How do I move from Private Photo Vault to York Vault?

Private Photo Vault keeps its files inside the app. Its FAQ says that deleting the app removes the photos and videos stored in it from your phone. So the move has one rule: take every item out and check it before you remove anything. This guide follows the iPhone app, whose package we read in September 2026. The button names below come from the text in that package, and they can differ between versions. For the reasons people switch, see our Private Photo Vault alternative page.

Before you start

• Count what you have. Write down the item count of every album and sub album.
• Check the decoy account. The Decoy Passcode opens a separate set of photos. Anything there needs its own export.
• Bring cloud originals back. With Space Saver on, the full files sit in Cloud Vault. Videos play from the cloud.
• Check the Trash. Private Photo Vault puts trash recovery in Premium. Restore what you need while your plan is active.
• Find your Cloud Vault password. The company cannot recover it.

About Space Saver, the app says: “Please download all items you want to export from Cloud Vault before exporting.” It has a Download full library option. It also tells you how much free space the download needs.

Which export path should you use?

The app offers four ways out.

Path	Where the files go	The catch
Export to Camera Roll	Apple Photos	The files join your library, and iCloud Photos if it is on
Share sheet	Another app, such as York Vault	20 items at a time
WiFi Transfer	A browser on a computer	Phone and computer on the same WiFi network
USB Transfer	The app folder in Finder or iTunes	Needs a cable. “Enhanced USB Transfer” is in the paid lists

The share sheet is the only path that skips Apple Photos. The app says: “You can share up to 20 items at a time.” For a small library, send each album to York Vault in batches of 20. The photos then never touch your camera roll. For hundreds of items, use Camera Roll or WiFi Transfer.

With Space Saver on, the app asks for an export quality. Optimized exports the smaller copy on the phone. Original downloads the full file from Cloud Vault first. Choose Original.

The move, step by step

1. Bring originals back to the phone. If Space Saver is on, download your files from Cloud Vault. Wait until the download ends, and check the free space.

2. Write down your counts. Note the number of items in every album, sub album and the decoy account.

3. Export each album. Open an album and select the items. The app has Select All. Tap Export and choose Camera Roll or USB, or share the items to York Vault. For a large library, use WiFi Transfer to a computer.

4. Add the items to York Vault. In York Vault, tap Add and pick the items from Photos or Files. Items you share arrive with no code needed. See import and cleanup.

5. Check the counts. Compare each album in York Vault with your notes. Open several photos at full size and play several videos.

6. Wait for the backup. In York Vault, open Settings. The backup row shows a count such as 1,204 of 1,204.

7. Remove the exported copies. Delete the copies from Photos and empty Recently Deleted. Delete any copies on a computer.

8. Cancel, then delete the app. Cancel the plan in the store that bills you, then delete Private Photo Vault.

While it works, the app shows “Preparing to export” with a file count. If some files fail, the app names them. Export those again before step 5.

WiFi Transfer for a large library

The steps in the app say you open Wireless Photo Transfer from the Import tab. Then:

1. Tap the switch to put it in the ON position.
2. An internet address appears under the switch.
3. On your computer, open a web browser, type the address and press Enter.
4. A web page lets you upload, download and delete photos.

The WiFi Transfer page on the company site confirms that it can download files to a computer. Keep the app open on the phone until the download ends.

Then open Wi-Fi transfer in York Vault on the phone. It shows a web address and a 6-digit one-time code. Open the address on the computer, enter the code and upload the folder. The files on the computer are plain copies. Delete them when York Vault shows every item.

USB with Finder on a Mac

First add the files to the USB folder. The text in the app says to tap an item, tap the export button and select USB as the destination. Then follow the Finder steps from Apple:

1. Open a Finder window.
2. Connect the iPhone to the Mac with a USB cable.
3. Select your iPhone in the Finder.
4. Click the Files tab, then the triangle next to Private Photo Vault.
5. Drag the files to a folder on the Mac.

On a Windows PC, Apple says to use the Apple Devices app. Then move the folder to York Vault with Wi-Fi transfer, as above.

On Android

Private Photo Vault also runs on Android. We did not read the Android package, so we cannot confirm its button names. The company says feature availability varies by platform. Use its tutorials page for the Android export steps.

Exported items land in the gallery of your phone. Google Photos can clear them after the move:

1. Tap and hold the items, then tap Trash.
2. Tap Collections, then Trash.
3. Tap More, Empty Trash, then Delete permanently.

Google keeps trashed items for 30 days unless you empty the trash.

Remove the leftovers on iPhone

Exported photos stay in Photos until you delete them. York Vault can remove them for you. It removes only items whose encrypted copy it has read back and checked. iOS then moves them to Recently Deleted for 30 days. To clear them, the steps from Apple for iOS 27 are:

1. Open the Photos app and tap Collections.
2. Tap Recently Deleted (below Utilities) and tap View Album. Use Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode.
3. Tap Select and choose the items.
4. Tap the More button, then tap Delete.

With iCloud Photos on, this removes them from iCloud and your other devices too. See remove originals from Photos and our Recently Deleted guide.

Cancel the plan, then delete the app

The FAQ says that deleting the app does not cancel a subscription. On iPhone, go to Settings, tap your name, tap Subscriptions, tap Private Photo Vault and tap Cancel Subscription. On Android, go to your subscriptions in Google Play, select the app and tap Cancel subscription. Our cancel a subscription page shows the same store steps. The app also sells plans through a web checkout. If you paid that way, contact Private Photo Vault support to cancel.

Delete the app last. On iPhone, touch and hold it, tap Remove App, tap Delete App, then tap Delete. On Android, open the Play Store and tap the profile icon. Tap Manage apps & device, then Manage. Select the app and tap Uninstall.

What York Vault does for this move

York Vault is on the App Store for iPhone and iPad and on Google Play for Android. For a move like this one, it:

• Adds from Photos, from Files, from the share sheet of any app, and from a computer over Wi-Fi.
• Keeps original quality, capture dates and Live Photos.
• Skips exact copies at import, so a second export does not double your library.
• Lists items still in Photos, and removes originals only after it checks each copy.
• Backs up every item, encrypted, to your own iCloud, or Google Drive on Android, at no cost. See encrypted backup.
• Keeps viewing, export and trash recovery free on every plan. See export everything.

Free adds new items up to a set limit, and plans lists what Plus, Pro and Family add. Download York Vault on the App Store or Google Play.