What recipients and our server see
The person you send a link to doesn’t need Paperwise, an account or an iPhone. Here is what they see when they open it, and what our server learns along the way.
What it is
A share link opens a simple web page, the viewer. It works in any modern browser on a phone or a computer. The page downloads the encrypted document, unlocks it in the browser with the key that’s inside the link, and shows it.
If the person has Paperwise on their iPhone or iPad, the link opens straight in the app instead.
When to use it
Read this before you share something important, so you know what the other person can do with it, and so you can explain it to them.
Step by step
Opening a link in a browser
- The person taps or pastes the link. A page titled Shared document opens and checks the link.
- It shows how long is left and the size, for example “Expires in 3 days · 2 of 5 opens left · 1.2 MB”.
- If the link needs a password, a Passphrase field appears (“The sender protected this document with a passphrase.”). They type the password you gave them.
- They tap Open document. Opening counts as one of the opens, so a page that only previews the link in a chat app doesn’t use one up.
- With a password, unlocking takes a few seconds (“Unlocking… this takes a few seconds.”).
- The document appears in the page under its title, which also becomes the browser tab’s name: a PDF page by page, an image, or text. A Download button (for example Download PDF) saves a copy under its file name.
An Open in Paperwise button is there too, for people who have the app.
Opening a link in Paperwise
If Paperwise is installed, the link opens in the app:
- A sheet says “A document was shared with you”, with the Passphrase field if one is needed.
- They tap Open. (“Opening counts as one of its opens.”)
- They see the title, the type, the size and the file name, a preview and Save to Paperwise. Saving offers Vault, A folder… or Hidden.
The app decrypts it on their iPhone, like the browser does.
When the link doesn’t open
| What they see | Why |
|---|---|
| This link has expired | Its time is up. |
| This link has been used up | It reached its open limit. |
| This link is locked | Ten wrong passwords were typed. |
| This link isn’t available | You turned it off, or the link is wrong. |
| This link is incomplete | The part after #, which holds the key, is missing. Copy the whole link again. |
| “That passphrase isn’t right. 3 attempts left before the link locks.” | A wrong password; the count goes down with each try. |
In the app, a link that’s gone always says the same thing (“It may have expired, reached its open limit, or been turned off by the sender.”), so the reason isn’t given away.
Free and Pro
Making links is part of Pro. Opening one is free for everyone, with or without Paperwise.
Privacy
What the person who opens it can do. Anyone who has the whole link (and the password, if you set one) can open the document until the link expires, reaches its open limit or is turned off. They can save a copy, print it, or screenshot it. Turning the link off stops future opens, not copies already made.
What they see besides the document. Its title and its file name: the original name for a file, and a name made from the title for a scan, a note or a card. That’s true for an item in Hidden too. Rename it first if the title says more than you want to share.
What our server sees.
| We can see | We can’t see |
|---|---|
| The size of the encrypted file | The document |
| When it expires, how many times it was opened, and failed password attempts | Its title |
| Which install or account made the link | The link’s key |
| IP addresses, for a moment, to limit how often links can be opened (not stored) | The password |
How that works:
- The key is in the part of the link after
#. Browsers never send that part to any server, so it never reaches us. - A password is stretched in the browser or the app and combined with the link’s key. Our server keeps only a check value made from the password and the link’s key together, so it can refuse a wrong password without learning it, and its records can’t be used to guess it.
- The viewer is a single page with no cookies, no analytics and no third-party scripts.
- Opening links is rate limited, per network address, to slow down guessing.
How long the encrypted file stays. It’s deleted at once when you turn the link off, about 3 minutes after the last allowed open or a lock, and up to about 24 hours after it expires.
Full details are in the security whitepaper.
Tips
- Tell the person to copy the whole link, including everything after
#. If the end of the link gets lost when it’s copied, “This link is incomplete” appears. - Send the password through a different channel than the link: say it on the phone, or use another app.
- If someone sees This link is locked or This link has been used up, make a new link; old ones can’t be reopened.
What if…
What if the PDF doesn’t show in their browser?
They’ll see “This PDF can’t be shown here. Download it instead.” The Download button still works.
What if they open the link on an iPhone without Paperwise?
It opens in the browser, no app needed.
What if the link opens in Paperwise but they’d rather use the browser?
If the app can’t open it, it offers Open in Safari. Otherwise they can paste the link into a browser.
What if they’re told to wait and try again?
“Too many attempts. Wait a minute and try again.” means the rate limit kicked in. Waiting a minute is enough.
Related
Still stuck? Write to support@paperwise.app.