Software updates, three ways to install one, and what happens if one goes wrong.
| Part | What it is | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Firmware | The software that runs everything | A few times a year |
| Assistant | The plain-language search, updated separately | Occasionally, and always optional |
Updates are free for the life of the device. There is no subscription and nothing expires.
The device keeps the old version alongside the new one. It installs into the spare slot, checks our signature on it, and only then switches over. If the new version fails to start, it goes back to the old one by itself and tells you what happened. Your vault is never touched by an update either way.
Every update is signed by us, and the device refuses anything that is not. A file downloaded from the wrong place simply will not install.
That short code is the exact build you are running. The release page at vault.bendflex.in lists the same code with what changed, so you can check the two match.
The device will not start software we have not signed. That is what stops someone replacing your firmware with something that quietly copies your vault. It also means you cannot install your own software on hardware you paid for. We would rather say that plainly here than have you discover it later.
The plain-language search is not yet as accurate as we want, so it is labelled beta and kept out of our advertising until it measures up. It will never invent a password — when unsure it says so. We have published at vault.bendflex.in the standard it has to reach before we stop calling it beta.
BendFlex · VaultPlug Guardian · Owner's Manual v1