NullKey An Alvento product

How to restore a NullKey backup on a new Android phone

Make a checked backup on the old phone, restore it into the new phone's empty vault and keep the old app until the restored vault is checked.

Before changing phones

On the old phone, unlock NullKey and open Settings, then choose “Create encrypted backup”. Save the file with Android’s document picker. Wait for NullKey’s read-back check to say the backup was saved and checked. Keep the matching passphrase or recovery key separately from the backup. Follow the backup creation and read-back steps first, and read which secret belongs to the backup. NullKey’s encrypted backup workflow is also described here.

Install and choose Restore

Install the current NullKey app from Google Play on the new phone. Open it to the welcome screen and choose Restore. Android’s document picker opens; select the backup file you copied to a destination available on the new device.

Unlock the backup and inspect the vault

Enter the passphrase or recovery key used for that backup. Restore authenticates the archive before installing it and requires that no vault already exists on the new phone. Unlock the restored vault and check several photos, files and notes. Restoring turns off optional biometric, screen-lock and pattern unlock settings; set those up again only after confirming the vault works.

Keep the old phone until you are sure

Do not uninstall NullKey or clear its storage on the old phone. Keep the verified backup and its matching secret until you have checked the new vault and made a fresh backup. After restoring with the passphrase, unlock the vault and save the new recovery key when prompted. It replaces the restored vault’s recovery key once you confirm it. Restoring with the recovery key keeps that key. Older backup files are unchanged; keep their matching secrets separately.

Older package IDs need extra care

This flow describes restoring a backup made by the current NullKey app. Earlier Cellar and NullKey package IDs install separately, and compatibility of their old backups with the current Play app has not been verified. Keep the old app and data; contact support with app versions to confirm a path before changing anything.

Frequently asked questions

Should I uninstall the old app before restoring on the new phone?

No. Keep the old app and its data until you have unlocked the restored vault, checked several items and made a fresh backup. The restore needs a phone with no vault and the passphrase or recovery key that matches the backup.

Do my biometric and screen-lock unlock options come back after a restore?

Not automatically. Restoring turns those optional unlock methods off, so unlock with your passphrase or recovery key first and confirm the vault works. Then switch on biometric, screen-lock or pattern unlock again.

Can I restore a backup made by an older version of the app?

That has not been verified. This flow covers backups made by the current app, and compatibility of backups from earlier package IDs with the current Play app is unconfirmed. Keep the old app and its data, and contact support with both app versions before changing anything.

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