The short answer
Turn on iCloud backup for each vault before you switch, then on the new phone tap Restore from iCloud and draw the vault’s pattern. Or export the vault as one encrypted file, move it by AirDrop, cable or USB drive, and open it on the new phone with the same pattern.
Way 1: iCloud backup
On the old phone
- Open the vault, go to Vault settings, then Backup, and turn it on.
- Wait until the backup finishes. Repeat for each vault.
On the new phone
- Sign in with the same Apple ID and install Pearlin.
- Tap Restore from iCloud and draw the vault’s pattern. The vault downloads and opens.
- Repeat with each vault’s pattern.
The pattern opens a backup on devices with iCloud Keychain turned on. The recovery phrase opens it on any device.
Everything is encrypted on the phone before it’s uploaded, and it uses your own iCloud storage. Apple stores it but can’t read it. See how backup is protected.
Way 2: a vault file
- On the old phone, open the vault, go to Vault settings, and choose Export as a file.
- Move the file to the new phone by AirDrop, a cable or a USB drive.
- On the new phone, open the file, or tap Open a vault file in Pearlin, and draw the same pattern.
This works without a network or iCloud. The file is encrypted, so it’s safe to move, but keep it somewhere you trust and delete spare copies afterwards.
If the old phone is lost or broken
If iCloud backup was on, restore the vault on the new phone as in Way 1. If it wasn’t, and you didn’t export a vault file, the vault was only on that phone and can’t be brought back. Whoever has the phone still needs a pattern to open anything.
Before you wipe the old phone
- Every vault has a backup that has finished, or an exported file.
- You’ve opened each vault on the new phone at least once.
- You still have each vault’s recovery phrase written down.
Stuck? See Support. Related: sharing private photos safely.