Guides

iPhone guides: scan documents, make PDFs and protect your ID copies

Your iPhone already has most of what a document needs: a scanner in Files and Notes, a PDF maker in Preview, markup in Photos and locks behind Face ID. These guides show where each one is and what it cannot do, with nothing extra to install.

To get a paper document into the phone, scan it with Files or Notes or convert a photo you already took to PDF. Before a copy leaves the phone, blur the numbers that should not travel or add a watermark that names who it is for.

To keep copies private, lock document photos with a password or Face ID. And if you are wondering what can live in Apple Wallet, read which IDs Apple Wallet accepts, country by country and whether a digital driver's license can be saved as a PDF.

  1. How to blur a photo on iPhone, or just part of it

    Blur the background with Portrait, cover a face or a number with Markup, or blur part of a photo free in Safari, and learn which blur can be undone.

    · 5 min read

  2. How to convert a photo to PDF on iPhone

    Save a photo as a PDF with Preview or Files on iPhone, put several pictures in one PDF, and get a smaller file on a standard page, free and without an app.

    · 4 min read

  3. How to scan and protect documents on iPhone: ID cards and passports

    Scan a driver’s license, state ID or passport with Files or Notes, find where the PDF is saved, then lock it and watermark or redact the copy you send.

    · 5 min read

  4. Can you add your passport or ID to Apple Wallet? Country by country

    Where Apple Wallet accepts a driver's license, state ID or passport in 2026, why the option is missing for UK, Canadian, Australian and other IDs, and what to do instead.

    · 7 min read

  5. Can you export a digital driver’s license as a PDF on iPhone?

    California mobile ID, Apple Wallet and PDF copies: what you can share on iPhone and when you still need your physical driver’s license.

    · 2 min read

  6. How to store your ID and passport on iPhone with a password

    Three built-in iPhone locks for document photos: Hidden in Photos, locked Notes and Require Face ID. How to use them, their limits and where to keep your documents.

    · 6 min read

  7. How to watermark photos on iPhone without downloading an app

    Add a watermark with Photos or reuse one with Shortcuts. Learn what to do differently when sharing a passport or driver’s license.

    · 3 min read

Tools

Free PDF and photo tools: convert, compress and protect copies

Convert JPG to PDF, compress PDF scans and photos, watermark documents or hide details. Four free browser tools with no upload or account.

Take your documents everywhere.

Free on the App Store

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