How do I choose a good PIN for a protected document vault?
A four-digit PIN looks simple, but its usefulness depends heavily on the combination you choose.
The most common mistake is using an obvious number such as 0000, 1111, 1234, a birth year, an anniversary, or another code connected directly to your personal life.
Those numbers are easy to remember, which is also why they are often among the first combinations another person might try.
A better PIN should not be easy to guess even for someone who knows you personally.
It is also a good idea for a protected-app PIN to be different from the iPhone unlock passcode. Reusing the same code weakens the separation between security layers.
Do not keep the PIN in an obvious note labeled “vault code” or somewhere physically attached to the device.
At the same time, a code you constantly forget can create its own problems — especially in an app with strict wrong-PIN behavior.
Choose a number that is not obvious to others but that you can remember reliably.
In PrivateProScanner, the additional PIN is a serious protection mechanism, and certain confirmed wrong-PIN events can activate emergency local data cleanup.
Selected PDFs can also use their own PIN, so it is important to understand the behavior before enabling that protection.
A good PIN is not “the most complicated number imaginable.” It is a non-obvious code that is different from your other access codes and reliably remembered by its owner.
Combined with system authentication and encryption, the PIN becomes one additional layer rather than the only line of defense.
Download PrivateProScanner on your iPhone or iPad — a modern scanner built with privacy in mind.
Scan documents, create PDFs, keep important files and private photos locally, and use additional protection layers including AES-256, Face ID / Touch ID, and PIN controls.
PrivateProScannerPDF Scanner · AES-256Download on the App Store →