Keep an encrypted backup

iPhone backups don’t include your Paperwise documents. To keep a copy, turn on Paperwise’s free iCloud backup. It’s encrypted on your iPhone before it goes to your iCloud, so Apple can’t read it.

What it is

The encrypted iCloud backup copies your vault, including Hidden, into your own iCloud storage. It’s off until you turn it on, and it’s free: the space it uses counts against your iCloud plan, not a Paperwise one. Once on, it runs by itself.

This is the short version. For every detail (when it runs, what Apple can see, deleting it), see Encrypted iCloud backup.

When to use it

Turn it on as soon as you have documents you’d hate to lose. Without it, or sync (Pro), a lost or broken iPhone means lost documents.

Step by step

Turn on the backup

Make sure you’re signed in to iCloud in the Settings app.
In Paperwise, tap your avatar on the Vault to open Account.
In Back up my stuff, tap iCloud backup.
Turn on Back up to iCloud.
Then one of two things happens:
- You have a Paperwise account on this iPhone: Paperwise asks you to Enter your recovery key, your account’s, so there’s one key to keep. Type it and tap Turn on backup. If you’d rather not, tap Use a separate key for the backup.
- No account (or a separate key): Paperwise shows Your backup recovery key. Tap Copy or write it down, keep it somewhere safe, tick I saved my recovery key and tap Done.
Paperwise says “Backing up to iCloud”. The first backup can take a while.

You can also start from the first run (Turn on encrypted iCloud backup on the last screen), or from the Back up your documents card that appears in Account once your vault has 10 documents.

Check it’s working

Open Account → iCloud backup. You’ll see Status, Last backup and how much it uses In iCloud. Tap Back up now to run it straight away.

The backup runs on Wi-Fi while your iPhone is charging, when you leave the app, and at least once a day after changes.

Free and Pro

The encrypted iCloud backup is free. Sync across iPhone and iPad is Pro, and you can use both. The backup is a safety copy of one iPhone; sync keeps several devices the same.

Privacy

Your documents are encrypted on this iPhone before they go to iCloud. Apple sees how many records there are, their sizes and dates, but can’t open them.
The backup’s key never goes into iCloud Keychain. It’s kept on this iPhone and, for restoring, locked with your recovery key. If you delete and reinstall Paperwise, the copy on this iPhone is deleted too, so restoring needs your recovery key.
Your vault’s own key never leaves this iPhone, so a device-to-device transfer or an iPhone backup can’t open your vault on a new phone. This backup (or sync, Pro) is the way to move it; restored files are encrypted again under the new iPhone’s own key.
Hidden is included and stays under its own encryption inside the backup. After a restore on a new iPhone or after reinstalling, each Hidden space opens with its own recovery key.
The backup follows this iPhone: documents you erase here (for example when you sign out or sign in) leave the backup at its next run.
Paperwise and Apple can’t recover your recovery key for you.

Tips

Save the recovery key away from your iPhone, for example in a password manager.
Before you switch iPhones, tap Back up now on the old one.

What if…

Paperwise shows “Sign in to iCloud in Settings to back up.” Sign in to iCloud in the Settings app, then try again.

What if my iCloud is full?

Paperwise shows “Your iCloud storage is full; free up space or upgrade iCloud.” Free up space or choose a bigger iCloud plan in the Settings app.

What if there’s already a Paperwise backup in my iCloud?

There’s one backup per Apple ID. Paperwise asks whether to Restore it to this iPhone or Replace it with a new backup of this iPhone. Replacing deletes the old backup for good.

What if I want to restore?

See Restore from backup.