Unlock under inspection

This is the scenario Shadow Layers are built for: someone is watching, or compelling you, while you open a vault.

What to do

1. Open the decoy layer. Enter the password for the layer you're willing to reveal. It opens an ordinary-looking vault of believable files.

2. Let them look. The layer is fully functional. Browsing, opening, and searching inside it reveal nothing about any other layer.

3. That's it. There is no list of layers, no counter, no "1 of 2" indicator anywhere. From the outside, this vault has exactly what they can see.

Why it holds up

• The unlock prompt is identical for every layer — the observer watched you type a password and get a vault. Nothing indicates another password exists.

• Layers are cryptographically independent. The decoy's keys cannot reveal or prove the existence of another layer's data.

• The server can't help an adversary either: it stores only opaque blobs and cannot say how many layers a vault has (see What the server can see).

If you're pushed further

• You can reveal a second, still-believable layer if you set one up for exactly this, while a third stays hidden.

• Keep your composure and your story consistent. The cryptography is sound; the weak point is behavioral — see What Shadow Layers do not protect against.

When simply hiding is enough

If the goal is to get the app off-screen fast — not to open anything — use Panic or Ghost Exit to instantly lock and hide everything. See Configure & trigger Panic.