GUIDES
Privacy guides for your phone
Steps you can follow today with the tools already on your iPhone, the limits of each method — and where a separate encrypted vault actually helps.
Photos, screenshots and files
How to hide photos on iPhone (and what “hidden” really protects)
Step-by-step: hide photos with the built-in Hidden album, lock it with Face ID, remove it from view, and use locked Notes — plus the limits of each method.
Read the guideHow to store photos of your ID safely on your phone
A practical routine for ID card, passport and driver's licence photos: when not to keep one, how to watermark a copy, where copies hide, and how to lock the ones you keep.
Read the guideHow to permanently delete photos on iPhone (and every copy you forgot)
Deleting a photo on iPhone only moves it to Recently Deleted for 30 days. How to erase it for good, and where copies hide: iCloud, shared albums, chats, backups.
Read the guideHow to take photos that don't save to your iPhone camera roll
The iPhone Camera always saves to Photos. Here is how to take a picture inside Notes or Files instead, lock it, and avoid leftover copies.
Read the guideHow to scan documents on iPhone (no app needed) and store them safely
Scan to PDF with the Notes or Files app, get clean straight pages, and decide where a scanned ID or contract should actually live.
Read the guideHow to handle sensitive screenshots on iPhone (bank transfers, OTPs, IDs)
Share a screenshot without saving it, find the old ones hiding in Photos, delete them for good, and keep the few you really need somewhere locked.
Read the guideHow to keep voice recordings private on iPhone
Voice Memos has no lock. How to stop recordings syncing and naming themselves after places, move them somewhere protected, and delete them properly.
Read the guideHow to stop iPhone photos syncing to your iPad and Mac
Why your iPhone photos show up on a family iPad or work Mac, how to stop iCloud Photos on one device without losing anything, and what else syncs.
Read the guideHow to move private photos to a new iPhone
Move private photos and files to a new iPhone without losing them: the built-in iPhone way, plus Lockboxy's Wi-Fi transfer and encrypted backup file.
Read the guideHow to password protect a folder on iPhone
iPhone can't lock a single folder in Files. Here is what works instead: lock the whole Files app, use a locked note, or keep documents in an encrypted vault.
Read the guideHow to remove location data from photos on iPhone before sharing
Photos taken on iPhone can carry the exact place they were taken. Here is how to share a copy without it, how to stop it for future photos, and what the fix does not cover.
Read the guideHow to stop unwanted photos from showing up in Memories and Featured Photos on iPhone
Stop an ex, a private photo or a bad day from resurfacing in Memories, Featured Photos and the Photos widget: what each setting really does, and what it cannot do.
Read the guideHow to control which photos an app can access on iPhone
Why an app only sees some of your photos, or asks again for access: what Selected Photos, All Photos and None mean, and how to change it in iPhone Settings.
Read the guideHow to find the Hidden album on iPhone (and why it may be missing)
Hidden album gone from Photos? Where it lives, why it disappears, how to unhide a photo, and what to check if a hidden photo still seems lost.
Read the guideHow to show someone a photo on your iPhone without them swiping to the others
Handing over your iPhone to show one picture? Lock it to that photo with Guided Access, or send just the photo, so nobody can swipe to the rest of your library.
Read the guideHow to stop WhatsApp saving photos to your iPhone camera roll
Photos from WhatsApp chats showing up in your Photos app? Turn off Save to Camera Roll for all chats or just one, clean up what is already saved, and keep private photos elsewhere.
Read the guideHow to stop photos from Messages showing up in your iPhone Photos app
Photos people send you in Messages appearing in Photos or Memories? Turn off Shared with You for Photos, switch it off for one contact, and clean up what was already saved.
Read the guideHow to password protect a video on iPhone
No iPhone setting puts a password on one video. Hide it behind Face ID, lock it in a note, or keep it in a vault with its own passcode. Steps and limits.
Read the guideHow to password protect a PDF on iPhone
Lock a PDF with a password on iPhone using the built-in Lock option, learn what the password does and does not cover, and keep PDFs in a vault instead.
Read the guideWhere do downloads go on iPhone? How to find, move and delete them
Safari downloads land in the Downloads folder of the Files app. Find them, change where they are saved, delete them for good, and keep sensitive downloads out of that folder.
Read the guideHow to back up your iPhone photos without iCloud
Copy your photos to a Mac, a PC or an external drive instead of iCloud, check the copies, and keep private photos in an encrypted backup of their own.
Read the guideHow to keep medical documents and insurance cards private on iPhone
Photos of lab results, prescriptions and insurance cards pile up in your camera roll and iCloud. Here is how to scan them, keep them behind their own lock and clear the leftovers.
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Passwords, codes and notes
How to lock notes on iPhone with a password or Face ID
Set a Notes password, choose between your iPhone passcode and a separate one, lock a note with Face ID — and what a locked note still shows.
Read the guideHow to store passwords safely on your phone
Where passwords belong on a phone — a password manager, not Notes or screenshots — how to set one up on iPhone or Android, and the habits that matter more than the tool.
Read the guideHow to store a seed phrase safely (and what not to do)
Where to keep a crypto wallet's recovery phrase: offline copies on paper or metal in two places, never screenshots, cloud notes or chats — and the trade-offs of a digital copy.
Read the guideHow to store 2FA backup codes safely (and where not to)
Backup codes are your way back in when you lose your phone. Where to keep them, what to avoid, and how the setup key differs from the codes.
Read the guideHow to hide contacts on iPhone: what really works
iPhone cannot lock a single contact. See what you can change in Settings, and how to keep private numbers in an encrypted vault outside Contacts.
Read the guideHow to store bank card details safely on your phone
Card numbers do not belong in Notes or photos. How to use Apple Pay and Safari AutoFill, and how to keep a card you must look up in an encrypted place.
Read the guideHow to find and share a saved Wi-Fi password on iPhone
See the password of a Wi-Fi network your iPhone has joined, share it with a guest without typing it, and keep the ones your iPhone has not saved in an encrypted place.
Read the guideHow to keep a private journal on iPhone
Keep a diary on iPhone that nobody else can read: the Journal app with a lock, a locked note or an encrypted vault, and what each still leaves visible.
Read the guideForgot the passcode of your private photo vault app? What you can and can't recover
If a vault app has no reset link, forgetting its passcode can mean the content is gone. Here is what to try, what not to do, and how a recovery key or backup file changes the answer.
Read the guideWhat happens to your iPhone photos and private data when you die? How to set up a Legacy Contact
Family can't just unlock your iPhone. How to add an Apple Legacy Contact, what it does and doesn't cover, and what to do about passwords and private vault apps that no one can reset.
Read the guideYou copied a password on iPhone: who can see your clipboard, and how to stop apps pasting from it
What happens to a password, card number or code after you copy it on iPhone. Why you see "pasted from" and "Allow Paste" messages, how Universal Clipboard shares copies with your Mac, and how to limit it.
Read the guideWhere to store PIN codes and door codes on iPhone
Where to keep a door code, safe combination or gate PIN on your iPhone so you never lose it and nobody else can read it. Built-in options, and what not to do.
Read the guideHow to share a password with family on iPhone without sending it in a chat
The safest ways to share a streaming, utility or household account password with family on iPhone: shared password groups, in-person sharing, and what to avoid in chats and notes.
Read the guideWhere to store your Apple Account recovery key (and what if you lose it)
Where to keep the 28-character Apple Account recovery key so you can still use it if your iPhone is lost, and which places Apple says not to use. Plus what to do if it is gone.
Read the guideHow to see saved passwords on iPhone (and what to do when one is missing)
Where saved passwords live on iPhone, how to view one with Face ID, why an entry may be missing, and where to keep passwords that Apple's Passwords app does not hold.
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Lending, repairing, selling or losing your phone
How to lock apps on iPhone: Face ID lock, hiding apps and older-iOS workarounds
Lock any app behind Face ID on iOS 18, hide apps in the Hidden folder, use Screen Time or Guided Access on older iPhones, and know what an app lock does not protect.
Read the guideHow to lend your iPhone without exposing your photos
Lock your iPhone to one app with Guided Access, protect the Hidden album with Face ID, set app limits and share single photos instead of the whole phone.
Read the guideWhat to do before sending your iPhone for repair
A checklist before a repair: back up, check Find My, remove the SIM, decide whether to erase, clear Wallet cards and sensitive files, and avoid sharing your passcode.
Read the guideWhat to do when your iPhone is lost or stolen
The steps that protect your data and money in the first hour after losing an iPhone — Find My, Mark As Lost, SIM, Apple Account, banks — and what to set up now.
Read the guideHow to erase your iPhone before selling it
The right order to wipe an iPhone before you sell or give it away: back up, unpair Apple Watch, sign out of your Apple Account, erase, remove the SIM.
Read the guideHow to tell if someone went through your iPhone
Check Screen Time, Battery, Recently Deleted and Face ID to see if someone used your iPhone, then lock it down so it is harder to do again.
Read the guideWhat does Private Browsing on iPhone actually hide?
Private Browsing keeps pages out of Safari's history on your iPhone, but not from your network or the sites you visit. See what it hides, what it does not, and the options.
Read the guideHow to hide private content in the iPhone App Switcher
The App Switcher shows a live preview of each app's last screen. iOS has no setting to blur it, but you can close apps, limit notification previews and pick apps that cover themselves.
Read the guideHow to stop photos from showing up in iPhone Spotlight search
Type a word into iPhone search and photos can appear in the results. Here is how to turn that off, what it does not change, and how to keep private photos out of search altogether.
Read the guideWhat can someone do with your locked iPhone? How to limit Lock Screen access
A locked iPhone still lets people see notifications and widgets, open Control Center and talk to Siri. Here is what is allowed by default, how to switch each item off, and what stays available.
Read the guideWhy is there a green or orange dot on my iPhone? How to see which app is using your camera or microphone
A green dot means an app is using the camera, an orange dot the microphone. Here is how to find out which app, check its permissions, and see what each app has accessed recently.
Read the guideHow to stop unwanted AirDrops on iPhone
Strangers can AirDrop pictures to your iPhone when AirDrop is open to everyone. Here is how to set Contacts Only or Receiving Off, what to do when a request appears, and where accepted files end up.
Read the guideHow to change or remove the camera button on the iPhone Lock Screen
On iOS 18 and later you can swap the Lock Screen's camera and flashlight buttons or remove them. Here are the steps, what still opens the camera, and how to point the button at another app.
Read the guideWhat is Stolen Device Protection on iPhone, and should you turn it on?
What iPhone's Stolen Device Protection does, what the one-hour Security Delay is, how to turn it on in Settings, why it can't be turned off away from home, and what it still doesn't protect.
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Lockboxy vs the built-in iPhone options
Lockboxy vs the iPhone Hidden album: which should you use?
A fair comparison of the built-in Hidden album and Lockboxy: passcode, encryption, sync, file types, cost — and when the free option is all you need.
Read the guideLockboxy vs locked notes on iPhone: which is better for private notes?
Locked notes in the Notes app compared with Lockboxy: password options, what stays visible, attachments, sync, passwords and 2FA, and recovery.
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For people whose work runs on their phone
Phone privacy for livestream sellers: keep customer data off the stream
A practical routine for sellers who go live on their phone: silence notifications, separate product photos from customer slips and IDs, and clean up after each order.
Read the guideKeeping client documents private: a phone routine for real-estate agents
How agents can handle clients' land-use certificates, ID cards and deposit contracts on a phone: collect less, store it locked, watermark copies, delete after the deal.
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Questions about how Lockboxy works? Read the FAQ