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How to keep your bank details ready to paste on iPhone, safely

The safest way to keep bank details ready on iPhone is to save only what you’d happily read out to a customer, such as your account name, sort code and account number, and keep it somewhere locked or private on your device. Never save card numbers, PINs, security codes or banking passwords in any snippet or notes tool. Below is what is sensible to keep, and three ways to do it.

What is fine to save, and what isn’t

If you invoice customers, split bills or take payment by bank transfer, you probably send the same details often.

Reasonable to save:

  • Account name, sort code and account number for receiving payments
  • Your business name and a payment reference format, such as “Invoice 1042”
  • A short line such as “Payment by bank transfer within 14 days, thank you!”

Don’t save anywhere:

  • Full card numbers, expiry dates or the three-digit security code
  • PINs, online banking passwords or one-time codes
  • Anything a stranger could use to take money out rather than pay money in

Account details for receiving payments are printed on invoices and cheques, so they are not secret in the same way. Still, treat them with care, and only send them to people you are actually dealing with.

1. A locked note in Notes (built in)

You can keep your details in a note and lock it, so it needs Face ID, Touch ID or a passcode to open.

  1. Open Notes and create a note with your details.
  2. Tap the More (three dots) button, then Lock, and follow the prompts to set up a password the first time.
  3. When you need the details, open the note, copy the lines you want, switch back to your chat and paste.

Good for: keeping a private reference you rarely use. The catch: it’s slow. You leave the app, unlock, select, copy, switch back and paste, every time.

2. Text Replacement (built in, but think about it)

Text Replacement turns a short code into a longer phrase. You could set a shortcut such as mybank to expand into your account details.

Go to Settings, then General, then Keyboard, then Text Replacement, and tap +.

Good for: quick typing with nothing extra to install. The catch: the full details are stored as plain phrases, and they can appear as suggestions above the keyboard whenever you type the shortcut. They also sync to your other Apple devices through iCloud. That’s convenient, but think about whether you want bank details in that list.

3. A snippet keyboard

A snippet keyboard keeps your saved items inside the keyboard, so you can insert them in any app without leaving the conversation. Handy is a keyboard for iPhone and iPad that holds the replies, links, photos and PDFs you send again and again.

To set it up:

  1. Install Handy and save your payment details as a snippet. You can also save a line of text from another app with the Share button.
  2. Go to Settings, then General, then Keyboard, then Keyboards, and tap Add New Keyboard. Choose Handy. If you haven’t done this before, this guide to adding a third-party keyboard covers each step.
  3. In Messages, WhatsApp, Mail or any app with a text field, switch to Handy and tap the snippet to insert it.

A few things about how Handy handles your data, which are worth knowing before you save anything sensitive:

  • There’s no account. Your library is stored on your device.
  • Handy saves only what you choose to save. It doesn’t read your clipboard or record what you type.
  • iCloud sync is optional, and uses your own iCloud. If you’d rather keep payment details on one device, leave it off.
  • Pro, a one-time purchase with no subscription, adds a Face ID and Touch ID lock.

Handy is free to use, with up to 20 active items, which is plenty for a few payment snippets.

Good for: details you send often, in many different apps.

Which should you use?

You want to… Use
Keep a private reference you rarely send A locked note
Expand a short code with nothing to install Text Replacement
Insert details quickly in any app, plus a PDF invoice template A snippet keyboard like Handy

If you also send the same PDF each time, such as an invoice template or price list, see how to paste a PDF or photo from your keyboard.

Tips for sending payment details safely

  • Check the chat before you paste. It’s easy to send details to the wrong person when you’re replying quickly.
  • Add a reference. “Invoice 1042” helps you match the payment when it arrives.
  • Be wary of requests to pay someone else’s account. A message that suddenly gives new bank details is a common scam. Confirm any change by phone first.
  • Keep one snippet per purpose. Separate “Bank details” and “Payment terms” are easier to find than one long block.
  • Review them now and then. If you change bank or business name, update your saved details straight away.

Saving your payment details properly takes a couple of minutes. After that, getting paid is a tap instead of a hunt through old messages.