Real situations, practical answers
Specific situations where private photos or documents are at risk on an iPhone, and what to do about each one.
- You showed someone a photo and they kept swipingYou meant to show one photo. The swipe gesture shows them all.
- Someone else knows your iPhone passcodeYour passcode is not only the key to the lock screen.
- Sending your iPhone for repair without exposing your photosA repair counter is a stranger holding your phone.
- Where to keep a passport, medical or tax document on iPhoneThe most sensitive files on a phone are rarely photos.
- Lost your iPhone? What happens to your private photosA lost iPhone is locked and encrypted. Your job is to keep it that way.
- iPhone stolen: how to protect your photos and accountsA thief who saw your passcode is after your account, not just the phone.
- Selling your old iPhone: how to erase your photos for goodDeleting photos one by one is the wrong way to clear a phone.
- Giving your old iPhone to a family member: sign out firstA hand-me-down iPhone still signed in to your account is a window into your library.
- Letting your child play games on your iPhone, safelyA game is one swipe away from your photos, your messages and your card.
- Crossing a border with your phone: what to know about photosA phone carries years of photos across every border you cross.
- Family sharing one Apple Account? Why photos show up everywhereOne Apple Account means one photo library — on every phone, iPad and Mac.
- After a breakup: photos, passcodes and what to change on iPhoneThe relationship ended. The shared library, the location sharing and the passcode may not have.
- Someone saw your iPhone passcode: what to do nowA passcode seen over your shoulder is a passcode someone else now has.
- Personal photos on a work phone: what your employer can seeA work phone is managed by someone else. Your photos on it live by their rules.
- How to send your ID to a landlord safelyA rental application can leave a copy of your passport in a stranger’s inbox.
- How to upload a photo of your ID online safelyBefore you upload a passport, make sure you know exactly who is asking for it.
- Medical photos on iPhone: keeping them out of your camera rollA photo meant for your doctor shouldn’t resurface in your camera roll months later.
- Hiding surprise gift photos from your family on iPhoneThe quickest way to spoil a surprise is a shared photo library.
- Why your iPhone photos show up on a family Mac or iPadA shared Mac signed in to your account is a window onto your photo library.
- Stop iPhone Memories from showing photos of your exYour iPhone doesn’t know the relationship ended. You can tell it.
- Stop notifications popping up when screen sharing on iPhoneScreen sharing shows everything — including the message that arrives halfway through.
- Back up your iPhone before an iOS update: a checklistThe backup is for the day an update doesn’t go to plan.
- iPhone broken or won’t turn on: how to get your photos backWhether your photos survive depends on choices made before the phone broke.
- What happens to your iPhone photos when you die? Legacy ContactWithout a plan, the photos on an iPhone can outlive anyone’s access to them.
