Choose a strong pattern you'll remember

Step by step

1. Know the shapes people try first

   Letters and simple shapes: L, U, C, Z, S, N, M, W, V, squares and rectangles, straight lines, rows drawn left to right like a snake, and the first letter of your own name. Anyone trying to open your folders will start with these.

   • Starting in the top-left corner is the most common start of all, so start somewhere else.
   • Only moving to the dot right next to the last one, along the edge of the grid, makes a pattern easy to guess.
   • Don't use the same pattern as your phone's lock screen. Someone who saw you unlock the phone would know it.
2. Start inside the grid

   Begin on one of the inner dots, not a corner or an edge. That alone removes the most common guesses.

3. Turn often and skip dots

   Change direction at least three times. Use “knight jumps”: two dots across and one down, like a chess knight. These lines pass between dots, which people rarely think of.

4. Make it a bit longer

   Vaultessa needs at least 8 dots, and the grid has 36. Every extra dot makes guessing much harder. 9 to 12 dots is a good length.

5. Give it a meaning only you know

   A pattern is easy to remember when it stands for something. For example: the way you walk through your home, the outline of a star constellation, or two numbers you know well drawn on top of each other. Then add one small twist, like a jump at the end, so it isn't a plain shape any more.

6. Practise it a few times

   Vaultessa asks you to draw a new pattern three times. Open the folder a few more times over the next days so it sticks. If you draw it differently each time, it's too complicated: make it simpler, not more obvious.