Does the vault survive a new phone or a restore from backup?
Yes, if it is in your backup — which it is by default. The encrypted files and the key file travel with an iCloud or computer backup; the passcode does not, because it is stored in a way that never leaves the device. On the new phone you open once with the old passcode or the recovery code, then set a new one.
Reviewed 30 July 2026
The vault is included in your backup unless you turn that off, and the setting is inside the vault itself. Leaving it on means a lost phone is not a lost vault. Turning it off means a smaller backup and nothing to restore — which is a legitimate choice, as long as it is a choice.
| What you restore from | The files | The passcode |
|---|---|---|
| iCloud backup | Come across, still encrypted | Does not travel — set a new one after opening once |
| Computer backup, encrypted or not | Come across, still encrypted | Does not travel |
| Direct device-to-device transfer | Come across, still encrypted | Does not travel |
| Vault excluded from backup | Nothing to restore | Nothing to restore |
This is why the recovery code matters more than usual at exactly this moment. If the old passcode has faded — and it will have, because Face ID has been opening the vault for a year — the code is what gets you in on the new device. Once you are in, setting a new passcode takes a second and nothing is re-encrypted.
The backup carries ciphertext, not your files: whoever restores that backup still needs the passcode or the recovery code to read anything.