Free tool
Get your files out without Silo
silo-decrypt reads a copy of your vault folder with your recovery phrase and writes your original photos, videos and files to an ordinary folder. It is written from the published format alone, and tested against vaults made by the app, byte for byte.
silo-decrypt, version 1
Python 3.9 or newer, plus one package (PyNaCl). Windows, macOS and Linux.
Download (25 KB)SHA-256 ee753609ade7cc14a73e1a4c76730a4ccc0b1c3277e269aa7717c535b3daceeb
How to use it
- Copy your vault folder from your phone or your backup to a computer you trust.
- Unzip the download, then install the one package it needs:
python3 -m venv .venv .venv/bin/pip install -r tools/silo-decrypt/requirements.txt - Run it with the vault folder and an empty output folder:
.venv/bin/python tools/silo-decrypt/silo_decrypt.py VAULT_DIR OUT_DIR - Type your recovery phrase when asked. What you type stays hidden.
Your files come back sorted into albums, with their names and dates. Items that were in the bin go to a deleted folder, and a manifest.json lists everything that was read and anything that could not be. The README in the download covers every option.
Check the download
Compare the SHA-256 above with the file you downloaded. On macOS or Linux run shasum -a 256 silo-decrypt-v1.zip. On Windows run certutil -hashfile silo-decrypt-v1.zip SHA256. The numbers must match exactly.
Test it yourself
The test vectors (473 KB, SHA-256 e36834900166fcb7…) hold sample vaults written by the app, with the files each one must produce. Their recovery phrase is printed in the format document, section 8.
Questions
Why does this tool exist?
So your files never depend on Silo. If the app is gone, your phone breaks, or you simply want out, a copy of your vault folder and your recovery phrase are enough to get every file back.
Does it send anything anywhere?
No. It reads the vault folder you give it and writes files to the output folder you choose. It makes no network connections and never changes the vault.
Is the recovery phrase safe to type in?
The phrase is never a command-line argument, so it does not land in your shell history. When you type it in a terminal, what you type is hidden. Run it on a computer you trust.
Can it read a cloud backup?
This version reads a vault folder copied from your phone. How a cloud backup is laid out will be published here when backup ships.