change the currency in the ivault App?

You can change the currency you see for other users’ offers for lending and finder’s fees in the ivault App in your profile   , tap Settings and select a different currency.