Guides

Keeping copies of ID documents

Last updated: 2026-10-25

A copy of your passport, ID card, driving licence or insurance card can help if the original is lost or you need the details while travelling. Here is how to keep those copies encrypted.

How to store them

Photograph them with the camera in the app, front and back. The photos go straight into the vault and never land in your photo library.
Give the album a clear title, such as "Passport", and add the details you want in fields of your own: document number, expiry date, issuing authority. Mark the number as secret so it stays hidden until you show it.
Keep them together with a folder or a tag, such as "Documents".
Already have photos of them in Photos? Add them to the vault, then delete them in Photos and in the Recently Deleted album.

What to keep in mind

A copy is not the document. A photo usually cannot be used instead of the original ID.
Images only. The app stores photos and videos, not PDF files or other documents. There are no ready-made templates for passports or cards yet; use an item with fields of your own.
Photo details. Photos can contain the place and time they were taken. They stay encrypted in the vault, and are removed by default if you share the photo.
Sharing a copy. Share only what the recipient needs. An encrypted share needs the recipient to have Encrypt My Data; an unencrypted one can be read by anyone it passes through.
Back them up. Include the vault in your iPhone backup or export a backup file, so the copies are not lost with the phone.

If an ID document is lost or stolen, report it to the authority that issued it.