Two things bring a vault back.

The two pieces

	Recovery phrase	Backup file
What it is	Twelve words for one vault	One encrypted file containing that vault’s files
Contains your files?	No	Yes, encrypted
Useful alone?	Restores access on the same phone if you forget your unlock	No. Unreadable without the phrase
Where to keep it	Written down, away from your phone	Files, iCloud Drive or another place you choose

How a backup works

• You start it, for one vault at a time. Nothing runs in the background.
• Cipher makes an encrypted file, checks that it can be read back, and then offers it to the Files app. “Saved” appears only once Files confirms it stored the file.
• Cipher does not send the file anywhere. Where it goes is your decision.
• A backup is a snapshot of that moment. Make a new one after you add or change files.

How a restore works

On a clean installation, choose “Restore from a backup file”, pick the file, enter the twelve words that vault had when the backup was made, and set a new unlock for this iPhone. This works without the internet and without your old phone. If the words are wrong, or the file is damaged, nothing is restored and nothing existing is changed.

Things to know

• If you replace a vault’s recovery phrase, make a new backup. An older backup still opens with the older phrase and holds the older contents.
• Anyone who has both the file and the phrase can open the backup. Keep them in different places.
• Cipher does not offer automatic iCloud backup or sync. You can choose to save the file in iCloud Drive yourself.
• Restoring a backup brings a vault back as it was. Using it normally needs the trial or Lifetime Pro, as for any vault.

See the guide to phrases and backups and what happens if you lose your iPhone.