Move photos to a vault app on iPhone
Import, check, delete the originals and clear Recently Deleted. The order matters, and most leftover copies come from skipping a step.
Import the photos into the vault, open a few to check they work, then delete the originals from Photos and from Recently Deleted. Importing alone makes a copy. Your original stays in Photos and in iCloud until you delete it, and a vault that claims otherwise deserves a closer look.
The whole point of a vault falls apart if the originals stay where they were. Here is a safe order.
Steps, for any app
- Write down the recovery method first. Do this before you put anything irreplaceable in.
- Start small. Import a few pictures and open them.
- Force quit and reopen. Unlock again and check the pictures still open.
- Import the rest.
- Delete the originals. Do this only after the copy has proved itself.
- Clear Recently Deleted. Tap Collections, tap Recently Deleted, tap View Album, unlock, tap Select and delete.
In Backroom
Open a vault with your pattern, tap the add button and choose Photo Library. Backroom encrypts a copy, decrypts it again to check it matches, then adds it. Then it offers to ask Apple to delete the originals. Apple shows its confirmation, and those items stay in Recently Deleted for about 30 days unless you remove them.
Files are different: Backroom never deletes a source in the Files app, so remove those yourself.
Other leftover copies
Check Messages, Mail, the Screenshots collection under Media Types, any shared albums and your Mac if it ever imported from the phone. A photo is often in more places than you think.
Frequently asked questions
Does iPhone ask before an app deletes my photos?
Yes. Apple shows its own confirmation when an app asks to delete from your library. Backroom asks for Photos access only for this step.
Will deleting from Photos remove the iCloud copy?
With iCloud Photos on, yes. Apple says deleted items are removed from your iPhone, iCloud and other devices, after the 30 days in Recently Deleted or sooner if you delete them there.
What about my old backups?
An older device backup can contain the old photo if iCloud Photos was off when it was made. New backups will not include what you removed.