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Vault FAQ

Short answers to common questions about the Private Vault. Each links to the page with the details.

Keys and unlocking​

Do I need a password or a recovery phrase for the vault?​

No. Your privacy keys are derived from a signature by your wallet account, so the same account always opens the same vault. Keep your wallet's own recovery phrase or device safe: without the account, neither a backup nor Recover Notes can open your notes. See Private Vault.

Why did my wallet ask me to sign twice?​

The first time an EVM account or an ed25519 account (Substrate or Solana wallet) unlocks the vault, the app asks for the same signature twice to check that the wallet signs deterministically. A wallet that does not would derive different keys every time, and your notes would become unspendable.

Why can't my account unlock the vault?​

The app needs a deterministic signature. EVM accounts need a wallet that signs deterministically; sr25519 Substrate accounts need a wallet that signs with sr25519 VRF (the Talisman or SubWallet browser extension). The message under Sign and unlock says which case applies. Public transfers work with any account.

Why does the same ed25519 key open an empty vault in another wallet?​

A Solana wallet and a Substrate extension sign the unlock message differently, so the same ed25519 key derives a different privacy identity in each. Notes shielded under one cannot be spent from the other. Unlock with the wallet you shielded from, and keep each key to one kind of wallet — see Keys & Identity.

If I reconnect on the same device, do I need Recover Notes?​

No. Your notes are stored in this browser. Reconnecting and unlocking is enough.

Is my vault safe if my device is stolen?​

Your notes are stored encrypted, and the cached session that spares you a signature on every visit is sealed under a browser key that cannot be exported: a copied disk or a synced browser profile cannot open it. It does not protect against someone using your unlocked browser. On a shared machine, press Lock vault or disconnect your wallet, which removes the cached session.

Receiving​

Someone sent me a private transfer. Why don't I see it?​

The vault does not watch the pool for new payments. Ask the sender for the payment slip and use Import Slip, or scan with Sync or Recover Notes. See Receive Privately.

Can someone with my privacy address see my balance?​

No. A privacy address lets people pay you; it reveals no balance, notes or history, and payments to it cannot be linked to it on chain. See Receive Privately.

Why are some notes "not yet confirmed on chain"?​

A note a scan has just found is checked against the chain before it counts. Until then it is listed but left out of your balance and cannot be spent. Press Sync to confirm it. See Recover Notes.

Backups and recovery​

Can I back up my notes?​

Yes. Export Notes saves a JSON backup holding only public data and no spending key; Import Notes restores it on another device. See Export & Import Notes.

What if Recover Notes stops halfway?​

Its progress is saved. Open the app in the same browser, unlock the vault and press Resume; the scan continues from where it stopped. See If the scan stops.

Why does a note show as Self-transfer or Change?​

The Type column says how the note came to you. A note created by a transaction that also spent your notes is a Self-transfer, Change or Unshield change; see Note types.

What if Recover Notes finds fewer notes than expected?​

Check that you unlocked with the same account, on the same network, that you used before. Notes created with another account are not found, and neither are operations that never reached the chain.

Does a backup restore my sent history?​

No. A backup restores notes. Payments you sent, with their recipients and slips, come back only with Recover Notes.

Spending​

Why didn't my wallet ask me to confirm a private transfer?​

Transfers and unshields are sent without a signature: the zero-knowledge proof authorises them, and the fee comes out of your notes. See How it is sent.

Why can't I send or withdraw my whole balance at once?​

A transfer spends at most two notes and an unshield spends one. Merge notes first with a self-transfer.

How much does a private transfer or an unshield cost?​

0.001 ORB, taken from your notes and credited to the validator that includes it in a block. A shield has no spend fee; your wallet pays the normal network fee. See Spend Fees.