“Encrypted” gets written on a lot of apps. Here’s what it means for Checkup, and what it doesn’t.
A locked file and its key
Encryption scrambles data so it’s unreadable without a key. Checkup’s records are in one database file, encrypted with SQLCipher, a widely used tool for exactly this. The key is 256 random bits, made on your phone and kept in its secure storage, which the phone itself protects.
What it protects you from
- Other apps can’t open the file. Phones already keep apps apart; encryption adds a second lock.
- A copied file is useless. If someone got the file without the key, they’d see noise.
- A restored backup on the wrong phone stays locked. On Android, where keys can’t leave the phone, automatic backups of Checkup are switched off for that reason.
What it doesn’t
Encryption protects the file, not an unlocked phone in someone else’s hands. That’s what app lock is for: turn it on in Settings, and Checkup asks for Face ID, your fingerprint or your phone’s passcode when you come back to it. It also hides your records in the app switcher.
Backups have their own lock
A backup file is encrypted with a passphrase you choose rather than the phone’s key, so it can be opened on a new phone. Checkup never stores that passphrase. Pick one you’ll remember: without it, nobody can open the file, including us.