Guides

Move to a new phone

SecureKeep walks you through making a locked copy of your vault on the old phone and opening it on the new one. Nothing goes through us.

Takes about 15 minutes · Checked on SecureKeep 4.0.0 for iPhone and Android

Scan a code instead

With both phones on the same Wi-Fi, you can skip the file. On the new phone, tap Moving from another phone?, then Get it from my old phone. On the old phone, go to Settings, then Move to a new phone, and tap Scan a code instead. Point it at the code, check that both phones show the same six-digit number, and tap They match on each. The vault moves straight across, still locked; enter your master password on the new phone to open it. If the phones can't reach each other, use the steps below.

No Wi-Fi nearby

The phones can connect to each other directly. Choose No Wi-Fi nearby on both screens. An Android phone makes a private connection just for this transfer, and the other phone joins it when asked; your phone may lose internet for a minute. Two iPhones connect to each other by themselves; keep Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on in Settings, even with no network nearby. If the new phone is an iPhone and the old one is Android, the Android phone shows a join code first: scan it on the iPhone, then scan the iPhone's code with the Android phone as usual.

  1. Make the locked copy on your old phone

    Open the vault you want to move. In Settings, tap Move to a new phone, then Start. Choose a passphrase for the copy and tap Make the locked copy. It isn't your master password; it's only for this copy.

    Move to a new phone, step 2 of 5: choosing a passphrase for the copy, with the Make the locked copy button

  2. Send it to the new phone

    Pick AirDrop, Quick Share, a cable or your own cloud drive. AirDrop works between iPhones and to newer Pixel and Galaxy phones; Quick Share works between Android phones and to an iPhone from phones that support it. Don't send the passphrase with the file.

    Move to a new phone, step 3 of 5: the ways to send the copy, AirDrop, Quick Share, a cable or your own cloud drive

  3. Install SecureKeep on the new phone

    Get SecureKeep from the App Store or Google Play and open it. On the last welcome screen, tap Moving from another phone?. If the new phone already has a vault, go to Settings, then Import Vault from Backup.

    SecureKeep's last welcome screen on the new phone, with the Moving from another phone? link under Get Started

  4. Open the copy

    Choose the file you sent, type the passphrase for the copy, then tap Import Vault. Enter your master password when it asks. Nothing opens before you do.

    Import Vault on the new phone with the copy chosen, the Backup Passphrase box and the Import Vault button

  5. Turn Face ID or fingerprint back on

    Unlock with your master password the first time, then turn Face ID or fingerprint unlock on in Settings. It doesn't carry over from the old phone.

  6. Tidy up

    On the old phone, tap I've opened it on the new phone, and SecureKeep deletes its own copy of the file. Then delete the file from anywhere you sent it, like Downloads, Files or your cloud drive. Do this once for each vault you want to move.

    Move to a new phone, step 4 of 5 on the old phone, with the I've opened it on the new phone button

Good to know

  • This makes a separate copy. Changes on one phone won't show up on the other.
  • Moving to a new phone needs both phones in your hands. If a phone is lost or broken, only a backup can bring your vault back.
  • Face ID or fingerprint unlock needs setting up again on the new phone. Turn it on in Settings.
  • Some Wi-Fi networks, like hotel, office or guest Wi-Fi, stop phones from seeing each other. Try your home Wi-Fi, or use the no-Wi-Fi option.
  • Keep both phones unlocked with SecureKeep open until it finishes. If it stops, nothing is lost. Just start again.

If it doesn't work

The new phone says Please update SecureKeep
The copy was made by a newer version. Update SecureKeep on the new phone, then try again.
The passphrase isn't accepted
Use the passphrase you chose for the copy, not your master password. If you've lost it, make a new copy on the old phone.
I can't find the file on the new phone
Look in Downloads or the Files app. AirDrop and Quick Share usually save there.
The old phone is lost or broken
Moving needs both phones. Restore your most recent backup instead, with Import Vault from Backup.
Scan a code says the phones can't reach each other
Put both phones on your home Wi-Fi and turn off any VPN for a minute. Hotel, office and guest Wi-Fi often block this. Or choose No Wi-Fi nearby on both phones, or use the backup file steps above.
I have more than one vault
Move them one at a time. Open each vault and run Move to a new phone again.

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