NullKey An Alvento product

Before deleting the original, check the copy

Before you delete an original, check the imported copy and make a checked encrypted backup, because deletion is not guaranteed secure erasure.

Importing usually makes another copy

Adding a document to a vault is different from moving it. Confirm whether your app retains the original, deletes it, or sends it to trash. Check each source app separately; a gallery and a document provider may handle deletion differently.

Verify more than the thumbnail

For photos, check orientation and detail. For documents that NullKey cannot display, a readable export can help you check the contents, but that export is outside the vault’s protection. A thumbnail alone does not show that the whole original was preserved.

Give yourself a way back

Make an encrypted backup and keep its unlocking secret available before removing your original. A recovery key alone cannot recreate deleted data. If a source is synced, understand whether a deletion will propagate to other devices or cloud storage. A recovery key opens data but does not preserve it; see how the key and backup work together. For private photos, read the Android photo guide and the photo vault workflow.

Deletion is not secure erasure

Trash, backups and other apps can retain copies. Optional original removal is off by default in NullKey. It verifies eligible local copies first. Supported photos and videos need Android’s confirmation to move to trash; other supported documents can be deleted permanently. Cloud and other-app sources are kept. Deletion is not guaranteed secure erasure.

Frequently asked questions

Does moving a file into the vault delete the original?

Not by default. Importing keeps originals, and optional removal stays off until you switch it on. Source apps can treat deletion differently, so confirm what each one does before you remove anything.

Is a thumbnail enough to confirm a photo came through intact?

No. A thumbnail is not evidence that the entire original survived, so check orientation and detail on a photo at full size first. For a document NullKey cannot display, a readable export helps you check its contents, but that export sits outside the vault's protection.

Does deleting the original erase it securely?

No. Trash, backups and other apps can retain copies, and deletion is not guaranteed secure erasure. Before removing an original, make an encrypted backup and keep its unlocking secret, because a recovery key alone cannot recreate deleted data.

Related guides

Keep a separate, checked backup of important files. Restore only into an empty vault and check the result before removing an original.
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Updated 8 November 2026 · All guides