Where to keep important documents on your phone so they're always at hand
At A&E they ask for your last report; at the garage, your insurance policy; at the airport, your boarding pass; at the shop, the warranty. They're in some email, a photo in your gallery or a Downloads folder full of names like “doc_2024 (3).pdf”. Here's how to keep them organised and at hand.
Scan it with your phone
Where they usually end up (and why it fails)
- In the gallery: the photo of your ID or receipt is mixed in with thousands of photos.
- In email: you have to remember who sent it and search with signal.
- In Downloads: impossible names and no folders.
- In the cloud: it won't open offline, and not everyone likes uploading personal papers there.
A private collection for your paperwork
In Linkalia, private collections are stored only on your phone: no account needed, nothing uploaded to any server, and they open offline. Set one up like this:
- Create a “Paperwork” collection and the categories that suit you: “Health”, “Car”, “Home”, “Insurance”, “Warranties”, “Travel”.
- Save each document with Share from wherever it is: the email attachment, the WhatsApp PDF, the file in Downloads or a photo in your gallery.
- Add a note with what you'll be asked for: policy number, expiry date, helpline number.
It takes PDFs, photos, Word documents, spreadsheets and more. Search finds by file name and by your notes, so “policy” or “MOT” brings it up instantly.
Don't lose them when you change phones
- Automatic backup to a folder on your phone or storage, free.
- Daily cloud backup, with Pro, to restore everything on a new phone.
- A trash in case you delete something by mistake.
And when you need to share them
If your partner also needs the house or car papers, you can make that collection (or another with just those documents) a Collaborative one and you'll both have it. Private stays private: you decide what's shared and with whom.
Security: what you keep in a private collection is protected by your phone's screen lock. If you store sensitive documents, make sure you have a PIN, pattern or fingerprint set up.
Frequently asked questions
Are my documents uploaded to the internet?
Not if they're in a private collection: they're stored only on your phone. They're only uploaded if you turn on cloud backup (Pro) or share that collection.
Can I open them without signal?
Yes. Private collections work offline.
What happens if I change phones?
With the automatic folder backup you can import it on the new phone; with Pro, the cloud backup lets you restore everything directly.
Your important papers, organised and at hand even without signal. Get Linkalia for free.
Scan it with your phone