Your first run

The first time you open Paperwise, five short screens set up your vault: the app lock, the camera, an optional account and a backup. It takes about a minute, and you can change every choice later in Account.

What it is

The first run is a short series of screens with dots at the bottom showing where you are (step 1 of 5, and so on). Each step has one main button. Nothing here is a commitment: the camera, the account and the backup can all be turned on or off later.

If this iPhone’s iCloud already holds a Paperwise backup (for example on a new or reset iPhone, or after you deleted and reinstalled Paperwise), the first screen also offers to restore it.

Step by step

1. Your private vault, with a scanner built in

The first screen explains what Paperwise is: a place on this iPhone for IDs, papers, photos, notes and cards, with Hidden for the things that need more protection. It also tells you that AI is off until you turn it on: on a new install, the AI helper (Account → AI helper) starts off.

Read the screen and tap Continue.
If you see Restore from iCloud backup under Continue, you can restore instead (see “Restore from an iCloud backup” below).

2. Face ID for your vault

This step sets up the app lock: Paperwise asks for Face ID when it opens, so someone holding your unlocked iPhone can’t open your vault.

The switch Lock Paperwise with Face ID starts on.
Tap Turn on Face ID and look at your iPhone. The lock turns on only after Face ID succeeds.
If you’d rather not lock the app, turn the switch off and tap Continue.

On an iPad with Touch ID the screen says Touch ID instead. If your device has no Face ID, Touch ID or passcode, the switch is off and greyed out, with a note to set one up in the Settings app. More in The app lock.

3. The camera, to scan

Paperwise needs the camera to scan. Pages are cleaned up and read on this iPhone. Photos and files are added only when you pick them.

Tap Allow camera, then Allow in the iOS prompt.
Or tap Not now at the top right. You can allow the camera later in the Settings app.

An account is optional. It lets you use your vault on your iPad (sync, Pro) and get your own Forward by email address (Pro). Sign in with Apple doesn’t share your name or email address with Paperwise.

Tap Sign in with Apple to create or open your account. A new account then shows your recovery key once: see Your recovery key.
Or tap Not now. You can sign in any time from Account.

If you restored a backup first and then sign in, Paperwise asks whether to add the restored documents to your account: see Sign in with Apple.

5. Keep a backup

iPhone backups don’t include your documents. Paperwise’s free iCloud backup is encrypted on this iPhone before it goes to your iCloud.

Tap Turn on encrypted iCloud backup to set it up now. Paperwise opens the backup screen: see Keep an encrypted backup.
Or tap Start to go straight to your vault. Paperwise then shows what Pro adds; close it with the ✕ if you want to stay on the free plan.

After that you land on your Vault. It’s empty until you add something: tap Scan to scan a page, or + for a photo, a file or a note.

Restore from an iCloud backup

If you used Paperwise before and turned on its iCloud backup, you can bring everything back on a new or reset iPhone signed in to the same Apple ID, or after reinstalling Paperwise. You need your recovery key: a reinstall starts fresh and keeps none of the old keys (see Install Paperwise).

On the first screen, tap Restore from iCloud backup.
Type the recovery key you saved when you turned on the backup. If you have a Paperwise account, it’s your account’s recovery key.
Tap Restore. Paperwise shows “Restoring 12 of 140…” as it goes. Keep Paperwise open until it finishes; your files are decrypted on this iPhone.
When you see Your documents are back, tap Continue.

The first run then carries on from Face ID for your vault, so you’re still offered the app lock (your settings aren’t part of the backup), followed by the camera, sign-in and backup steps. Hidden is in the backup too, but on a new iPhone or after a reinstall, each Hidden space opens only with its own recovery key the first time.

Your restored files are encrypted again under this iPhone’s own key as they arrive. A device-to-device transfer or an iPhone backup can’t bring your vault over, because its key never leaves the old iPhone: Paperwise’s backup or sync is the way to move it.

Privacy

Choosing the lock, the camera and the backup sends nothing anywhere.
Nothing goes to AI on a new install: the AI helper is off until you turn it on in Account → AI helper.
Signing in creates an account on our server. We store your Apple account identifier only as a scrambled value (an HMAC), never your name or email. See Sign in with Apple.
The iCloud backup is encrypted on your iPhone with a key protected by your recovery key, so Apple can’t read your documents in it.

Tips

Turn on the backup now. It’s free, and without it or sync (Pro), losing your iPhone means losing your documents.
Save each recovery key where you’ll find it without your iPhone, like a password manager or a printed copy at home.

What if…

What if I skipped the app lock?

Turn it on any time in Account → Lock and privacy → Face ID lock.

What if I don’t see Restore from iCloud backup?

The button appears only when this iPhone’s iCloud holds a Paperwise backup. Check that you’re signed in to iCloud with the same Apple ID you used before. You can also restore later from Account → Restore from backup: see Restore from backup.

What if the recovery key doesn’t work?

Paperwise says “That recovery key doesn’t open this backup. Check it and try again.” Nothing is restored. Check for typos; the key is 32 characters. If you made a separate backup key, use that one rather than your account’s key.

What if I said Not now to the camera?

Open the Settings app, find Paperwise and allow the camera. You can still import photos and files without it.