Disclosure: we make Photo Vault, one of the apps below. What each app does is taken from its own App Store page or help pages on 8 October 2026.
The short answer: do it before you wipe the old iPhone. Many vault apps keep their photos outside iCloud on purpose, so restoring a backup or using Quick Start brings back the app but not what was inside it. Check that every photo arrived on the new phone, then erase the old one.
How each vault moves to a new iPhone
| App | How the vault moves | Goes through a server? |
|---|---|---|
| Photo Vault (ours) | Settings → Backup → Export: one encrypted file with every photo, video, album and album password. Send it to the new iPhone (AirDrop, Files, your own iCloud Drive) and restore it there with the same password. | No |
| Arca | Its page lists an encrypted backup file you save to Files or iCloud Drive. | No |
| Safety Photo+Video Pro | Optional cloud backup, encrypted on the device first, then restored on the new device; also Wi-Fi transfer through a browser. | Optional |
| Keepsafe | Its private cloud (up to 10,000 items). | Yes |
| Private Photo Vault – Pic Safe | Its FAQ: set up Cloud Vault (an optional premium feature), let it finish, then sign in on the new phone. | Yes |
| Photos app, Hidden album | Moves with the rest of your library through iCloud Photos, as Apple explains. | Yes, iCloud |
Moving Photo Vault, step by step
- On the old iPhone, update Photo Vault and open Settings → Backup → Export Backup.
- Choose a password of at least 8 characters and write it down. Without it the backup can't be opened, by anyone, us included.
- Save the file to Files, AirDrop it to the new iPhone, or keep it in your own iCloud Drive.
- On the new iPhone, install Photo Vault, open Settings → Backup → Restore from Backup, pick the file and enter the password.
- Open a few albums to check, then erase the old iPhone.
The file is encrypted with AES-256-GCM under a key derived from your password; here is how it works.
Why vault photos get lost
A vault that promises nothing leaves the phone usually keeps its files out of iCloud backups. That is the point, and also the risk: a new phone set up from a backup gets the app, empty. Apps with a cloud avoid that by storing your photos on their servers; apps without one need you to make a backup file yourself.
Questions people ask
Do hidden photos transfer to a new iPhone?
Photos in the Photos app's Hidden album move with your library through iCloud Photos. Photos inside a vault app depend on the app: those with a cloud (Keepsafe, Pic Safe's Cloud Vault) sync when you sign in; those without one (Photo Vault, Arca) need you to export a backup file and restore it on the new phone.
Will restoring an iCloud backup bring back my vault?
Not for vaults that exclude themselves from iCloud backups, such as Photo Vault. You get the app back empty. Export a backup from the app before you switch.
Can I move Photo Vault without a cloud account?
Yes. Export an encrypted backup file in Settings, move it with AirDrop or Files, and restore it on the new iPhone with the same password. No account or server is involved.