How to password-protect a PDF on iPhone

Email is a poor place for a scanned ID, a tax form or a medical record: messages get forwarded and inboxes get breached. A password on the PDF means a copy that escapes is useless without it.

This is a ScanMojo Pro tool: $39.99 a year with a 7-day free trial, or $6.99 a month (U.S. prices). Scanning and PDF export stay free.

  1. 1

    Open Tools › Protect PDF

    Choose a document in ScanMojo or a PDF from Files. Or, from a document, tap Share › PDF with Password.

  2. 2

    Set a password

    Use something the recipient doesn't have to guess, but others can't.

  3. 3

    Send the PDF

    Share it by email or messages as usual.

  4. 4

    Send the password separately

    Tell the recipient the password another way, like a phone call or a text, not in the same email.

Choosing a password

Long beats clever: three or four unrelated words are stronger than a short password with symbols, and easier to read out over the phone.

Questions

Can I protect a PDF I didn't scan?

Yes. Protect PDF works on PDFs from Files, too.

Is this free?

Password-protecting PDFs is part of ScanMojo Pro.

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