Guides
Plain answers about keeping photos, files and papers private on iPhone, iPad and Mac, with the exact settings to change.
Advanced Data Protection for iCloud, explained
What Advanced Data Protection changes, what it leaves out, how recovery contacts and recovery keys work, how to turn it on, and how an app's own encrypted backup differs.
How to back up a photo vault (and test the restore)
The 3 things every vault backup needs, how Bunker's Encrypted Backup and Recovery Phrase fit together, and a 15-minute restore test you can run on a second device.
How to hand over your phone safely
Calm, practical steps for when someone borrows or demands your phone: Guided Access, locked apps, Face ID off in one press, Stolen Device Protection, and what a Duress Vault can and can't do.
How to hide apps on iPhone (iOS 18 and later)
Lock or hide an app with iOS 18's Require Face ID and Hidden folder, where hidden apps still show up, and what hiding can't do.
How to hide photos on iPhone
Use the Hidden album and its Face ID lock, know what it doesn't do, and when a separate encrypted vault is worth it.
How to hide photos on Mac
Hide photos in Photos for Mac, lock and hide the Hidden album, what else on a Mac can show your photos, and when an encrypted vault makes sense.
How to keep private photos out of iCloud
What iCloud Photos, Shared Library and iCloud Backup actually upload, and three ways to keep some photos only on your iPhone or in an encrypted vault.
How to lock photos on iPhone with a password
The honest answer to "password on photos": what iPhone can lock, what it can't, and four ways to do it, from built in to a separate vault.
How to move a photo vault to a new iPhone
Move vaults to a new iPhone without losing anything: what to do on the old phone, which transfer methods keep vaults openable by Pattern, and what to do if one doesn't open.
How to scan documents on iPhone and keep them private
Scan documents with Notes, Files or Preview, where each scan ends up, why a scanned note can't be locked, and how to scan privately with on-device text recognition.
How to send private photos securely from iPhone
Messages, AirDrop, iCloud links and Vault Sharing compared: what each one encrypts, what the recipient keeps, and how to strip location before you send.
How to store passport and ID copies safely
Where to keep copies of passports, driver's licenses and other IDs: what to scan, where not to store them, how to send a copy safely, and how your family can find them.
How to take photos that skip the camera roll
Why every Camera photo lands in Photos and iCloud, two ways to take photos that never touch the camera roll, and the limits of each.
Photo vault apps for iPhone: how to choose one
A buyer's guide to photo vault apps: the 6 things that matter, the red flags, and 5 checks you can run yourself before trusting one with your photos.
Stop photos showing in Memories, widgets and search
Every place iPhone resurfaces your photos on its own, the exact switch for each on iOS 18 and iOS 26 and later, and the simplest way to keep some photos out of all of them.