--- title: "How to Scan a Passport With iPhone: Notes, Files or Preview" description: "Scan a passport or ID with your iPhone in Notes, Files or Preview: the exact steps, tips for a sharp scan without glare, and where each scan is saved." url: https://www.vaultforyou.app/blog/scan-documents-iphone lang: en published: 2026-10-29 updated: 2026-10-29 author: "VaultForYou Editorial Team" publisher: VaultForYou --- # How to scan a passport, ID or document with your iPhone > Your iPhone already has a good document scanner built in; the part most people get wrong is where the scan ends up afterward. Published 2026-10-29 - Updated 2026-10-29 - By VaultForYou Editorial Team ## Quick answer To scan a passport with iPhone, open the Files app, tap the More button, then tap Scan Documents. Lay the photo page flat in good light, let iPhone capture it (or tap the shutter), drag the corners to fit, tap Keep, then Done, and choose where to save. Notes and Preview have the same scanner. - **In Files:** More button -> Scan Documents. You choose where the scan is saved. - **In Notes:** In a note: Attachments button -> Scan Documents. Saved as a PDF in the note. - **Passport tip:** Scan the whole photo page, including the two machine-readable lines at the bottom. - **Not in Photos:** Scans from Notes, Files or Preview don't go to your photo library. Camera photos do. Open the Files app, tap the **More** button, then tap **Scan Documents**. Lay your passport open on a flat, plain surface in good light, fit the whole photo page on screen, and let iPhone capture it. Drag the corners to fit the page, tap **Keep Scan**, then **Done**, and choose where to save it. Notes and Preview use the same scanner. The scan is a document, not a photo, so it stays out of your photo library. It isn't locked or encrypted on its own, though: it opens for anyone who can use your unlocked iPhone. We checked these steps against Apple's support pages and iOS 27 iPhone User Guide in October 2026. Button names shift a little between iOS versions; where they differ, we say so. ## Which app should you use to scan a document on iPhone? Use **Files** when you want to choose where the scan is saved, **Notes** when the scan belongs with other notes, and **Preview** when you want to edit or lock the PDF right away. Avoid the Camera app for identity documents. | App | How to start | Where the scan goes | Best for | |---|---|---|---| | Files | **More** button -> **Scan Documents** | A location you choose: **On My iPhone** or **iCloud Drive** | Passports and IDs you'll send or file | | Notes | In a note, **Attachments** button -> **Scan Documents** | Inside that note, saved as a PDF (iOS 27) | Receipts, forms, quick paperwork | | Preview | **Scan Documents** on the start screen | A single PDF you can save, rename and lock | Multi-page PDFs you want to edit or password-protect | | Camera | Take a photo | Your photo library (and iCloud Photos, if on) | Not recommended for ID documents | Apple's guide covers the Preview app from iOS 26 on. If you don't see it on your iPhone, use Files or Notes. ## How to scan a passport with iPhone The Files app is the best choice for a passport because you decide where the scan lands before you finish. Here's the full process: 1. **Open the scanner** Open the Files app, tap the More button, then tap Scan Documents. 2. **Frame the photo page** Open the passport flat on a plain, contrasting surface in good light. Position iPhone so the whole photo page, including the machine-readable lines at the bottom, is on screen. 3. **Capture the page** In Auto mode, iPhone captures the page when it detects the edges. To capture it yourself, tap the Shutter button or press a volume button. 4. **Adjust the corners** Drag the corners so the scan fits the page exactly, then tap Keep Scan (or Keep). Retake it if the text is blurry or a reflection covers any part. 5. **Add pages or finish** Scan the next page if you need one, such as the back of an ID card, then tap Done. 6. **Choose where to save** Pick a location, either On My iPhone or iCloud Drive, then tap Save. Rename the file so you can find it later. A few tips for a scan that a hotel, visa office or employer will accept: - **Light and background matter most.** When Apple Wallet asks you to scan a passport photo page, Apple advises a well-lit area and a simple background. The same goes here. A dark table under a light page gives the scanner clean edges. - **Kill the glare.** The photo page is laminated, so overhead lights and the flash can leave a white patch over your details. Tilt the passport slightly or move away from the light. Recent iOS versions let you set options such as flash or a filter before you scan. - **Include the bottom lines.** The two lines of letters and numbers at the bottom of the photo page are machine-readable, and forms often need them. Don't crop them off when you adjust the corners. - **Keep it in color unless asked otherwise.** Use the scanner's filter only if a form asks for grayscale. - **Name it now.** Something like "Passport - photo page - expires 2031" saves you from opening five files later. ## How to scan an ID card or driver's license on iPhone Scan both sides in one session so they end up in one document: 1. Start **Scan Documents** in Files or Notes. 2. Capture the front, adjust the corners, and tap **Keep Scan** (or **Keep**). 3. Turn the card over and capture the back. 4. Tap **Done**, then save. Cards are small, so hold your iPhone close enough that the card fills most of the frame, and switch to manual capture if Auto keeps grabbing the table edge. To capture it yourself, tap the **Shutter** button or press a volume button. ## How to scan a document in Notes Notes is handy when the scan belongs next to other information, like a lease or a warranty. 1. Open **Notes** and open a note or create a new one. 2. Tap the **Attachments** button, then tap **Scan Documents**. 3. Position the page on screen. You can adjust options such as **Flash** or **Filters** first. 4. Keep iPhone steady and let it capture the page automatically, or switch to manual capture and take the picture yourself. Adjust the corners, then tap **Keep** or **Retake**. 5. Scan more pages, then tap **Done**. In iOS 27, Apple says the document is saved as a PDF in the note. Apple's support article uses the label **Keep Scan** instead of **Keep**, and notes that you can also tap the **More** button in an open note, then **Scan**. > **Note:** The same Attachments menu has **Scan Text**, which types the words from a page into your note instead of saving an image of it. That's useful for an address, less so for an ID you need to show. ## How to scan with Preview, and lock the PDF Preview is built for PDFs. Tap **Scan Documents** on the start screen, capture each page (tap **Auto** to switch to **Manual** if you'd rather press the shutter), then tap a thumbnail to crop, rotate or adjust the coloring. Tap **Done** and Preview combines the pages into one PDF. To add a password, open the PDF, tap the **Actions Menu** button next to the file name, tap **Lock**, and enter the same password in **Password** and **Verify**. Apple suggests tapping **Duplicate** first if you want to keep a copy without a password. For the full walkthrough, see [how to password-protect a PDF on iPhone](/blog/password-protect-pdf-iphone). ## Can you scan a passport with the Camera app? You can, but a camera photo of your passport goes into your photo library. From there it syncs with iCloud Photos if that's on, shows up in every app's photo picker, and can resurface in memories and featured photos. That's a lot of exposure for your passport number. If you only need to copy the number into a form, use **Live Text** instead. Point the Camera at the page, wait for the yellow frame, tap the **Detect Text** button, then select and copy the text. You don't have to take a picture at all. Live Text isn't available in every region or language. If a passport photo already sits in your camera roll, delete it and then delete it again from **Recently Deleted**, where Photos keeps it for 30 days. ## Where do scans go, and who can see them? The scanner doesn't decide who can see your passport. The place you save it does. | Where the scan is | Who can see it | Why | |---|---|---| | A note in your iCloud account | Anyone using your unlocked iPhone, plus your other devices and iCloud.com | Notes in iCloud sync across your Apple Account. | | A note in the **On My iPhone** account | Anyone using your unlocked iPhone | It stays on that iPhone. Turn the account on in **Settings -> Apps -> Notes**. | | A locked note | Only someone with your passcode, Face ID or Notes password | But Apple says notes with PDF attachments can't be locked, so a note with a scan may not offer **Lock**. | | **iCloud Drive** in Files | Anyone using your unlocked iPhone, plus your other devices and iCloud.com | iCloud Drive syncs to every device on your Apple Account. | | **On My iPhone** in Files | Anyone using your unlocked iPhone | Files has no per-folder lock. | | A password-locked PDF | Only someone with the PDF password | The lock travels with the file. | | Your photo library | Anyone using your phone, and every app with full photo access | Plus iCloud Photos, memories and photo pickers. | The pattern is simple: a scan in Notes or Files is as private as your iPhone passcode. For a passport, that's often not enough, especially if a partner, kid or coworker knows the code. See [how to lock a folder on iPhone](/blog/lock-folder-on-iphone) for the built-in workarounds and [how to lock notes on iPhone](/blog/lock-notes-iphone) for what Notes can and can't lock. ## What about Apple Wallet's Digital ID? When people search for how to scan a passport, some mean the Digital ID setup in Apple Wallet. In the US, you can create a Digital ID from an unexpired US passport: Wallet asks you to scan the machine-readable part of the photo page, hold your iPhone to the passport chip, and take a selfie. That's a credential, not a scan you can send. Apple says it can be presented at TSA checkpoints for domestic flights and at some businesses and apps, but it isn't a replacement for your passport and can't be used for international travel. You'll still want a regular scan for forms that ask for a copy. ## Where should you keep the scan afterward? Somewhere with its own lock that isn't your iPhone passcode, with one backup copy you control. Our guide on [where to store passport and ID scans on iPhone](/blog/store-passport-id-scans-iphone) compares Photos, the Hidden album, Notes, Files, Apple Wallet and vault apps in detail. If you want the scan out of Notes, Files and Photos entirely, an encrypted vault is one option. We make VaultForYou, so weigh this accordingly: it keeps documents you import outside the Photos library, encrypts them on your iPhone with keys in the iOS Keychain, and opens each vault only with a pattern you draw. No account is needed. After importing, delete the original scan from Files or Notes and empty Recently Deleted. If you forget your pattern, that vault can't be opened by you or by us, so keep an exported copy of important documents somewhere safe. > **Keep passport scans behind your own pattern.** Encrypted on your iPhone, outside Photos, Notes and Files. No account needed. [Download on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/vaultforyou/id0000000000) ## Frequently asked questions ### How do I scan a passport with my iPhone? Open Files, tap the More button, then Scan Documents. Lay the passport flat on a plain surface in good light and fit the whole photo page on screen, including the two lines of letters and numbers at the bottom. Let iPhone capture it, drag the corners to fit, tap Keep, then Done, and choose where to save the scan. ### How do I scan an ID on iPhone, front and back? Use one scan session for both sides. In Files or Notes, start Scan Documents, capture the front, adjust the corners and tap Keep. Turn the card over and capture the back before you tap Done. Both sides end up in one document, which is easier to send and harder to mix up than two loose photos. ### Does iPhone save scanned documents as PDF? Apple's iOS 27 guide says a document scanned in Notes is saved as a PDF in the note, and Preview combines scanned pages into a single PDF. With Files, you choose the location when you save. Check the file type once after saving if a website or form requires a PDF. ### Where do scanned documents go on iPhone? It depends on the app. A Notes scan stays inside the note you scanned it into. A Files scan goes to the location you choose, such as iCloud Drive or On My iPhone. Preview lets you save the PDF where you want. None of them put the scan in your photo library; only a Camera photo goes there. ### Does the Notes scanner upload my scan to iCloud? If the note is in your iCloud account, yes: notes sync to your other devices signed in to the same Apple Account and are available on iCloud.com. To keep a scan on one iPhone only, turn on the On My iPhone account in Settings -> Apps -> Notes and scan into a note stored there. ### Can I scan a passport with the Camera app? You can take a photo, but it's a worse choice. The photo lands in your photo library, syncs with iCloud Photos if that's on and can appear in memories. If you only need the passport number, Live Text in Camera can copy the text without saving a picture; otherwise use the document scanner. ### Is it safe to keep a scan of my passport on my iPhone? It's reasonable if the scan is somewhere only you can open. A passport scan carries your name, date of birth, passport number and photo. A note or an iCloud Drive folder opens for anyone using your unlocked phone and syncs to your other devices, so move important scans somewhere with its own lock and delete the leftovers. ### Can I password-protect a scanned PDF on iPhone? Yes, in Preview. Open the PDF, tap the Actions Menu button next to the file name, tap Lock, enter the same password twice, and tap Done. Apple suggests tapping Duplicate first if you want to keep a copy without a password. A locked PDF still needs a safe place to live. ## Bottom line Scanning a passport on iPhone takes a minute: Files -> **More** -> **Scan Documents**, a flat page in good light, the corners adjusted, and the whole photo page in frame. Use Notes or Preview if they suit you better, and skip the Camera app for anything with an ID number on it. The harder question is where the scan lives. Notes and Files sync with iCloud and open for anyone who can unlock your phone, so decide on a locked home for your scans and delete the copies you don't need. Keep reading: - [Where to store passport and ID scans on iPhone](/blog/store-passport-id-scans-iphone) - [How to password-protect a PDF on iPhone](/blog/password-protect-pdf-iphone) - [How to lock notes on iPhone](/blog/lock-notes-iphone) ## Sources - [Apple Support: How to scan documents on your iPhone or iPad](https://support.apple.com/en-us/108963) - [iPhone User Guide: Scan text and documents in Notes](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/scan-text-and-documents-iph653f28965/ios) - [iPhone User Guide: Scan text and documents in Preview](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/scan-text-and-documents-iphd81075862/ios) - [iPhone User Guide: Use Live Text with your iPhone camera](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/use-live-text-iphcf0b71b0e/ios) - [iPhone User Guide: Lock your notes](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/lock-notes-iphf177bb154/ios) - [Apple Support: Use your Digital ID in Apple Wallet](https://support.apple.com/en-us/123719) ## Keep reading - [Where to Store Passport and ID Scans on iPhone (Safely)](https://www.vaultforyou.app/blog/store-passport-id-scans-iphone): Don't leave passport and ID scans in your camera roll. Compare Photos, Hidden album, Notes, Files, Apple Wallet and a vault, then follow a 5-step safe setup. - [How to Password-Protect a PDF on iPhone (and Open or Save One)](https://www.vaultforyou.app/blog/password-protect-pdf-iphone): Password-protect a PDF on iPhone with the built-in Preview app, learn what an owner password is, and save, open or share password-protected PDFs safely. - [How to Lock Notes on iPhone, and What Locked Notes Can't Do](https://www.vaultforyou.app/blog/lock-notes-iphone): Lock notes on iPhone with your passcode or a separate password, fix notes that won't lock (tags, PDFs, video) and see who can still open your locked notes. - [How to Lock a Folder on iPhone (Secure Folder Alternatives)](https://www.vaultforyou.app/blog/lock-folder-on-iphone): iPhone can't lock a folder or match Samsung's Secure Folder. Here are 5 workarounds, from locked Notes and Face ID app lock to vaults, ranked by protection. --- Our guides are written and fact-checked by the VaultForYou team against Apple's own documentation. We make VaultForYou, a private vault app for iPhone. Download on the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/vaultforyou/id0000000000