Backups and moving phones

Hidden photos transfer to a new iPhone if you use iCloud Photos or restore from a full backup; they arrive in the Hidden album. Vault apps are different: each one backs up its own way, and if you forget the password, what happens depends on how it was built. These guides cover moving phones, forgotten passwords and how to check a backup really restores, using the makers’ own documentation, so you don’t find out the hard way. A backup is only worth something if it restores, so the guides show how to test one without risking what you already have. They also cover what to write down before you switch phones, and why a recovery phrase you’ve lost can’t be replaced by anyone, including the app’s maker. Start with the pillar guide below.

In short

• Hidden photos move to a new iPhone with iCloud Photos or a full backup.
• Vault apps differ: some can reset a forgotten password, and properly encrypted ones can’t.