How to Scan ID Documents on iPhone Privately
You do not need a scanner app. iPhone scans documents in Notes and Files. The scan is saved in the note, or as a file where you choose. The privacy question is where the scan is saved afterwards, so pick that on purpose.
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What do I need to know?
- Skip the Camera app. A photo of your passport in Camera Roll syncs and shows up wherever your photos do.
- Free scanner apps cost something. Some upload scans to their own servers. Read the privacy label before you use one.
- Where you save it decides who can read it. An unlocked note or an iCloud Drive folder is readable by anyone who can open your phone.
How do I scan a document in Notes?
Apple's scan documents article (it notes options added in iOS 26):
- Open Notes and create a new note.
- Tap the Attachment button, then Scan Documents.
- Hold the document in view. In Auto mode it scans by itself. Otherwise tap the Shutter button.
- Drag the corners to fit the page, then tap Keep Scan.
- Scan the back too, then tap Done.
Then lock the note if you can. Apple lists some attachment types that stop a note being locked, so check that Lock appears. Our Notes lock guide explains what it protects.
How do I scan a document in Files?
- Open Files and tap the More button.
- Tap Scan Documents and scan as above.
- Tap Done, choose a location, then tap Save.
The scan is saved where you choose. Pick a folder outside iCloud Drive if you do not want a copy uploaded.
Does iCloud encrypt my scans?
Not end to end by default. Apple says that with standard data protection, iCloud Notes and Photos are not end-to-end encrypted and Apple holds the keys. Turning on Advanced Data Protection adds Notes, Photos and iCloud Backup to end-to-end encryption. Source: Apple, iCloud data security.
How do I keep the scan encrypted in a vault?
- Scan with Files and save it to a folder on the phone.
- Touch and hold the scan, tap Share, and choose Cryptile.
- The file is encrypted as it is saved into the vault.
- Go back to Files and delete the original.
Or skip the scanner: in Cryptile, tap Add → Take photo with GPS off. It is an ordinary photo, not a cropped scan, but it never leaves the vault.
With Cryptile Plus, text in photos and PDFs is read on the device when you add them. Search a passport number and the scan comes up.
Which documents are worth scanning?
- Passport photo page and visa pages, for travel.
- Driver's licence and ID cards, front and back.
- Insurance and medical cards.
- Birth certificates and residence permits.
Keep the originals somewhere safe. A scan helps you replace a document. It does not replace it.
What this doesn't protect against
A scan sent by email or messaging stays wherever it was sent. If your phone is lost, report the document lost as you would if your wallet went missing. Anyone who watches you draw your pattern can open your vault.
Do it with Cryptile
Cryptile keeps scans and ID photos in an encrypted vault, apart from Photos, Notes and iCloud Drive. Each file is encrypted with AES-256-GCM under a key made on your device from your pattern, with no account and no server.
Cryptile is free for up to 2 vaults, 100 photos and 10 videos, with files unlimited. Plus removes the limits and adds search inside the vault and the panic pattern, for $19.99 a year (7-day free trial) or $39.99 once.