Guides / Photos of your ID

Is it safe to keep photos of your ID on your phone?

Updated 2 November 2026 · By the FirstHour team

Short answerIt's a risk if they sit loose in your camera roll, because anyone who gets into your Photos can see them. Delete the ones you don't need, and lock away the ones you do. You don't need to panic: most of us have a few.

Why people keep them

It makes sense. Someone asks for a copy of your ID, you take a picture, and it stays there. Months later it's mixed in with holiday photos, and you've forgotten about it.

What the risk really is

The picture itself isn't the problem. It's who might see it. That could be someone who has your phone and your passcode, someone you've handed your phone to, or someone with access to a shared album or a shared iCloud account. With iCloud Photos on, your pictures are also on your other devices.

The FTC says thieves can use stolen information to open accounts in your name, get medical care or steal a tax refund. A clear picture of an ID, with your name, birth date and ID number together, is exactly the kind of thing worth keeping out of reach.

What to do

  1. Find them. Here's how to look.
  2. Delete what you don't need. If you've got the card in your wallet, you may not need the photo. Remember that deleted photos stay in Recently Deleted for 30 days, so empty them from there too if you want them gone sooner.
  3. Lock away what you do need, somewhere with its own lock. Here's how the options compare.
  4. When you share one, send a covered copy. Here's how.

What about old photos in chats?

Pictures you sent in Messenger, Viber or WhatsApp can also stay in those chats, and on the other person's phone. Deleting your own copy doesn't remove those, so look through important chats too.

How FirstHour helps

Protect looks through your pictures on your iPhone and points out IDs, passports, cards and codes. They stay blurred until you're ready, and you decide what happens to each one, including moving them to the Vault. Nothing is uploaded. It can miss things, such as handwriting and blurry or cropped pictures, and it can't see inside other apps. It may also miss ID cards written only in alphabets it reads less well, such as Hebrew, Persian, Bangla and Hindi.

Questions

Is the Hidden album enough?

It's better than the camera roll, but it opens with your Face ID, Touch ID or iPhone passcode. Anyone who knows your passcode can open it.

Should I keep a digital copy in case I lose the real ID?

A copy can help with replacing it. Keep it locked away rather than loose in your camera roll, and keep a copy somewhere other than your phone if you can.

Sources

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