Get comfortable with Pamo.
Start with one document. Learn how to scan it, find it again, and keep your vault in your hands. No filing-system overhaul required.
Start with the basics
Here for something specific?Start with your vault
Pamo gives the paperwork you need to keep a home on your phone. Before the first scan, take a moment to set up the key that keeps it private.
Create your account and finish vault setup.
Follow the sign-up screens in the app. With email sign-in, your password also unlocks your vault. With Apple or Google sign-in, you set up a separate vault passphrase.
Save your 12-word recovery phrase.
Write the words down in their exact order and keep them somewhere secure, separate from your phone. You may need them if you forget the password or passphrase that unlocks your vault.
Let Onna finish downloading.
Onna’s AI models download to your device during setup. Use a reliable connection and allow the download to finish before expecting document sorting to be ready.
Add a document
Paper on the table? A PDF in Files? A photo already on your phone? They all start from the same place.
Open “Scan a document” from Home.
The Add documents screen gives you three choices: Scan with camera, Photo library, and Choose file. Opening this screen does not immediately turn on the camera.
Choose where the document is coming from.
Use Scan with camera for paper, Photo library for an existing image, or Choose file for a supported file on your phone. For a scan, keep the page flat and well lit, then check the edges and text before accepting it.
Follow its progress.
Pamo uploads the encrypted document and sorts it in the background. It can appear in Unclassified while that work is still in progress. Open the result to check that the document is readable.
File it, then find it
You do not have to remember the exact filename. Pamo can search document text as well as the names and descriptions that help identify a file.
Check where Onna filed it.
Open Folders to browse your documents. If Onna cannot confidently classify a file, it stays in Unclassified for you to review. A document still being processed may also appear there temporarily.
Make a correction when you need to.
Open the document and tap the ⋯ menu. Choose Rename to change its title or Move to folder to choose its home. You can also create your own folders from Folders.
Search for what you remember.
Try a name, a place, a word from the document, or a description of what you need. For example, a destination can help you find a travel confirmation. Open the result and check that it is the right file.
Take it with you
When someone asks for that document, you can export the file or copy just the words you need.
Export a document.
Open the document, tap ⋯, and choose Export. Use your phone’s sharing options to save or send the file. Pamo also supports exporting a selection of documents together as a ZIP.
Copy text from a scan.
From the document’s ⋯ menu, choose Selection mode. Touch and hold a word, adjust the selection, and copy the text. Use Copy all when you need the whole extracted text.
Check the copy you are sending.
Read the extracted text before using it—text recognition can make mistakes. Confirm the recipient and the file, especially for identity or financial documents.
Keep your vault yours
Document contents are encrypted on your phone before upload. Onna reads and organizes them on your device, rather than sending their readable contents to an external AI service.
Know which secret unlocks your vault.
For email sign-in, it is your password. For Apple or Google sign-in, it is your vault passphrase. Device authentication, such as Face ID, helps protect access to the app; keep your recovery phrase safe as well.
Use the recovery flow if you forget it.
For an email account, choose Forgot password at sign-in. Follow the emailed-code steps and enter your recovery phrase when the app asks to restore vault access. Changing an account password by itself does not decrypt a locked vault.
Keep a replacement phrase up to date.
If you generate a new recovery phrase in the app’s security settings, save the new words. The previous phrase stops working. Only enter your phrase into Pamo’s own recovery flow; never send it in a support message.
When something gets stuck
A few things to try before starting over. If you still need help, tell us what you were doing and any error you saw.
Onna has not sorted my document yet.
Check that the model download finished, then reopen Pamo and check the document’s processing status. Sorting runs on your phone and can resume when you return to the app. If the file stays in Unclassified after processing, you can choose a folder yourself.
The camera or photo library will not open.
Check Pamo’s camera or photo access in your iPhone’s Settings, then return to Add documents and try the appropriate option again. Choose file is available when the document is already saved in Files.
What can I do without a connection?
Previously opened documents may be available from the device cache. Sign-in, downloads of uncached files, and changes such as adding, renaming, moving, or deleting documents need a connection. Open the files you will need before going offline; a cache is not a separate backup.
My password changed, but my vault is still locked.
Account sign-in and decrypting the vault are separate parts of recovery. Check that you entered the correct recovery phrase in its original order. A successful password reset alone cannot unlock documents encrypted with your previous secret. If you contact support, describe the message on screen without including your password, phrase, or private documents.
Let’s figure it out.
Tell us your app version, device model, and what happened. Keep passwords, verification codes, recovery phrases, and private files out of your message.
Get help with Pamo