Vault
Vol. 01 · Issue 02
Spring 2026 · San Francisco
A metal card that ends the fight
between you and your phone — by making distraction a physical act.

Six years ago, we started tracking how much time we lost to feeds. The number was obscene. The tools on the market were worse: another app, another subscription, another layer of willpower we didn't have.

So we built a card. Solid 316L steel. An NFC chip that talks to your iPhone. One tap locks your distractions. One tap brings them back. No app in the way. No subscription. No gamification. Just friction, exactly where it belongs.

Story
— The Vault Team
VAULT NFC · NTAG215 · 316L STEEL
Fig. 1 — Vault, shown at actual size. 0.8mm stainless. Weight: 14g. Made to sit in the coin pocket of a wallet.
“The first piece of hardware in ten years that made me feel calmer, not more connected. Reviewer · TechCrunch
Material316L Steel
ChipNTAG215 · NFC
Thickness0.8 mm
Weight14 g
CompatibilityiPhone · iOS 17+
PriceUS$ 49
IThe Problem

Your phone
is engineered
to keep you.

Apple Screen Time, Focus Modes, Do Not Disturb — they're all bypassed in two taps because they were designed to be. Every notification, every red badge, every algorithmic feed is a small machine whose job is to win a second of your attention.

You lose 2 hours 37 minutes a day to that machine. That's 40 days a year. Your willpower is not the problem. The absence of friction is.

0h 0m
Average screen time lost to distracting apps per day, per US adult.
0%
Of users report a “bypass” pattern around Screen Time within one week.
0 days
That daily distraction, over a year.
IIHow it works

One card.
Three steps.

Setup takes sixty seconds. After that, the card sits in your wallet until you need it. The interaction never gets more complicated than a tap.

01
Vault enrollment: pair card

Pair

Hold the card to the back of your phone. Vault reads the chip, signs it to your account, and never talks to the network again.

02
Choose apps and categories to lock

Choose

Use Apple's native Screen Time picker to select real apps, categories, or entire websites. We never see what you pick.

03
Locked state — distractions blocked

Focus

One tap locks. Another unlocks. That's it. Strict mode even prevents deletion, so you can't sneak around the card.

Anatomy

Four layers.
Zero compromises.

Every Vault is an assembly of four precision layers — each chosen because nothing else lasts as long or works as well.

VAULT
VLT-001-2026
Hand-brushed finish
Brass wordmark · 24k plated
NXP NTAG215 · NFC
316L stainless steel · 0.8mm
IVMaterials · Bill of materials

Built like
a good
watch.

Every Vault is machined from a single sheet of surgical-grade 316L steel, finished by hand, and laser-etched with a serial number. The NFC chip is passive — no battery to die, no radio to hijack.

One card. Lasts decades. Made in Vermont.

ComponentSpecificationOrigin
Body316L stainless steel, 0.8mm, machined + brushed finishVermont, USA
NFC ChipNXP NTAG215 · 504-byte user memory · passiveNetherlands
WordmarkBrass inlay · laser-set · 24k platedVermont, USA
FinishHand-brushed top · mirror-polished edgeVermont, USA
PackagingRecycled card stock · FSC-certifiedMassachusetts, USA
“ The tool I wish had existed when I was in college. It just ends the fight. ”
— Casey Neistat · Filmmaker
Coming to Kickstarter · May 12, 2026

Buy once.
Focus forever.

Free to sign up. Reserve your Vault for $1 to lock in launch pricing — fully refundable, charged against your pledge on Kickstarter launch day.

No subscription · Ships August 2026