Real situations, practical steps

Most privacy problems begin with something that happened: a friend swiped too far, a phone went in for repair, a form asked for a passport scan. These pages start from the situation, give the practical steps first, and then say where a vault such as StrongRoom fits. They make no promise that anything will keep you safe.

Everyday

Four short cards, each with a two-line summary and link (see guides/use-cases.md for the exact titles).

Travel and device access

Three cards.

Documents and records

Three cards.

Higher-risk situations

Two cards, with a notice: "These pages start with organisations that can help. A phone app is never a safety plan on its own."

What a vault cannot do

It cannot protect an unlocked phone, a phone with spyware, or you from a person who can make you reveal every credential. It cannot back itself up. See /security/limits/.

All pages in this section

• Phone searches at the border: what a Vault can and cannot doBorder search rules differ by country. Rights-group guides first, then what a Decoy or Duress Vault does and does not change. No legal advice.
• Handing someone your iPhone without showing everythingLend your phone for a call or a photo without handing over your library: send the photo instead, use Guided Access, and keep private items in a Vault.
• Phone security for journalists: where a local Vault fitsPress-freedom guidance first, then where a local Vault fits for photos and documents, and where it does not. Honest limits, no promises.
• Kids, shared devices and your private filesKeep your own documents and photos private on a phone your family uses, with a separate lock and auto-lock. About your files, not monitoring anyone.
• Keeping medical records and care documents privateOrganise scans of letters, prescriptions and care paperwork for yourself or someone you look after, with a lock on the phone. Not medical advice.
• When someone knows your iPhone passcodeSomeone knows your iPhone passcode. What that opens, how to change it, and how a separate pattern or passphrase keeps sensitive items apart.
• Keeping passport and ID copies private on iPhoneWhere to keep scans of a passport or ID on iPhone, how to scan them, and how to send a copy without leaving copies lying around. Limits included.
• Protecting your photos before iPhone repair or trade-inBefore an iPhone repair or trade-in: follow Apple's steps, take private items off the phone, and make an Export Package. A checklist for each case.
• Phone privacy in an unsafe relationship: start hereHelplines and safety planning first. An app on a monitored phone may not be safe. Neutral steps, Apple's Safety Check, and honest limits.
• Keeping private images out of shared albums and librariesKeep private images out of shared albums, a Shared Library and family sync by storing them in a place with its own credential, outside the Photos library.
• Keeping records organised for a disputeFolders, dated file names and a second copy for screenshots, letters and photos in a tenancy, work or family dispute. Not legal advice.
• If your iPhone is stolen: protect your photos and accountsWhat to do first when your iPhone is stolen: Lost Mode, your Apple Account, your carrier. Then how a Vault adds a separate lock for your private items.

Frequently asked questions