Do photo vault apps back up to iCloud?

By The StrongRoom team · Published 2026-10-30 · Updated 2026-10-30 · Last verified on iOS 26.x on 2026-10-30

It depends on the app. Apple says that an iCloud device backup includes app data for the apps you have downloaded, so a vault app's files may be copied into your iCloud unless the app opts out or keeps its data somewhere else. StrongRoom leaves its data out of iCloud and computer backups, so nothing is copied off the phone unless you make an Export Package.

Where a vault app's files live

A vault app keeps your photos inside its own private storage on the phone, not in the Photos library. That is why Photos does not show them. Where else a copy goes depends on three separate things:

1. A device backup. Apple's page on what iCloud backs up says it "includes app data for the apps that you've downloaded on your device", and that an app's data stored in iCloud Drive is kept there instead of in the backup. So an app that does nothing special can have its private files included in a device backup.
2. The app's own sync or account. Some vault apps keep a copy in their own cloud or in your iCloud account. That is separate from the device backup and is described in the app's own settings.
3. A backup made on a computer. That is another device backup, with its own contents.

The question to ask is not "does the app encrypt" but "where could a copy of its data be, and who holds the key?"

What StrongRoom does

StrongRoom sets its data to be left out of iCloud and computer backups, and the app makes no network connections of its own. Nothing is copied off the phone unless you export it. The key is also tied to a secret in the phone's Secure Enclave, so even a copy of the app's files would be useless on another device.

The consequence is the part to know. If you restore a new iPhone from a device backup, your Vaults are not in it. You need an Export Package and the Recovery Phrase. See how to transfer a Vault to a new iPhone How to transfer a photo vault to a new iPhone

How to find out for any app

1. Read the app's own page and settings for words like backup, sync, account, restore or iCloud. Absence of these words is not proof, so keep going.
2. Look at what your device backups include. Apple documents what iCloud keeps of your phone, and the settings that manage them are in the Settings app; the menus move between iOS versions, so use Apple's current guide for the path rather than a screenshot from a blog.
3. Ask the developer whether the app's data is included in device backups, and whether a restored phone gets the photos back without a password, an account or a key from the old phone.
4. Test it. Put three throwaway photos in the app, make a backup or an export, restore to a spare device, and see what comes back.

Two warnings for judging the answer. If an app restores your photos on a new phone with nothing but your Apple Account, then someone holds a copy of them or the key to them. And if an app gets your photos back after you delete it from a clean phone, it is keeping them elsewhere. Neither is automatically wrong, but you should know which you are choosing.

Is it better for a vault to back up to iCloud?

It is a trade-off, not a verdict. A cloud copy protects against losing the phone; it also creates another place the data exists, tied to an account. StrongRoom chose the other side: no account, no cloud, and the cost of making an Export Package yourself. See the comparison of local-only and cloud-backed vaults -> /compare/local-only-vs-cloud-backup-vaults/ and what StrongRoom does not protect against What StrongRoom does not protect against

Related: back up a Vault without the cloud

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• What does iCloud back up? (Apple Support), checked on 2026-10-30.