Guides

Calm, practical answers about your iPhone, your pictures and what to do if your phone goes missing. Each guide says where its facts come from, and when it was last checked.

Security and encryption

How FirstHour protects your pictures, in plain words, and what it can't do.

How FirstHour protects your picturesThe overview, step by step. Pattern, PIN or Face IDWhich is stronger, with real numbers. What FirstHour can't protect againstThe honest list. On-device, end-to-end and zero-knowledge encryptionWhat each one promises, and what it doesn't. Can Apple see your photos?It depends where the photo is. Apple Intelligence and your photosWhat Apple says is read on your iPhone iCloud Photos and Advanced Data ProtectionWhat it changes, and its limits. What's in an iPhone backupAnd who holds the keys. How photo vault apps workHiding versus real protection, and what to look for.

If your phone is stolen

What to do first, who to call, and how to get ready before anything happens.

Who to call, country by countryNetworks, banks, police and blocking the phone. What to do if your iPhone is stolenA step-by-step plan for the first hour. A family member's phone was stolenHow to help them in the first hour After the first hourThe next day and the next week Get back into your accounts on a new phoneCodes, account recovery and authenticator apps Find My when your phone is offWhat still works offline Wallet and Apple Pay on a stolen iPhoneCards, transit cards and passes SIM swap: the signs and what to doWhen your number is moved without you eSIM or a physical SIM when stolenWhat's the same, and what differs iPhone stolen in the PhilippinesGlobe, Smart, DITO, GCash, banks, police and the NTC. iPhone stolen in the USCarriers, banks, IdentityTheft.gov and a credit freeze. Identity theft in the US: the official numbersWhat they say, what they don't, and what to do. Block GCash and MayaFrom another phone, and how to reach your balance afterwards. If a thief knows your passcodeWhat to do first, and how to prepare. The "your iPhone was found" scamHow it works, and what to do. Stolen Device Protection, explainedWhat it does and how to turn it on. Set a SIM PIN on iPhoneProtect the codes that reach your SIM. Find your IMEI and serial numberEven without the phone. Mark an iPhone as lost without a codeYou need your Apple Account password, but not the code. Use Find My from someone else's phoneOn a borrowed phone, use the browser. Should you erase a stolen iPhone?Not first, and keep it in Find My. Your bank app was on your stolen phoneWho to call, and what to ask. Protect your email after a theftChange your password and sign the phone out. Sign a stolen phone out of Google and FacebookThe steps from another device. Get a replacement SIM in the PhilippinesGlobe, Smart and DITO. Block a phone's IMEI in the PhilippinesThe NTC form, and what blocking can't do. File a police report in the PhilippinesWhere to go, and what to bring. Lost your phone abroadFor travelers and overseas Filipino workers. What Activation Lock doesWhy to keep it on.

Get ready before anything happens

Small things to do while everything is calm.

Help a parent get their phone readyHalf an hour together, with their say on each step Your teen's first iPhoneSettings to set up together What to prepare: a checklistA short list to do while everything is calm. Set up a Recovery ContactSomeone you trust who can help you back into your account. Know your Apple Account passwordCheck it now, while you still have your iPhone. Stop Airplane Mode from the Lock ScreenWhat this setting can and can't stop. Hide login codes on your Lock ScreenOne setting, and what it doesn't cover. Share your location with someone you trustHow to start, how to stop, and its limits. Reduce the risk of phone snatchingSimple habits, and why never to chase.

Private details in your pictures

Photos of IDs, cards and codes are easy to forget about.

Is it safe to keep photos of your ID?The real risk, and what to do. Find sensitive photos on your iPhoneBy hand, or with an app. Screenshots of backup codesWhy they're risky, and where to keep them. Screenshots of crypto recovery phrasesWhat to do if you've already taken one. Keeping a photo of your credit cardWhat to do with it, and if it was seen. Screenshots of bank detailsWhat to keep and delete, and if one reached a scammer. Keeping a photo of your passportWhere a copy helps, and where to keep it. PhilID, SSS and TIN picturesTreat a picture of a Philippine ID like the card. Social Security cards and licenses on your phoneThe free US steps if a picture was seen. Pictures of passwords and Wi-Fi detailsUse a password manager instead. Old one-time codes in screenshotsUsually harmless, and what still matters. Medical papers and test resultsWhere to keep them, and what FirstHour can't find. What else your camera roll revealsLocation, screens, documents and habits. Boarding passes and their barcodeWhat to cover before you post one. Parcels and delivery labelsCover the label, then tear it up. Work badges in selfiesWhat a badge says, and what to cover. Photos of your keysWhat the research showed, and what to do.

Sharing pictures safely

Share what's needed, and keep the rest to yourself.

Send a copy of your ID safelyShare only what they need. Blur or black box?The safe way to hide details in a picture. Remove the location from a photoBefore you share, or for good. What's hidden in a photo?Metadata explained in plain words Is Markup safe for hiding?Why drawing over details can be undone Share a receipt safelyWhat to cover before you send one Sending your ID to a landlordCheck first, then share only what's needed Selling onlineWhat to share, and what to keep back Spot a fake ID requestWarning signs and what to do instead Before you post a chat screenshotWhat it gives away, and a checklist A payment screenshot without your balanceWhat to leave, what to cover Sharing your GCash or Maya QR codeWhat we know, and what to check first Someone screenshotted a photo I sentWhat you can and can't control iCloud Shared Albums: who can see whatWhat people in an album can do

Tidying and hiding pictures

A calmer camera roll, and a place for what's private.

Delete duplicate photos on iPhoneWith the iPhone's built-in tool. Hidden album or photo vault?What each protects you from. App Switcher previewsWhy some apps cover your screen Screen recording, mirroring and AirPlayHow to tell, and how to stop it Delete old screenshotsFind them, check them, clear them Burst photosKeep the best shot, delete the rest Why storage fills upSee what's using your space How Recently Deleted worksWhere deleted photos wait for 30 days Stop chat apps saving picturesKeep other people's photos out Clean up without losing memoriesA calm, safe order to work in What's safe to delete from your camera rollA checklist, and what to keep

Keeping pictures private

What apps can see, how vaults work, and where each thing belongs.

Can apps see my photos?Full access, limited access, and how to check Can apps see my Hidden album?What Apple says, and what we can't confirm PIN or pattern for a vaultGuessing versus being watched Are photo vault apps safe?Six questions to ask first Back up a photo vaultEncrypted file, kept apart, tested Move a vault to a new iPhoneWhy a backup file comes first If you delete a photo vault appWhat happens to the pictures inside Hide videos on iPhoneHidden album, or a vault with its own lock Take photos straight into a vaultSkip your camera roll entirely Notes lock or photo vaultWhich protects more, and for what iCloud Keychain or a vaultWhat goes where, and what goes on paper Store tax and important documentsScan, lock, and keep a second copy Keep PDFs and documents privateWhere documents end up, and what locks them Hidden photos in Search and widgetsWhat Apple says, and a quick test Live Photos and what they captureExtra seconds, and sending a still What your clipboard gives awayCopied codes, and safer habits Stop strangers AirDropping picturesContacts Only, and blur unwanted ones Lockdown Mode and your photosWhat it changes, and what it doesn't

When your phone changes hands

Repairs, selling, resets and travel.

Before an iPhone repairBack up, lock away, and keep your passcode Before selling or trading inWipe it properly without losing pictures Does a reset erase iCloud photos?What stays, and what to check first Traveling with sensitive picturesCarry less, back up first Phone searches at bordersWhat official pages say

Real-life situations

When someone close to you is involved. If you're afraid of someone, read the safety note in each guide first.

I handed someone my phoneWhat they saw, and next time Signs someone went through your phoneWhat you can check, and safety first Someone knows my passcodeChange it safely, and what to check Your partner knows your passcodeWhat it opens, how to change A family member shares my iCloudWhich sharing shows your photos My ex still has access to my picturesStop access, and stay safe My child found something on my phoneWhat to say and change Hand your phone to a childKeep them in one app with Guided Access A coworker saw a private photoIn the moment, and next time Private photos on Apple Watch, and CarPlayWatch photo sync, faces and what CarPlay reads out A houseguest went through my phoneWhat to check, and before the next visit A shared family iPad or MacWhy your photos show there, and what to change

Free tools

Small tools that work only in your browser.

Photo location checkerSee what a photo gives away. Black out a pictureSolid boxes, saved as a new picture. First-hour plan makerA printable plan, with no account.