# Sharing Contracts, Tax and Medical Documents Privately: 8 Options Compared

Canonical: https://filevale.com/guides/share-tax-medical-contract-documents-privately/
Updated: 2026-11-12

> Eight ways to share contracts, tax and medical documents from an iPhone, from public links to encrypted ZIPs, and what each one really protects.

For contracts, tax returns and medical records, choose a method where only the recipient can open the file: an end-to-end encrypted messenger, or a password-locked ZIP or PDF sent through any channel. Avoid public links. From iOS 27.3 Apple checks items shared with Anyone with the link and says they are no longer end-to-end encrypted.

If your bank, doctor or tax office offers its own secure portal, use that first. The eight options below are for when you have to send the file yourself.

## The eight options, from open to private

1. **A public link (iCloud, Google Drive or Dropbox "anyone with the link").** Anyone with the URL can open the file. Apple's [support article](https://support.apple.com/en-us/149168) says iCloud items shared this way are checked and are not end-to-end encrypted. Google Drive's anyone-with-the-link setting needs no sign-in, and Dropbox links can also be open to anyone. Not suitable for sensitive files.
2. **A link restricted to invited people.** iCloud People you choose, Google Drive Restricted or a Dropbox link limited to named people. Only those people can open it, but the provider can still see the file.
3. **A normal email attachment.** Simple, but a plain attachment can be forwarded and sits in two mailboxes.
4. **AirDrop.** Sends straight to a nearby device with no link, so there is nothing to leak later.
5. **WhatsApp or Signal.** Both state that messages and documents are end-to-end encrypted. The recipient can still forward the file.
6. **An encrypted cloud link, such as Proton Drive.** Proton says files stay end-to-end encrypted and you can add a link password and expiry. Links can be turned off at any time.
7. **A password-locked PDF.** For a single document. [Password Protect PDF](/password-protect-pdf/) locks it on your device.
8. **A password-locked AES-256 ZIP.** For several files, or any file type. It stays locked wherever it travels, so it works with options 2 to 6 as well.

Options 7 and 8 combine with any other. A locked file inside an ordinary email is a much harder target than an open one.

## Lock the file

[Open Password-Protect ZIP](https://filevale.com/zip-with-password/)

1. Open [Password-Protect ZIP](/zip-with-password/) and add your documents.
2. Enter a long password that you do not use anywhere else.
3. Tap **Encrypt** and save the ZIP.
4. Send the ZIP, then send the password in a different app or by phone.

Recipients can open it with 7-Zip, WinRAR, The Unarchiver, Keka or Filevale's [Unzip](/unzip/).

## Check what the document reveals

[Open PDF Privacy Scan](https://filevale.com/privacy-scan/)

[PDF Privacy Scan](/privacy-scan/) lists what a PDF contains beyond the visible pages, and [Remove Metadata](/remove-metadata/) clears author, dates and GPS from PDFs, photos, video and Office files. Do this before you lock the file.

## Medical and tax documents: extra care

- Send only the pages the recipient needs. A tax preparer does not need your whole medical history.
- Keep a copy somewhere private, not in your camera roll. The Filevale iPhone app has a Vault with a passcode or pattern lock and a 12-word recovery key, iCloud Vault backup (Pro), and Share privately (Pro) for AES-256 ZIPs. See [Filevale for iPhone](/go/ios?src=web-documents-8).
- Delete the shared copy when the job is done.

Public-link checks are tied, by press accounts, to fighting child abuse material, and Apple only says "harmful content". Nothing here is about avoiding that. It is about choosing the right door for private paperwork. See also [iCloud public link vs People you choose](/guides/icloud-public-link-vs-people-you-choose-ios-27-3/) and [Safest ways to send an ID scan](/guides/safest-ways-to-send-an-id-scan-from-iphone/).

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the safest way to send a tax return from iPhone?

Lock the PDF or ZIP with a strong password and send it through a channel you trust, then share the password separately. If your tax office has a portal, use it.

### Is it safe to send medical records by WhatsApp?

WhatsApp states that documents in personal chats are end-to-end encrypted. The recipient's phone can still save and forward them, so a password-locked file adds a layer.

### Is a password-protected ZIP really secure?

An AES-256 ZIP is strong when the password is long and unique and travels separately from the file. A short or reused password is the weak point.