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How to import photos, videos and files into Vault Max

Follow Photos, Files and share-sheet import routes in Vault Max, verify your saved items, handle originals carefully, and organize a private media library.

By Published 5 min read
Vault Max imports private media into Library, opens it in its own viewer and organizes it into albums. Check that path with a small batch before removing original copies.
Vault Max Library, full-screen photo viewer and Albums

Actual Vault Max screens with sample content.

Open your vault, tap the + button in Library, and choose From Photos or From Files. Select the items, wait for import to finish, and open the saved copies before deleting any originals. Vault Max also accepts supported file attachments through the iOS share sheet and can capture new pictures and video with its Private Camera.

Start with a small batch so you can see the whole process. You do not need to move your entire photo library to learn how the vault works.

Start an import or private capture from the plus buttonThe plus button at the top of Vault Max Library opens From Photos, From Files, Private Camera and New Note. Use it to choose the source for the content you want to store in the encrypted vault.
A closer look

The Vault Max Library, including its plus button and media filters

Sample Vault Max library. Select a screen for a closer look.

Import from Photos

  1. Unlock the vault that should receive the items.
  2. In Library, tap + → From Photos.
  3. Choose the photos and videos in the system picker and finish the selection.
  4. Keep an eye on import progress and any error message.
  5. Open the resulting items in Vault Max and check that the batch contains what you intended.

The system picker lets you select media without granting Vault Max general access to browse your whole photo library. Deleting originals afterward is a separate operation with its own Photos access and iOS confirmation requirements.

Find your imported media in the private libraryThis is the Vault Max Library after sample photos and a video have been added. Use its Photos and Videos filters to find your batch and check that the items you selected actually arrived.

Vault Max with sample content. Use the controls to pause or replay.

For a Live Photo, check both the still and motion by touching and holding the opened item. Vault Max preserves the motion companion when the source provides it; if it cannot obtain the pair, an import may contain the still image alone. Verify that behavior before removing an irreplaceable source.

Choose whether to keep the originals

After a successful Photos import, Vault Max can show Delete the originals from Photos? The choices include deleting the imported originals, keeping them, or keeping them and turning off future prompts. The delete route asks iOS to perform the deletion; it can fail if the needed access is unavailable.

Choose to keep the originals if you want to review the imported copies and make a backup first. If a delete attempt fails, check Photos rather than assuming those copies have disappeared.

Check video playback before deleting originalsThe street scene is a sample video playing inside the Vault Max viewer. Play your own imported videos here to check their picture and sound before removing the source copies you might need to import again.

Vault Max with sample content. Use the controls to pause or replay.

Photos keeps deleted items in Recently Deleted for 30 days unless you remove them permanently sooner. If iCloud Photos is enabled, deletion affects the connected library on other devices too. Review Apple's deletion guidance before permanently removing originals. Also check any separate copies you previously sent or saved.

Bring in PDFs and other files

Choose + → From Files and select one or more items from the Files picker. This route is useful for documents and media already stored in Files. If a chosen provider needs to download the source first, let that finish before expecting an import to complete.

The file is imported into Vault Max. Its original in Files or the selected provider remains a separate copy to manage. After importing a document, open it in the vault and check the pages or content you need. An item appearing as a thumbnail is only the start of that check.

Share supported attachments into the vault

From an app that offers file attachments through the iOS share sheet, select Vault Max. If it is not visible, look in the share sheet's additional app options. The extension encrypts supported attachments for the main vault, including when that vault is locked; open and unlock Vault Max afterward to bring those deposits into the library.

This route handles supported files. Plain text and web links are skipped with feedback. A share-sheet deposit is also different from selecting a destination decoy vault inside the unlocked app.

Review share-sheet deposits after unlockingThe Vault Max lock screen and Library show where you return after sending supported attachments through the share extension. Unlock the main vault and inspect the adopted files before assuming the deposit is complete.
A closer look

Vault Max credential entry

A closer look

The unlocked Vault Max library with imported sample items

Sample Vault Max library. Select a screen for a closer look.

Check the result in Vault Max before assuming the source attachment has been stored successfully. If the free-plan limit prevents adoption, resolve the capacity message and check the library again.

Capture something new inside Vault Max

Choose + → Private Camera to take a new photo or record a video directly for the vault. Camera access is needed; recording audio with video also needs microphone access. Wait for the save to complete and check the item in Library.

For text, use + → New Note or the Notes section. Notes are kept inside the encrypted vault and do not count toward the free plan's photo, video and file limit.

Check notes and pictures in their own viewsVault Max keeps private notes alongside photos, videos and files. These sample Notes and photo-viewer screens show how to open and review the content itself, beyond checking that a thumbnail or list entry exists.
A closer look

Three sample notes stored inside Vault Max

A closer look

A sample photo open inside Vault Max

Sample Vault Max library. Select a screen for a closer look.

Organize the imported collection

Use albums, favorites and search to keep larger batches manageable. Importing from within an album puts the new items into that album. If you are importing into a separate vault, unlock that vault first and confirm that its library is the one you intend to fill.

Sort imported pictures into private albumsVault Max albums group the imported sample pictures into separate collections. Create albums for your own batches so you can find private media inside the vault without moving it back into Photos.

Vault Max with sample content. Use the controls to pause or replay.

The free plan allows 50 counted photos, videos and files per vault, plus one extra vault. Optional subscriptions and Lifetime Unlock add unlimited items and support up to eight total vaults per device. If a batch stops or shows an error, keep the originals and inspect what actually arrived before retrying.

Back up after an important import

New imports do not appear in an older exported backup automatically. Create a fresh .vaultmax file in Settings → Encrypted backup, keep its password, and save it outside this phone when you need a recovery copy. Follow the backup guide for the full process.

Then choose the lock controls you want: auto-lock, panic lock, calculator disguise and optional break-in alerts are covered in the feature guide.

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