Feature
Can I open my photo vault in a web browser on a computer?
Yes, with York Vault Pro. Open app.yorkvault.com on any computer and scan the QR code with York Vault on your phone. Your library opens in the browser for that session. There is no account and no password on the web. You can view, download and move items to Trash. The session ends when you close the tab or after 15 minutes idle.
Why a web app
Sometimes the files you need are in York Vault, and the screen you need is a computer. You want to print a scan of a passport, attach a document to a form, or look at photos on a large screen. Many computers cannot run a Mac app: a Windows PC, a Chromebook, a work laptop.
The web app opens your library in a browser for one session. It is part of Pro, because it reads your library from York Cloud. See pricing for what each plan includes.
How to open the web app
- On the computer, go to app.yorkvault.com.
- The page shows a QR code.
- Open York Vault on your phone and scan the QR code.
- Your phone sends the keys for this session to the browser over an end-to-end encrypted channel.
- The browser reads your items from York Cloud and decrypts them in the page.
Browsers have a built-in crypto interface for this kind of work. MDN describes the Web Crypto API as “an interface allowing a script to use cryptographic primitives in order to build systems using cryptography.” Your items reach the browser encrypted, and the page decrypts them on the computer.
No account and no password
The web app has no login form. There is no password to guess, to reuse or to type into a fake page. Only a phone with York Vault open, behind your code, can start a session.
Apple uses a similar idea for iCloud.com when Advanced Data Protection is on. Apple says web access is “disabled by default”, and when you turn it on, the browser gets “temporary access to data-specific encryption keys provided by your device”.
What the web app can and cannot do
| On the web | Yes or no |
|---|---|
| See your library, albums and items | Yes |
| Download items | Yes |
| See sync state for each device | Yes |
| See storage use | Yes |
| Move items to Trash and empty Trash | Yes |
| Change a code | No |
| Open a cover library from the web | No |
| Use or set an erase code | No |
| Read an iCloud or Google Drive backup | No |
The web app shows only the library that was open on the phone when you scanned the code. If you have a cover library or an extra library, the web app never shows that they exist.
When the session ends
- You close the tab. Nothing stays in the browser.
- 15 minutes pass with no activity. The session ends, and nothing stays in the browser.
- You end it from your phone. York Vault lists every active web session, and you can end each one.
If you open app.yorkvault.com again after a session ends, the page shows only a new QR code. Your library does not appear until you scan again.
The web app needs York Cloud
The web app reads items from York Cloud, the Pro storage that we run. We hold only encrypted data and no key. The free backups to your own iCloud or Google Drive stay in those accounts. The web app does not read them. See what we can and cannot see.
Web app or Mac app
| Web app | Mac app | |
|---|---|---|
| Computers | Any computer with a current browser | Mac |
| Install | No | Yes, from the Mac App Store |
| Session | Ends on tab close or after 15 minutes idle | Stays installed, opens with your code |
| Codes and cover library | Not on the web | The same as on your phone |
| Plan | Pro | Plus and Pro |
For daily use on a Mac, the Mac app does more. For a quick look on any other computer, use the web app. To keep your phone and computer in step, see sync across devices.
Questions people ask
Is there a photo vault web login?
York Vault has no web login, no account and no password on the web. Open app.yorkvault.com, and the page shows a QR code. Scan it with York Vault on your phone. The phone sends the keys for that session only, over an end-to-end encrypted channel.
Can I use York Vault on a Windows PC?
Yes, in a browser, with Pro. The web app works on any computer with a current browser, including Windows PCs and Chromebooks. There is no Windows app to install. On a Mac, you can also use the Mac app, which is in Plus and Pro.
How do I move photos from my vault to a computer?
Open the web app on the computer and download the items you want. Downloaded files are normal files on that computer, not encrypted. To move a whole library, export everything from York Vault on your phone, which is free on every plan.
What happens if I forget to close the tab?
After 15 minutes with no activity, the session ends and nothing stays in the browser. York Vault on your phone also lists every active web session. You can end any of them from your phone, for example if you used a shared computer.
Can I change my code or see my cover library on the web?
No. Codes, cover libraries and erase codes are never on the web. The web app shows only the library that was open on the phone when you scanned the QR code. All settings for codes stay on your phone.
Sources
- iCloud data security overview (Apple Support) · checked Oct 3, 2026
- Web Crypto API (MDN Web Docs) · checked Oct 3, 2026
