FAQ
What the watch does, what the phone cannot, and what happens if you lose either.
- Your signing keys stay on Apple Watch.
- Your iPhone can prepare a request. You approve every transfer from Apple Watch.
- Apple Watch decodes each transaction for itself and builds the approval screen from what it will sign.
- You can keep an encrypted backup on paper or in a photo.
- No account. No analytics. No trackers.
How It Works
Why keep signing keys on Apple Watch instead of a phone or computer?
Phones and computers open links, run apps, connect to websites, and receive data from many sources. If the signing keys live there too, taking over one device can expose the power to sign. Cryptograph separates those roles. Your iPhone prepares the request. You approve it on Apple Watch, where the keys stay.
What does Apple Watch do, and what does the iPhone do?
Apple Watch holds your keys. You review, approve, or reject requests there. The iPhone can prepare requests, show your portfolio, and connect to networks. It cannot sign.
How do I know the watch is showing me the real transaction?
The iPhone sends the transaction, not a separate summary for the watch to trust. Apple Watch decodes it for itself and builds the approval screen from those details. Your approval applies to the same transaction the watch signs.
Why not use a dedicated hardware wallet?
A dedicated hardware wallet can be a sound choice. It asks you to trust the device, its firmware, its key generation, and the companies that make and ship it. Public incidents have included weak seed generation, exposed purchase records, and breached shipping data. With Cryptograph, you trust Apple hardware, watchOS, the App Store update path, and Cryptograph's code. There is no wallet shipment. Perpetua Labs receives no name or shipping address from your App Store purchase.
Where are private keys stored?
On Apple Watch. Your keys stay off your iPhone and are secured by the Secure Enclave. Apple's device backups and cloud sync do not copy them. Recovery Sheets and Photo Backups are encrypted on the watch before they leave it.
What can a compromised iPhone still do?
It can expose public wallet information available to the phone, such as blockchain addresses. A compromised iPhone can also expose Zcash balances and transaction history that are not public. It can prepare a request you did not intend or try to mislead you. It cannot sign. You still decide what to approve on Apple Watch.
Does the iPhone ever see my private keys?
No. Your private keys stay on Apple Watch. When you approve a request, the watch signs it and sends the result to the iPhone.
Recovery
What happens if I lose my watch?
Your wallet does not move to a new watch automatically. Use your Recovery Sheet or Photo Backup to restore it on a new Apple Watch.
Are backups encrypted?
Yes. You choose a PIN or passphrase on Apple Watch. The watch encrypts the backup before it reaches the iPhone, so the phone never receives readable recovery data. Read the encryption details.
What happens if I lose my Recovery Sheet or Photo Backup?
If you can still use the watch, create a new Recovery Sheet or Photo Backup. If you lose both the watch and every recovery copy, the wallet is permanently inaccessible. Neither Cryptograph nor Apple can restore it.
Can iCloud restore my wallet?
No. Apple device backups do not copy your wallet. You can keep encrypted Photo Backup files in iCloud Drive and select them when you restore the wallet yourself.
What happens if the watch passcode is removed?
Removing the watch passcode permanently removes access to the wallet on that watch. Restore it from your Recovery Sheet or Photo Backup.
Can I import a wallet that uses a BIP39 passphrase?
Yes. Enter the same 24 words and BIP39 passphrase on Apple Watch. A different passphrase opens a different wallet, so check the expected address or balance before continuing. Cryptograph accepts 1 to 50 characters from a standard US keyboard. It rejects emoji, accented letters, smart quotes, spaces at the beginning or end, and two spaces in a row. New Recovery Sheets and Photo Backups include the passphrase inside the encrypted backup. Read why Cryptograph limits these characters.
Trust & Limits
Does Cryptograph require an account or track me?
No account. No email. No customer profile. The app contains no analytics or trackers. If you turn on notifications, the service keeps a notification identifier beside your public wallet addresses. Turning notifications off removes it.
Can Cryptograph access my funds?
No. Perpetua Labs does not hold a key to your wallet and cannot freeze, reverse, or recover a transfer.
Can Apple access my funds?
Apple does not hold a key to your wallet or provide a recovery path. Cryptograph still depends on Apple Watch hardware and watchOS. It cannot protect you if either is fundamentally compromised.
What do I have to trust?
You trust Apple Watch hardware, watchOS, the App Store update path, and Cryptograph's code. Outside services provide balance and price data. No company holds a key to your wallet. Read the full trust model.
Can an app update compromise my wallet?
Yes. A malicious update could misuse the same access Cryptograph needs to sign. Cryptograph limits that access, distributes through the App Store, and publishes the code that handles keys and signing. App Store review adds another checkpoint, not a guarantee.
What does Cryptograph not protect against?
Cryptograph cannot protect against a malicious update or a fundamental failure in Apple's platform. Losing the watch and every recovery copy makes the wallet inaccessible. Time Lock can delay spending under coercion, but it cannot stop a sustained attacker.
Product Details
What are the system requirements?
Requires an Apple Watch capable of running watchOS 11 or later, paired with an iPhone running iOS 18 or later. Your Apple Watch must have a passcode and wrist detection enabled.
Which networks and assets are supported?
Bitcoin, Ethereum, Base, BNB Smart Chain, Arbitrum, Optimism, Polygon, Avalanche C-Chain, Solana, TRON, Zcash, Dogecoin, Litecoin, and XRP Ledger. Cryptograph also supports tokens on Ethereum, the listed Ethereum-compatible networks, Solana, and TRON. See detailed network support.
Can I buy or trade crypto through Cryptograph?
No. Cryptograph is wallet software. You cannot buy, sell, swap, trade, lend, or stake through it. Perpetua Labs does not hold assets for you. The App Store purchase buys the app only.
How much does Cryptograph cost?
$99.99. One purchase. No subscription.