Zero-copies clean-up
Moved means moved. No copies left behind.
Copying a photo into a vault leaves the original in your camera roll, then in Recently Deleted for up to 30 days, and possibly in iCloud Photos. VaultBolt's clean-up walks through every place a copy can hide and confirms when there are none left.
How it works
Zero-copies clean-up, step by step.
Delete the originals
After items are safely encrypted, VaultBolt asks iOS to delete the originals from Photos in one confirmation.
Empty Recently Deleted
iOS keeps deleted photos for up to 30 days. VaultBolt shows you exactly where to clear them.
Check iCloud Photos
If iCloud Photos is on, deletion syncs to your other devices. VaultBolt explains what that means before you confirm.
See the confirmation
A clear '0 copies left' screen tells you the move is complete.
Safety first
Originals are deleted only after the encrypted copy has been written and verified, so a crash or a full disk never loses a photo.
Other apps too
A checklist covers places VaultBolt cannot reach for you, such as WhatsApp media auto-saved to Photos, shared albums and other cloud apps.
Run it again any time
Settings keeps a clean-up checklist you can re-run after importing more files.
Honest limits
- iOS requires your confirmation to delete photos; no app can do it silently.
- VaultBolt cannot delete copies held in other apps, other people's phones or third-party clouds; the checklist reminds you where to look.
FAQ
Zero-copies clean-up: common questions
Why do photos stay in Recently Deleted?
iOS keeps deleted photos and videos in Recently Deleted for up to 30 days so you can undo mistakes. Until that album is emptied, the photo still exists on the phone.
Does deleting a photo on iPhone delete it from iCloud?
If iCloud Photos is on, yes: deleting from one device deletes it on all devices signed in to that Apple Account, after it leaves Recently Deleted.
Do other vault apps delete the originals?
Some offer to delete originals after import; many only copy. VaultBolt's clean-up also covers Recently Deleted and iCloud Photos and ends with a confirmation.
Related features
Private photo scan
An on-device scan groups intimate photos, IDs, cards and screenshots of passwords so you can review and move them in minutes.
Encrypted iCloud backup
Uploads to your own private iCloud already encrypted, on every plan. Restore anywhere with your 12-word phrase.
Location and metadata scrub
GPS, device model and other metadata removed by default when a file leaves the vault.
VaultBolt
Your stuff. Locked in.
Get VaultBolt for iPhone and iPad, or see exactly how it works in the interactive demo vault.
