Security & app lock

App lock

Under settings → security, require device owner authentication to unlock gates the whole app behind Face ID (with device-passcode fallback). You choose when it engages:

• on launch, when enabled at all,
• lock when backgrounded,
• auto-lock after idle — never, 1, 5, or 15 minutes, or 1 hour.

The lock screen shows "— locked —"; tap to unlock with Face ID or the device passcode.

Locking is not cosmetic: it revokes every cached key-use authorization and cancels in-flight SSH handshakes. Even with app lock off, backgrounding the app always invalidates the 30-second key authorization bursts.

Keys

Private keys live in the iOS Keychain; P-256 Enclave keys never leave the Secure Enclave and can require biometrics per use. See keys, and for the full detail the public private-key security audit.

Host keys

Every server is pinned on first contact and re-verified on every connection; changed keys raise a loud warning. See host key verification.

Privacy

Tessera has no backend, no account, no analytics — connections go directly from your iPad to your machines. The privacy policy has the details.

Diagnostics

settings → diagnostics can write a local log (tessera-diagnostics.log, capped at 20 MB, redacted) to help with troubleshooting, with verbose diagnostics and scroll diagnostics toggles for deeper captures.

• export log — sends it through the iOS share sheet, to a destination you choose. It never leaves the device automatically.
• upload log — sends it to one of your own servers through the Upload-to-host sheet. It is never sent to the developers.
• refresh / clear.

Bug reports go to GitHub Issues.