Set up a home filing system for important documents
A useful home filing system separates paperwork that needs action from records you need to keep, then groups those records by purpose. Choose one place for each paper original, label folders clearly and use matching names for digital copies you want on your iPhone.
Sort a small batch before choosing storage
Start with a tenancy agreement, a home insurance policy, a recent bill and a receipt you may need again. Gather their originals and any copies in email, Downloads, Photos or other apps.
Separate the batch into action, keep and check before discarding. A letter with a reply deadline belongs in the action pile; it should not disappear into an archive. An old document may still be needed for a claim or another purpose. Check the requirements for that document before destroying it.
Give paper originals a clear home
Choose an accessible place you can keep using. A labelled expanding file, ring binder with dividers or small filing box can work; you do not need a filing cabinet to start. Keep sensitive papers where other people cannot casually read them, and consider protection from leaks or damage.
| Category | What might go in it | A useful copy name |
|---|---|---|
| Identity and family | Passport, birth certificates | Passport - current |
| Home | Tenancy agreement, insurance, bills | Home insurance - policy - 2026 |
| Health | Appointment letters, personal health records | Appointment - clinic - 2026-11-12 |
| Money and work | Statements, payslips, tax records | Annual statement - 2025 |
| Purchases | Receipts, order confirmations, warranties | Washing machine - receipt - 2026-10-12 |
These are starting points. Use the categories you would think of when searching, with years or dates inside a folder where useful. If a document could fit in two places, choose its main home and leave a location note rather than making uncontrolled duplicates.
Age Scotland's preparation guide includes a sectioned filing system for important paperwork. Its advice is a practical starting point, not one retention rule for every household record.
Use matching names for digital copies
The Files app can create folders and rename or move documents:
- Open Files and choose where to keep the copies.
- Tap More, then New Folder, and use a name from your paper filing system.
- Touch and hold a document, choose Rename and replace an unclear filename with its type and a useful date.
- Touch and hold it again, choose Move and place it in the appropriate folder.
- Open the copy from that folder and check all its pages.
For paper documents, scan the pages together into a PDF. For a picture already taken, crop and straighten the existing photo. Keep receipt copies with the documents for their purchase.
Keep everyday copies in Dokus
Add a scan or import a photo or PDF into Dokus, then give it a name you can recognise later. From the add menu, choose New Folder, name it and select the documents to include. Open the folder and check each saved document.
Dokus protects access with Face ID or Touch ID and opens locally saved documents offline. Sync through your own iCloud is optional. New installations can keep five documents free and organise them in folders. Dokus Plus removes the cap and adds expiry reminders; recording an expiry date itself is free.
Managing copies for different family members on your phone does not create a shared family account. See safe document storage for protecting the copies you keep and send.
Test retrieval and keep the originals you need
Close the folder or app, then find a recent bill, a policy and an older receipt again. If you search several places, simplify the category or filename. Record where important originals are kept, particularly when they are stored separately from everyday paperwork.
Keep original electronic files when supplied that way. A personal scan does not automatically replace an original or certified copy for a recipient's process. A separate recovery copy can help if your phone becomes unavailable; two devices showing the same synced wallet are not an independent archive of previous versions.
The UK government's household preparation advice also recommends printed copies of key records, including passport, birth certificate and insurance details. Decide which copies you would need to reach if your phone or online storage were unavailable, and give them a known place in your filing system.
Review new post and unfinished actions regularly. Once an item is dealt with, file it or check whether it can be discarded. Avoid adding folders faster than you can remember what belongs in them.
- Paperwork needing action has a visible place.
- Every important original has a known location.
- Categories and names make sense when searching.
- Digital copies open with every required page present.
- Retention and recovery do not depend on assumptions about one phone.
Start with a few documents in Dokus and a paper system you can maintain, then expand when the first batch is easy to find.
Common questions
What is a simple home filing system?
A small set of labelled categories, one place for paperwork needing action and a known home for important originals is enough to start. Use matching names for digital copies and test finding a document before sorting the next batch.
Do I need a filing cabinet?
No. An expanding file, ring binder or filing box can work for a small household archive. Choose something you can access easily and keep labelled, with suitable protection for sensitive originals.
Should I file documents by date or category?
Start with the place you would look first, such as Home, Health or Purchases. Use dates or years within categories when they help distinguish versions. A clear name is more useful than several unexplained copies.
Can I discard an original after scanning it?
Check the document's purpose and the recipient's requirements first. A personal scan does not automatically replace an original or certified copy. Keep originals whenever they remain necessary.