Original quality, HEIC, Live Photos and large videos
Choose the file behavior you need before importing. Keeping pixel dimensions, preserving original bytes and retaining a Live Photo’s motion component are distinct requirements. The checklist below describes what to verify for any vault; it is not a claim that every format or paired resource is supported on both NullVault platforms.
| Requirement | What to check |
|---|---|
| No compression or conversion | Compare an exported file with the source; a checksum can establish byte-for-byte identity. |
| HEIC photos | Check the exported format as well as dimensions and color. A JPEG preview is not evidence that the HEIC original survived. |
| Live Photos | Confirm that both the still image and paired motion resource are retained and usable. |
| Large videos | Verify full duration, audio, playback and sufficient storage for import, export and backup. |
NullVault for Android offers original-quality photo imports or Storage Saver; videos remain in their original format. Do not apply that import-mode choice to iPhone. See the encrypted-vault platform details, iPhone video guide and Android video guide for the relevant workflow.
A correct thumbnail proves nothing
Thumbnails are generated to look right. An image that has been resized, recompressed, converted to a different format, or stripped of a paired resource will still produce a perfectly acceptable preview.
Exporting a test item and comparing it with the original is a strong check. Supported file inspection, metadata, logs, or checksums may provide additional evidence; a thumbnail alone is not reliable evidence of what was stored.
Storage-saving modes are a deliberate trade
Where an app offers a storage-saving import, it is doing exactly what it says: reducing fidelity to reduce space. That is a legitimate option and the wrong default for anything irreplaceable.
Record which mode was active when you imported, because the setting is easy to forget. A thumbnail alone cannot reliably reveal the original import mode; logs, settings, metadata, or an exact comparison may help.
Paired and composite formats break most often
Live Photos, RAW-plus-JPEG pairs, and edited items with non-destructive adjustments consist of more than one resource. An import that handles a plain JPEG can still preserve only one component of these.
Test the formats you actually use rather than a convenient sample. A vault that preserves your JPEGs and silently flattens your Live Photos has still lost data.
The round-trip test
- Test JPEG, HEIC, PNG, RAW, Live Photo, and edited items — whichever you genuinely use.
- Export each test item back out of the vault.
- Compare pixel dimensions, format, file size, colour profile, and metadata against the original.
- Verify long videos separately, including duration, audio, and playback.
- Confirm paired resources survived, not just the primary image.
Two ways to lose quality permanently
- Judging fidelity from the phone screen rather than a real comparison.
- Deleting originals before completing a round-trip test.
A fictional example
Amara starts with a non-sensitive test: “Test JPEG, HEIC, PNG, RAW, Live Photo, and edited items you actually use.” Next, Amara follows the second check: “Compare exported results outside the vault.” This fictional scenario demonstrates the decision process; it is not a report of product testing.
Common mistakes
- Judging quality only from the phone screen
- Deleting originals before round-trip testing
What this workflow does not change
- Dimensions alone do not establish identical bytes, metadata or paired resources.
- Format and playback support can differ by platform and import method.
- An exported sample does not establish that every item in a large library is intact.
Questions people ask
What does NullVault Android offer?
It offers original-quality photo imports or Storage Saver; videos remain in their original format.