8 ways to lock up your iPhone’s private stuff

Alan Wallace and Kurt KnutssonMarch 12, 202404.1K views

With our cell phones holding more of our personal info than ever, it’s important to keep all of it including your photos and documents away from prying eyes. Joseph from Ft. Myers, Florida, reached out with a concern many of us share. He’s asking how to keep his photos and documents hidden on his iPhone.

I am looking for a secure way to store personal information on my iPhone, numbers, passwords, documents, pictures – like insurance cards, and photos. Do I need an app? If so, what do you recommend?

Thanks, Joseph, Fort Myers, Fl

That is an important question as keeping data private is getting harder and harder to do well but fortunately, your iPhone has some built-in features that will help you with this. Plus, there are some well-known and trusted solutions that you might also want to consider making sure your private data remains just that—private.

Step 1: Set up a strong passcode and enable Face ID or Touch ID

Your iPhone’s passcode and Face ID are the gatekeepers of your data. So you’ll want to set up these to ensure that others cannot access your iPhone beyond the lock screen. Here’s how to make them impenetrable.

Set a strong passcode

Go to Settings
Scroll down and tap Face ID & Passcode
Tap ‘Turn Passcode On’
Choose a passcode that’s hard to guess

Remember to change your passcode periodically to maintain security.

Enable Face ID or Touch ID

Unlock your iPhone and go to the Settings app
Scroll down and tap on Face ID & Passcode
If prompted, enter your device passcode to continue
Tap Set Up Face ID

Tap Get Started
Then you will be asked to position your face within the frame so that your iPhone’s TrueDepth camera can capture your facial features and create a unique Face ID profile.
Tap Done after your Face ID is set up
This profile will be used for secure authentication and unlocking your device using facial recognition.

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Step 2: Use Find My iPhone

This feature is not just for locating your device, but also for keeping it secure if it falls into the wrong hands. Here’s how to activate ‘Find My iPhone’.

Go to Settings
Tap your name
Click Find My
Next to Find My iPhone toggle it on

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Step 3: Hide and secure personal photos

Prevent awkward moments when someone browses your photo album. Instead of deleting personal photos temporarily, create a dedicated album for hiding them. Your iPhone offers built-in features to secure and hide photos. Here’s how to do it.

Open your iPhone’s Photo App and find a picture you want to keep private and tap on it
On the top right of your phone screen, you will see three dots in a circle
Click on the dots and you will see an option labeled Hide. Click on it
Then tap Hide Photo
Once you confirm this, the image will be hidden from your phone’s camera roll

If you want to unhide that photo, all you need to do is return to those same three dots in a circle and select Unhide
If you wish to view those images that you have hidden, all you need to do is go to Albums and under Utilities and select Hidden. This will allow you to use your passcode or Face ID to view the hidden images.

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Step 4: Use iCloud Keychain to store Passwords

iCloud Keychain simplifies your digital life by synchronizing your passwords and secure data across all your devices. It automatically fills in essential information—such as Safari and app usernames, passwords, credit card details, and Wi-Fi passwords—on any device you authorize. No more manual input required.

By default, iCloud Keychain works only with Safari, but it’s also available on Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge on a Mac or Windows PC through iCloud for Windows and the iCloud Passwords extension.

Before you turn on iCloud Keychain, update your device to the latest iOS or iPadOS, or the latest version of macOS, and make sure that two-factor authentication is turned on for your Apple ID.

Turn on iCloud Keychain on your iPhone

Tap Settings
Click your name
Then choose iCloud
Tap Passwords and Keychain.
Turn on iCloud Keychain. You might be asked for your passcode or Apple ID password.

Find, change, or delete passwords and passkeys on your Mac

Find, change, or delete saved passwords and passkeys on your Mac, and keep them updated across all of your devices.Here’s how to view saved passwords and passkeys in System Settings.

Choose Apple menu in the upper left of your computer screen
Tap System Settings
Click Passwords.
Sign in with Touch ID, or enter your user account password.
Select a website, then click the Show Details button (which is the i with a circle around it)
To delete a password, click Delete Password
To update a password, click Edit, change it, then click Save.
Credit: Apple

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Invest in a password manager

To go beyond iCloud’s keychain for increased security you’ll want to invest in a password manager. These are created specifically for the protection of passwords and include features for important documents and photos. This is also beneficial when sharing private data with family members.

Using 1Password as the example, you will notice that the startup screen offers storage for credit cards, identification cards, passwords, and documents. We would recommend usage of the documents folder for images, and you will also see options for medical records, software licenses and even the password for your internet’s wireless router.

One of the best password managers out there is 1Password. With no known security breaches or vulnerabilities, 1Password is a solid option as a paid password manager. It utilizes a well-designed interface, which features core components that are expected from premium, paid password managers. At the time of publishing, it starts at $2.99 a month, billed annually, for a total of $35.88/year, and you can save more with a family option which includes 5 family members for $60/year.

Get more details about my best expert-reviewed Password Managers of 2024 here.

Step 5: Use your insurance provider’s official app to securely store your ID

Joseph also asked about storing personal information on his iPhone, like insurance cards. Well, if your insurance provider has an app that contains digital ID cards, you can usually add your card to Apple Wallet.

Start by downloading your auto or health insurance provider’s app from the App Store. Not all insurance providers support Apple Wallet. You can find out if yours does by looking for an “ID Cards” area of the app.

On the insurance app, sign in. If you don’t have an account, you’ll usually be able to create one from the app’s login screen. You’ll probably need your policy number to do this.
Go to the ID Cards area. The name of this area of the app varies by provider, but you’re looking for the place in the app where you’d find digital versions of the membership cards you keep in your physical wallet.
Tap Add to Apple Wallet if available. If the card can be added, you’ll see this button somewhere on or near the cards. A preview of the digital card will appear.
Tap Add at the top-right corner. This saves your insurance card to your Apple Wallet.

If you don’t see the option to save the card to your wallet, you can still use the digital version of your card in the provider’s app when you need to—just pull it up on the screen when asked for your insurance card.

Credit: Aetna

Step 6: Remove apps from the home screen

Keep your frequently used apps accessible but discreetly tucked away by removing them from your home screen. This ensures they remain private and aren’t publicly visible on your Home Screen.

Long-press the app from your Home Screen on your iPhone
Tap Remove App
choose Remove from Home Screen
You can still find the app in the App Library

To find the App Library on your iPhone, follow these steps

Swipe left from your Home Screen until you reach the last page.
You’ll see the App Library, which organizes your apps into different categories such as Social, Entertainment, and Productivity & Finance.

To open an app from the App Library

Tap the search field at the top of the screen and enter the name of the app you’re looking for.
Alternatively, scroll up and down to browse the alphabetical list.
Once you find the app, simply tap it to open.

Step 7: Limit lock screen notifications

If you want to prevent sensitive information from appearing on your lock screen you’ll want to perform these steps.

Go to Settings
Tap Notifications
Select the app
Scroll down and under ALERTS Disable Show on Lock Screen or Show Previews so there is no check mark in the circle

Step 8: Lock your Notes with a password

If you use the Notes app, you’ll want to protect your private notes by setting a password. Here’s how to do it.

Tap on the Notes app
Open a Note
Tap the circle (with the three horizontal dots inside it) in the upper right of the note
Tap Lock

You’ll know your note is locked because next to the note you’ll see an icon of a lock
When you go to view the note a message will appear that reads, “This note is locked”
Tap View Note
It will use your passcode or Face ID to open the locked note

Kurt’s key takeaways

With these 8 steps, you’ll be well on your way to keeping your iPhone data secure. Remember, security is all about layers. Using a strong passcode, enabling Face ID, Touch ID, Find My iPhone, and hiding sensitive photos are all great first steps. If you’re looking for an extra layer of protection, that’s where password managers come in. These apps securely store your passwords, documents, and even credit card information. They can also be really helpful for sharing logins with family members securely. Lastly, limit lock screen notifications and lock your Notes with a password to add another barrier to anyone trying to gain access to your device.

What data do you keep on your phone that you worry most about if your phone is lost or stolen? Do you have proper backups of your data? Let us know by commenting below.

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