Start with the file you want to protect
On iOS 26, Preview can add a password to a PDF. Open the file, use the menu beside its name, and choose Lock.
Decide whether you need to send one protected document or keep a private collection on your phone. Start with a harmless sample so you can check the complete path before handling a sensitive file.
Set the password in Preview
Enable Require Password, enter matching values in Password and Verify, then finish with Done.
Choose a unique password and save it somewhere you can access independently of this PDF. These instructions follow Apple’s iOS 26 guide; use the version selector in the linked guide if your controls differ.
Check the exact copy you will send
Close the document and open the saved copy again. Check that it requests the password before showing the contents. Then test the actual exported attachment in the recipient’s PDF reader, using your sample first.
Send the password through a separate channel. Review the filename as well: a password should not be your only protection for information written in the name. A recipient who can read the document may still make a readable copy.
What changes when you keep a PDF in Veil?
Veil stores an encrypted copy inside a space opened with your pattern. That protects the stored collection; it does not add a new PDF password when you export a document.
If the original PDF was readable without a password, exporting it from Veil produces a readable copy outside the space. Apply PDF-level protection separately when the attachment itself needs a password. Importing into Veil does not remove copies already in Files, Mail or another service.
Keep the three credentials separate
Your PDF password opens the protected document. Your Veil pattern opens its space. The recovery code is used with a matching Veil backup. One credential does not replace another.
Before replacing or deleting anything, check that the document opens and that you have a usable recovery copy. Keep the PDF password available separately from the document; keep the Veil recovery code separately from its backup.
Choose the next step
For a single password-protected attachment, start with Preview and verify the delivered file. For a private collection of documents, use Veil’s folders, search and encrypted backups, then check each imported file.
You can use both approaches. Base the choice on where the document needs to stay protected: while stored in your space, after export, or both.