Migration checklist
- Update and unlock the old phone while it is still trusted.
- Open every important vault and confirm the expected content is present.
- Create a fresh portable encrypted backup for each protected data set the app requires.
- Record which date, device, and vault the backup represents without putting secrets in the filename.
- Store the backup recovery phrase separately from the backup file.
- Transfer the encrypted backup to a compatible location available to the new phone.
- Install NullVault on the new phone and restore with the backup phrase.
- Lock, unlock, search, and open representative photos, videos, documents, and notes.
- Keep the old phone unchanged until the restore is proven.
- Only then follow the manufacturer’s supported erase and trade-in process.
Example: Elena has a 12 GB vault. She does not treat a successful app-icon transfer as proof. On the new phone she opens an old video, a recent note, and a randomly chosen document, checks their metadata, locks the app, and repeats. Only after that restore test does she reset the old phone.
Why the phrase must travel separately
The backup file is ciphertext; the backup phrase authorizes restoration. Saving both in the same email, cloud folder, or envelope turns one compromise into access to both pieces. Separation improves privacy but also increases lockout risk, so label the recovery material clearly enough that your future self can identify it.
What device recovery cannot do
NullVault’s device-recovery phrase can replace a forgotten pattern while the vault remains on the same device. It does not recreate data after the device is lost, reset, or destroyed. Migration requires a portable encrypted backup and its backup-specific recovery phrase.
Read recovery phrase versus encrypted backup and use the encrypted backup checklist before moving an irreplaceable library.
Guide reviewed: 28 August 2026.