Where to store PIN codes and door codes on iPhone

The easy places are the risky ones. A photo of the safe's keypad, a note titled "Safe code" or a message to yourself can be read by anyone who has your unlocked phone for a minute. Photos can also sync to other devices and appear in the photo picker of apps you give access to.

A code with a clear label is the worst case, because it tells a stranger both the number and what it opens. Treat a door code like a key: you would not tape a house key to the door and write "front door" on it.

• Door, gate and key-box codes you do not use daily, such as a holiday rental or a friend's building.
• Safe and padlock combinations, and the PIN for a storage unit.
• Router admin PINs, SIM PUK codes and appliance codes you only need once a year.
• Codes you must hand to someone else, such as a cleaner or a delivery person.

Your bank card PIN is different. Many banks advise memorising it rather than writing it down. If you ever do record one, keep it in an encrypted place and do not note which card it belongs to. See how to store bank card details safely for the card itself.

A locked note is the simplest built-in option, and it needs no extra app.

1. 1Open Notes and create a new note. Use a title that does not say what the code opens, for example "Item 7" and not "Office gate".
2. 2Type the code and any hint you need, such as "left side, press twice".
3. 3Tap the More button in the note and choose Lock. Set a separate Notes password rather than reusing your iPhone passcode, then tap the lock icon at the top of the note so it closes.
4. 4Check that the lock icon shows. Some notes cannot be locked, for example notes that are shared with others.

How to lock notes on iPhone covers the password, Face ID and what to do if you forget it. A locked note works well for a handful of codes. It gets awkward when you want a numeric entry with a Copy button or an encrypted backup of everything.

The Passwords app, or any password manager, is built for logins: a website, a username and a password. You can add a login and put the code in the password field or the notes, but nothing in the app is shaped for a PIN, so the entry is easy to mislabel. It is a fair choice if you already live in that app. If you do, give the entry a neutral name, and do not paste the code into other apps afterwards. Copying a secret leaves it on the clipboard until something replaces it.

• Say it aloud, in person or on a call, rather than typing it into a chat. Messages stay in the chat history of both phones, and often in a backup.
• If you must write it, send it once, ask the person to delete it, and delete it yourself.
• Use a temporary code where the lock allows it, and change the permanent one after a guest has stayed or a worker has finished.
• Do not send a photo of the keypad with the code on a sticker. Anyone who sees the photo sees the number.

Lockboxy is a private, encrypted vault app for iPhone. Its Wallet has a PIN code entry type, so a code is kept as a structured entry and not as a loose photo or note. Everything is encrypted with AES-256-GCM on your device behind a passcode of its own, there is no account, and no server holds a copy.

1. 1Open Lockboxy with its passcode and go to the Wallet tab.
2. 2Tap Add entry and choose PIN code.
3. 3Fill in the Title, for example "Item 7", and the PIN. The PIN field uses the numeric keyboard and is masked with dots by default. Notes are optional, so add the hint there.
4. 4Save. Tap Show on the entry when you need to read the code, or Copy to paste it. Lockboxy clears a copied value from the clipboard about 30 seconds later.

A deleted entry goes to the Recycle Bin first, so you can restore it if you deleted it by mistake. The same Wallet also holds passwords, bank cards, Wi-Fi logins and 2FA codes. The PIN field takes numbers, so a combination that contains letters belongs in the Notes field of a password entry instead.

• If you forget the vault passcode, nobody can open it, including us. Premium lets you create a Recovery Key in advance, so create one and keep it somewhere safe.
• A code kept on one phone is lost with the phone. Keep an encrypted backup (Premium), or a second copy somewhere that is not your wallet or your desk drawer.
• Wallet entries are unlimited on the free plan. What Premium adds is on the Premium page, and the app shows the exact price before you buy.
• If a code may have leaked, change it. A vault does not replace that, and neither does a locked note.

More answers are in the Lockboxy FAQ.