The product and privacy guide.

Availability and release order

Standalone PhantomVault is coming soon to the Mac App Store. PhantomProtect is still in development. PhantomWipe and Protected Workspace remain future work. There is no announced public release date. The launch list provides development and availability updates.

Development targets Apple silicon Macs. The wider suite and Vault’s Finder integration target macOS 27. Final requirements will be published for each released module, including the requirements for local AI features.

PhantomProtect

Protect is being developed for automatic file and network threat checks, using local rules, downloaded threat intelligence and on-device models. PhantomGuardian adds local explanations on supported Macs. Detection effectiveness and performance are subject to release validation.

The dedicated URL Filter belongs to Protect’s planned scope. It is not currently enabled in Release builds and still depends on Apple approval and operational validation.

PhantomWatch and PhantomAgent

Watch provides network visibility and manual app and destination firewall rules. It is planned at no additional charge only with PhantomProtect and the eventual PhantomSecure Suite. Standalone PhantomVault does not include PhantomWatch. Protect adds automatic threat intelligence checks. PhantomAgent owns background protection work and menu bar access; the main app provides settings and dashboards.

What stays local, and what goes online

Our intended design keeps file-content analysis and AI security explanations on your Mac. That does not make the product entirely offline. Required services and optional sharing need to be understood separately.

Release documentation will identify the fields and services involved in required and optional transmission. Support information is shared when you choose to contact us. Some planned Vault key modes also involve iCloud Keychain.

PhantomVault

A standalone Mac App Store version is coming soon. It will use a separate Apple subscription with a 3-day free trial for eligible new subscribers. It does not include PhantomWatch; the direct PhantomSecure plans have separate trial and refund terms.

Vault is being developed with AES-256-GCM content encryption and an optional playable movie carrier designed to support plausible deniability during ordinary inspection. The carrier contains a real movie that can preview in Finder and play in a media player while the encrypted vault stays locked. This gives the file a credible everyday purpose: it is a movie you can watch.

A specialist may still find unusual file structure or clues in device records and older copies. The movie carrier’s approach to plausible deniability concerns ordinary viewing and playback. The encryption and key protections safeguard the locked contents if the vault is discovered.

Optional Dual-Key Protection uses an ML-KEM-1024 shared secret to add protection around the vault key. This is distinct from encrypting every file twice. Recovery, passphrase strength and device compromise remain relevant. Independent security review is required before public confidentiality reliance.

Vault unlock supports a passphrase or a compatible USB FIDO2 security key. Optional Dual-Key Protection adds device-bound custody or custody through iCloud Keychain. Touch ID enrollment is available for supported passphrase vaults on compatible Macs; it is separate from the app lock.

The encrypted volume concealed inside the movie is the hidden vault. A decoy volume is also planned, with a different set of files opened by a separate credential. Its goal is to provide contents you can show while keeping the hidden volume’s private files undisclosed. This decoy capability remains unavailable until testing establishes its behavior and limits.

PhantomWipe

The planned Protected Workspace would encrypt managed files before their first persistent content write and give each file an independently revocable key. This does not erase prior unencrypted copies or copies outside the workspace. Backups, caches, previews and recoverable keys remain limitations. This capability is future work.

Planned pricing and inclusion

Protect’s current pricing targets are $6.99 per month or $49.99 per year in USD. Watch is planned only with PhantomProtect and the eventual PhantomSecure Suite. For direct plans, Agent is planned with each paid module; Guardian is planned with Protect and the eventual complete suite. The pricing page maintains the full set of targets and their conditions. Nothing is for sale yet.

How to read development claims

A planned design, a source implementation, a test result and an independently reviewed release each establish different things. Development screenshots illustrate the work in progress. We’ll publish release-specific evidence and limitations as they become available.

This guide is maintained by Little Guy Dev, LLC. If you find conflicting information, contact the developer. Older blog posts are dated snapshots; this guide and the release pages describe the current plan.