Does importing a photo to a private vault delete the original?
Usually, no. Importing into a vault creates a separate copy. The photo may still be in Photos, iCloud Photos, a shared album, Files, a message, or another backup.
Quick answer: Ego’s photo and file import adds an encrypted item to the selected vault; it does not remove the source item. You decide separately whether to delete a source copy, and that choice can affect synced Photos libraries or leave copies in other places.
Check the vault copy before changing the source
- Wait for the import to finish, then open the item from inside the intended Ego vault.
- Check that the item opens and looks or plays as expected. If the original matters, keep it until you have another backup you trust.
- Only then decide whether to remove a source copy. Ego does not delete it for you.
Deleting from Photos can sync elsewhere
If iCloud Photos is enabled, deleting a photo in Photos removes it from the Photos libraries on devices signed in to that Apple Account with iCloud Photos. Apple keeps deleted items in Recently Deleted for 30 days, unless you remove them permanently sooner. That sync applies to the Photos library; it does not find every copy you made outside it.
A downloaded copy, an item in a message or email, an export in Files, and a copy saved by someone else from a shared album can have a separate lifecycle. Removing one does not necessarily remove the others. Check shared albums and any apps or storage locations where you saved or sent the item. See how to control who sees photos in a shared album. If the file is a PDF, see how to password-protect one copy on iPhone.
Check Files before using Move or Delete
In Apple’s Files app, touch and hold a file to see actions such as Copy, Move, Share, or Delete. Those actions affect the selected Files location. Moving a file from one location is different from importing it into Ego: Ego keeps its own encrypted vault copy, and the source in Files remains unless you separately move or delete it.
What this does not guarantee
- An Ego import does not remove the source from Photos, Files, messages, shared albums, other devices, or backups.
- Deleting the Photos source while iCloud Photos is on can delete it from that synced Photos library on your other devices.
- Deleting a file cannot recall copies already sent, downloaded, or retained by another person or service.
- Deleting a file is not a promise of forensic erasure from flash storage or of removing every historical backup.
Apple explains how to set up and use iCloud Photos, including how deletions sync; how to delete and recover photos; and the Files app’s copy, move, and delete actions. For Hidden collection behavior, see our guide to hiding photos on iPhone.
If you are considering Ego
Ego is being developed for iPhone with iOS 26 or later. It keeps imported vault files encrypted on the device; separately enabled encrypted iCloud backups are a different feature with their own recovery-key requirements. A public App Store release has not launched. Read the Ego product details and recovery limits before deciding what to keep in a vault.