---
title: Before you sell your iPhone: a private photo checklist
canonical: https://mavaul.com/guides/before-selling-iphone-private-photos/
description: Move your private photos, keep a backup you control, then erase the iPhone properly. A short checklist for selling, trading in or giving away an iPhone.
format: text/markdown
generator: scripts/generate-llms.js
---
# Before you sell your iPhone

_By [Diogo Ferreira](/about/), founder & engineer_

Back up what you want to keep, sign out of your Apple Account, then use Erase All Content and Settings. Erasing wipes everything on the phone, including a vault app and its photos, so move or back up your vault first.

## The checklist
1. Back up your vault. In Mavaul, Premium's encrypted backup writes it to your Dropbox, Nextcloud or Files.
2. Make sure you have your 24-character recovery key. You'll need it to restore on the new phone.
3. Check iCloud Photos. Whatever is there stays in your account after you sell the phone.
4. Go to Settings → your name → Sign Out, which also turns off Find My.
5. Go to Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Erase All Content and Settings.

## On the new phone
Install Mavaul, choose Restore, pick the backup and type your recovery key. Then set a passcode for the new phone. Restore goes into an empty vault.

## Questions
### Does erasing an iPhone delete vault apps?
Yes. Everything on the phone is erased, including the vault and its photos.

### Do I need to delete photos one by one before selling?
No. Erase All Content and Settings wipes the phone. Just make sure you've kept what you want.

### Can I move Mavaul to a new iPhone?
Yes, with Premium's encrypted backup and your recovery key.

## Sources
- [Apple Support: What to do before you sell or trade in your iPhone](https://support.apple.com/en-us/109511)

## Read next
- [Moving my vault to a new iPhone](/scenarios/new-iphone-move-private-photos/)
- [Encrypted backup](/features/encrypted-backup/)
- [Taking my phone in for repair](/scenarios/phone-repair-private-photos/)

## Try Mavaul
[Download Mavaul on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/pt/app/mavaul-photo-video-vault/id6759567727?l=en-GB)