Rules differ widely between countries and change over time. In many places, border officers can ask to inspect your phone, and refusing can mean delays, a seized device, or being denied entry if you're not a citizen.
This isn't legal advice. If you have specific concerns, speak to a lawyer who knows the destination country's rules before you travel.
Before you travel
- Bring less. The safest data is data that isn't on the device. Consider a travel phone or a freshly restored one.
- Back up and remove. Move sensitive files to a backup you can restore after arrival, then delete them from the phone.
- Turn off Face ID before the checkpoint, or press the side and volume buttons together to temporarily require your passcode.
- Update iOS before you go.
About deniable vaults and panic erase
Deniable vaults let you open the app without revealing everything in it. But lying to border officials or destroying data during an inspection can be a crime in some countries. Know the rules where you're going, and don't put yourself at legal risk because of an app feature.
After you arrive
Restore what you need from your encrypted backup, and change any passcodes you gave out.
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