Privacy

Last updated 9 October 2026. Applies to Paperlock for iPhone, version 2.0 and later.

The short version

Paperlock collects nothing. There is no account, no server, no cloud, no analytics and no advertising. The app makes no network requests. Your documents never reach me or anyone else unless you send them yourself.

What stays on your iPhone

• The documents you scan or import, and their previews.
• The names and notes you give them.
• The key that encrypts them, held in the iPhone's Keychain on this device only.

All of it is encrypted before it is stored. Deleting a document removes its files. Deleting the app removes all of your documents.

Your passwords

Your vault password and any backup password are never stored and never sent anywhere. Paperlock keeps only what it needs to check them: a copy of your key that only the right password can open. Because nobody else holds your key, a forgotten password cannot be reset or recovered, by me or by Apple.

Permissions

• Camera. Used only while you scan a document. Scans are saved into the vault and nowhere else.
• Face ID. Used to unlock the app. Face ID is handled by iOS. Paperlock only learns whether it succeeded.

What leaves your iPhone

Only what you choose to send. When you share a PDF or save a backup file, iOS hands that file to the app or place you picked. A shared PDF is an ordinary, unencrypted copy. A backup file stays encrypted under the password you gave it. Paperlock uploads neither.

iPhone backups

If you back up your iPhone with iCloud or a computer, Apple's backup includes Paperlock's files in their encrypted form. They can only be opened with your vault password.

This website

This site sets no cookies and runs no analytics. It is hosted by Vercel, which receives your IP address as part of serving the page, as any web host does.

Children

Paperlock collects no information from anyone, including children.

Changes and contact

If this policy changes, the date above changes with it. Questions go to john@jjlarson.com.