Cloud backup
Ask who controls encryption, where the backup is stored, what credential decrypts it, and whether the provider can reset access. “Cloud” alone does not answer custody.
Wallet comparison framework
Compare what can fail—not what looks familiar.
A useful wallet comparison tests who controls authorization, how recovery works, whether network identity stays explicit, and which security claims can be verified.
Custodywho can authorize transactions
Recoverywhat survives device loss
Identityhow networks and tokens are verified
Evidencewhich claims are inspectable
A practical comparison table
Ask every wallet the same questions. Treat missing or vague answers as information.
| Criterion | Question to ask | Aperture’s documented model |
|---|---|---|
| Custody | Can the provider authorize or reset wallet ownership? | The user controls wallet credentials. Aperture cannot recover a lost recovery phrase or private key. |
| Account requirement | Must I create a custodial identity to use the wallet? | No Aperture account is required for core wallet use. |
| Secret storage | Where are recovery phrases and private keys persisted? | Sensitive wallet material is kept out of SQLite, settings, logs, analytics, and cache payloads and handled through the iOS Keychain vault. |
| Recovery | Which credential or backup restores access? | Documented options include compatible recovery phrases, supported private keys, optional encrypted iCloud backup, and direct encrypted iPhone transfer. |
| Networks | Are accounts and destinations validated per chain? | Aperture documents 25 mainnets and derives network-appropriate account identities instead of assigning a generic address to every chain. |
| Tokens | Is a symbol treated as identity? | No. Token identity uses the network plus canonical on-chain contract, mint, type, or issued-asset identifier. |
| Sending | Can I review recipient, amount, fees, and finality? | The guided flow separates asset selection, recipient validation, amount, fees, authorization, broadcast, and finality details. |
| Privacy controls | Can the interface be concealed when the device changes state? | Optional app passcode, Face ID, automatic locking, and app-switcher privacy controls are documented. |
| Public evidence | Can I inspect source, product facts, and audit status? | The source repository, machine-readable product model, security model, release data, and audit registry are public. |
Features that should not be collapsed into one score
Convenience can improve one workflow while adding a dependency or a new responsibility elsewhere.
Multi-chain support
Count only networks whose account derivation, address validation, assets, fees, signing, and broadcast paths are truly supported—not logos displayed in a selector.
Open source
Public code makes inspection possible; it does not replace careful implementation, reproducible build evidence, independent review, or secure user behavior.
Biometrics
Face ID can protect access to an app on a device. It does not replace wallet recovery material and does not make an exposed recovery phrase safe.
Privacy
Separate local credential custody from network privacy. Public addresses and transactions can remain observable even when keys never leave the device.
Popularity
Install counts and brand familiarity may describe adoption. They do not prove that a wallet’s recovery, token identity, or signing model matches your needs.
Make the comparison reproducible
Write down the evidence for the workflows you will actually use.
- List the exact mainnets and assets you need.
- Trace wallet creation, one receive, one send, and one recovery path end to end.
- Record who can authorize transactions and which secrets exist.
- Verify how custom tokens and wrong-network destinations are handled.
- Inspect public source, security disclosures, version history, and privacy statements.
- Test with an amount you can afford to risk before relying on any wallet for more.
Continue with first-party detail
Go deeper with the product pages, Journal explainers, and machine-readable sources that support this page.
Self-custody is clearest when the rules are visible.
Download Aperture from the official App Store listing, verify the product identity, and understand your recovery method before moving funds.