FAQ
Straight answers about how TresorLink protects bookmarks, what syncs through iCloud, and what happens when devices change.
Basics
What is TresorLink?
A private bookmark vault for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Private Browsing is great for the moment. TresorLink is for the links you still need later.
Why would anyone encrypt bookmarks?
Because private links can still be useful tomorrow. TresorLink stores them outside regular browser bookmarks, autofill, and address bar suggestions, then keeps the vault behind Face ID, Touch ID, or your device passcode.
Why can't I share a bookmark securely with someone?
Once you share a URL, it's public for all practical purposes. You're trusting the recipient, their device, and every inbox it passes through. Either accept that and share freely, or don't share it at all. We'd go with option B.
Why only Apple devices?
TresorLink is built on Apple's security stack: Keychain, CryptoKit, CloudKit. Bringing it to Android would mean rebuilding everything from scratch inside a different ecosystem. We'd rather do one thing well.
Security & Privacy
Can TresorLink see my bookmarks?
We'd honestly rather not. Your bookmarks are encrypted on your device before iCloud ever sees them. TresorLink hosts a website and uses iCloud to sync, but none of that touches your actual URLs.
What encryption does TresorLink use?
AES-256-GCM. The same standard banks and governments use. Vault keys are stored in Keychain and loaded only after device authentication, and each encryption uses a fresh random IV so no two ciphertexts are alike, even for the same URL.
Why don't I need to set a master password?
TresorLink delegates vault unlock to Apple: Face ID, Touch ID, or your device passcode. There is no master password to forget, reset, reuse, or write on a sticky note.
Does TresorLink phone home?
No analytics. No telemetry. No crash reports. When you open a bookmark from the native app, it briefly visits a relay page on tresorlink.com. Only an anonymous bookmark ID is used in that request. The actual URL never leaves your device and is not visible to the relay. The only other outbound traffic is your encrypted iCloud sync.
Can the Safari extension see every page I visit?
No. The extension is built for explicit actions: saving the current page, opening the popup, and opening saved bookmarks. It does not collect browsing history, run analytics, or send bookmark contents to a third-party server.
Recovery & New Devices
What happens when I set up a new iPhone or Mac?
Sign in with the same Apple ID and keep iCloud Keychain enabled. Your encrypted bookmarks sync through iCloud, and the keys needed to decrypt them sync through iCloud Keychain. Some bookmarks may temporarily appear as syncing until the matching keys arrive.
Can I recover my bookmarks if I lose my device?
Usually, yes, if your encrypted bookmarks and Keychain keys are available on another trusted Apple device or through your Apple account's iCloud Keychain setup. TresorLink cannot decrypt your vault without those keys, and there is no backdoor recovery password.
Why do some bookmarks say Syncing?
The bookmark data arrived before the key needed to decrypt it. Keep iCloud Keychain enabled and give your devices time to sync. If the key never arrives, TresorLink cannot read that bookmark.
What should I do before replacing or wiping a device?
Open TresorLink on another trusted device first and confirm your bookmarks decrypt there. If you want a manual backup, export your bookmarks, but remember that exported files are plaintext and should be stored carefully or deleted after use.
I deleted my Keychain key. What do I do?!
Your bookmarks are still in iCloud, encrypted and inaccessible without that key. If you have another Apple device that has not synced the deletion yet, check it immediately. On a Mac, a recent Time Machine backup may also help. Otherwise, TresorLink cannot bypass the missing key.
Importing & Exporting
How do I move bookmarks from Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Brave?
Export bookmarks from the browser as an HTML file, then open TresorLink Settings and choose Import Bookmarks. TresorLink imports the links and turns browser folders into tags.
Can I import a plain list of URLs?
Yes. Create a plain text file with one URL per line, then import it from Settings. Clipboard shortcuts are still best for adding one URL at a time.
Are exported bookmarks encrypted?
No. Exported bookmark files are plaintext so other tools can read them. Treat exports like sensitive documents and delete them when you no longer need them.
Main App
What are the advantages of the main app?
Full vault management in one place. Add, edit, delete, import, export, undo changes, organize bookmarks by tag, search, sort, and adjust settings. The extension is a quick-access tool; the app is where you do the heavy lifting.
Safari Extension
What are the advantages of the Safari extension?
Save pages from Safari, including Private Browsing when allowed, without switching to the main app. Quick Add, popup search, and shortcuts keep private links easy to save and open. Works on iOS and macOS.