Short answerMove ID photos out of your camera roll into an encrypted vault, delete the originals and empty Recently Deleted. Keep only what you need, crop out what you don't, and never store them unencrypted in notes, email or chats.
Why your camera roll is the wrong place
- Anyone who knows your passcode can scroll to it.
- It syncs to every device on your Apple Account through iCloud Photos.
- Photos search can find "passport" or "card" by content.
- Deleting it leaves a copy in Recently Deleted for up to 30 days.
A safer setup in five minutes
- Find them. VaultBolt's on-device scan groups IDs, passports, cards and screenshots of passwords. Or search Photos for "passport", "license" and "card".
- Move them into the vault. Each file is encrypted with AES-256-GCM.
- Clean up. Delete the originals and empty Recently Deleted.
- Name them. Rename items ("Passport 2031") so on-device search finds them fast. Names are encrypted too.
- Scan new documents straight into the vault with document mode, so they never touch the camera roll.
Good habits
- Keep only current documents. Delete expired cards and old IDs.
- When a form needs a copy, share it from the vault: VaultBolt strips location on the way out.
- Never paste ID numbers into notes or chats you don't control.
- Keep paper originals somewhere safe; a vault is a convenient copy, not a replacement.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to keep a photo of my passport on my phone?
It is useful for travel, but a copy in your camera roll, iCloud Photos and Recently Deleted is easy to find. Keep it in an encrypted vault instead.
Can VaultBolt find ID photos for me?
Yes. The on-device private photo scan groups photos of IDs, passports and cards so you can move them in one go.
