Safest Ways to Send an ID Scan or Passport Photo From iPhone

The safest way to send an ID scan from an iPhone is to clean the file, lock it with a password, and send it through a private channel, with the password in a different app. Avoid public links: anyone who has a public link can open it, and from iOS 27.3 Apple checks items shared with Anyone with the link and says they are no longer end-to-end encrypted.

Step 1: Make the scan

Scan to PDF turns camera shots of a paper document into a PDF in your browser, and nothing is uploaded. If you already have a photo, keep it as it is for now.

Step 2: Remove hidden details

A photo of an ID can carry the GPS position where it was taken, the phone model and the date. Clear that before it leaves your device.

Remove EXIF Data rewrites JPEG, PNG and WebP photos without that information and without changing a pixel. For PDFs and other files, Remove Metadata clears author and other hidden fields.

Remember that metadata is not the visible content. Your ID number, date of birth and address stay on the page. If the recipient does not need every field, ask what they need.

Step 3: Lock the file with a password

1. Open Password-Protect ZIP in Safari.
2. Add the cleaned scan, then enter a long password.
3. Tap Encrypt and save the AES-256 ZIP.

A single PDF can be locked directly with Password Protect PDF. The recipient needs a tool that opens AES-256 ZIPs, such as 7-Zip, The Unarchiver or Filevale's Unzip.

Step 4: Pick a private channel

Ranked from least to most private:

1. A public link (iCloud Anyone with the link, or similar). Open to whoever has the URL. Avoid for IDs.
2. A link limited to invited people. Better, but the file is only as private as your invite list.
3. Email or a normal text message. Fine for a locked ZIP, but a plain scan can be forwarded.
4. AirDrop to someone nearby. No link is created.
5. An end-to-end encrypted messenger such as WhatsApp or Signal. Both state that messages and documents are end-to-end encrypted. Signal's design keeps attachments encrypted before upload.
6. Any of the above with a password-locked ZIP. Send the password through another app or by phone.

Public links also carry a policy point. Apple's support article describes a check for harmful content on those links. The policy is tied to child safety, and this guide does not suggest avoiding it; it just means ordinary documents should not sit behind public links.

After it has been sent

Ask the recipient to delete the file once it has served its purpose, and delete your own copy from shared folders. If you want to keep the scan, store it in a vault rather than the camera roll. The Filevale iPhone app has a Vault locked with a passcode or pattern and a 12-word recovery key, and Share privately (Pro) creates an AES-256 password ZIP. See Filevale for iPhone. More options in 8 ways to share sensitive documents.

Frequently asked questions