Import copies; it rarely moves
The mental model most people hold is that importing relocates a photo into the vault. In practice an import usually reads the source and writes a new encrypted copy, leaving the original exactly where it was.
That is sensible engineering — an import that deleted your only copy on failure would be far worse — but it means the cleanup step is yours, and skipping it leaves the photo in the camera roll you were trying to leave.
Where the extra variants come from
Beyond the original, ordinary phone use generates versions you did not deliberately create. A photo editor saves a separate edited file. A cloud library uploads before you decide anything. A messaging app stores its own attachment copy with a different filename and date.
By the time you audit, the same image may exist under four names with four timestamps, which is why counting matters more than browsing.
Small batches make verification possible
Importing an entire library at once can make verification difficult and hide failures inside a large result. Use a small batch with a known item count; the time needed depends on file size, formats, and playback checks.
Record whether you selected original-quality or a storage-saving mode before you start, because that determines what a correct result looks like.
The verification that matters
- Choose a small batch with a known item count and known formats.
- Record whether original quality or storage saving was selected.
- Open full files inside the vault, not thumbnails.
- Compare dates, dimensions, video duration, and audio against the source.
- Remove source and Trash copies only once a recovery copy exists.
Cleanup mistakes
- Importing the entire library before testing the process on a batch.
- Counting thumbnails rather than opening full files.
- Running an automatic photo-cleanup tool with no backup in place.
A fictional example
Amara starts with a non-sensitive test: “Choose a small batch with known item count and formats.” Next, Amara follows the second check: “Record whether original quality or storage saving is selected.” This fictional scenario demonstrates the decision process; it is not a report of product testing.
Common mistakes
- Importing the entire library before testing
- Counting thumbnails instead of full files
- Running automatic cleanup without a backup
What this workflow does not change
- Importing the entire library before testing
- Counting thumbnails instead of full files
- Running automatic cleanup without a backup
Questions people ask
Does Storage Saver preserve the original file?
It may reduce image file size, so use original-quality import when exact preservation matters.
Do videos change format in NullVault Android?
The current Android proposition says videos remain in their original format.