Pastor FAQ

How does the trial work?

Open More (•••) → Trial & Purchase and choose Start 30-Day Free Trial. Confirm with Apple to activate 30 days of full access. When the trial ends, nothing is charged automatically. You can choose a one-time purchase for permanent access. Existing paid customers keep full access; use Restore Purchases with the Apple Account you used to acquire Pastor if needed.

What happens to my entries when the trial ends?

You can still read, search, copy and export your saved entries. Adding, editing, deleting and importing entries require permanent access after the trial. There is no subscription.

Which export format should I use?

For transfer back into Pastor, choose More (•••) → Export Pastor CSV — All Entry Data. It preserves all entry text and recorded activity dates. Compatible CSV is intended for transfer to other apps, including Passwords on Mac. Legacy Pastor TSV remains available for older workflows. Compatible CSV and legacy TSV do not preserve activity dates. All exports are cleartext, including passwords; securely store or delete transferred copies.

How can I scan text?

When supported by the device and input field, a Scan Text icon appears on the right in the entry editor. Tap it to use Apple's camera text input and insert the selected text into that field. Check the result before saving. Unsupported devices do not show the icons.

Where is my data stored?

Your data is stored securely on your device not "somewhere in the clouds".

How do I backup my data?

Your data is automatially backed up with every regular backup of your iPhone or iPad. Backup often! Use local encrypted backup for increased security. For details see https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/back-up-iphone-iph3ecf67d29/ios

Can I copy data to my other Apple devices?

You can securely copy text from within Pastor and paste it on your other devices when Universal Clipboard is enabled. It also works in the other direction. For details see https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT209460

Text copied by tapping a field in entry details expires from that device's clipboard after two minutes. Copying something else replaces it normally. Universal Clipboard remains available according to your Apple device settings; availability on another device is controlled by Apple. This expiration applies to Pastor's tap-to-copy fields, not text copied using the editor's standard selection menu.

Can I export data as cleartext?

Open More (•••) and choose an export option. Pastor CSV — All Entry Data preserves all entry text and recorded activity dates. Compatible CSV and legacy Pastor TSV preserve entry text without activity dates. Choose All Entries or Current Results, then tap Export.

Exports include passwords in cleartext. Keep Pastor open while copying the Exported Data folder through Finder. Pastor removes its temporary device exports when it becomes inactive; you manage any copies transferred elsewhere.

How can I share exported data with my Mac?

Connect your iPhone or iPad to your Mac.
Select device in Finder.
Click Files tab.
Click triangle next to Pastor.
Your data is inside the Exported Data folder.
Copy the Exported Data folder to your Mac.
Delete folder after secure backup.

Can I use my data with the new Passwords app in iOS/iPadOS 18?

Open More (•••) → Export Passwords-Compatible CSV. Export your entries, then copy the Exported Data folder to your Mac through Finder while Pastor remains active. Open Passwords on a Mac running macOS Sequoia or later and import pastorexport.csv. The full-data Pastor CSV format is for transfer back into Pastor; choose compatible CSV for this workflow.

How can I import previously exported data from my Mac?

If you're using macOS Catalina 10.15 or later

Open Pastor on your iPhone or iPad.
Connect your iPhone or iPad to your Mac.
Select device in Finder.
Click Files tab.
Drag and drop pastorexport.csv or pastorexport.tsv (the filename is important) onto Pastor.
A dialog pops up on your iPhone or iPad asking if you want to merge or replace existing data.

If you're using macOS 10.14 Mojave or earlier

Open iTunes on your Mac.
Connect your iPhone or iPad to your Mac with the USB cable.
Start Pastor on your iPhone or iPad.
When your iPhone or iPad shows up in iTunes, select it by single-clicking its icon.
Select "File Sharing" in iTunes.
In iTunes single-click "Pastor".
Drag the file "pastorexport.csv" or "pastorexport.tsv" (the filename is important) to "Pastor Documents" in iTunes.
An alert pops up on your iPhone or iPad showing import options.

Pastor accepts its full-data CSV and supported compatible CSV. Unsupported or invalid CSV is rejected before entries change. The original file on your Mac is preserved. Cancel or successful import removes only the transferred copy in Pastor.

Can I import data from other applications?

Pastor accepts its full-data CSV, supported compatible CSV and legacy Pastor TSV. CSV from other applications may need conversion to a supported format. Invalid or unsupported CSV is rejected before entries change.

For a legacy TSV workflow: The data needs to be a tab-separated values (TSV) text file. Each record is one line of the text file. Each field value of a record is separated from the next by a tab character. Field ordering is "record name", "URL", "user name", "password", "notes". The file needs to be named pastorexport.tsv. Follow the steps above for transferring the data to your iPhone or iPad.
If some characters look wrong make sure the file is encoded as "Western (Mac OS Roman)".

I've deleted Pastor, now all my data is gone!

Restore from backup. For details see https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/restore-all-content-from-a-backup-iph1624229a/ios

How secure is my data?

This depends on you! If you haven't set a passcode (password) on your iPhone or iPad then your data isn't protected at all. By the way, this is also true for other applications, for example Mail or Notes.

If you've set a passcode for your iPhone or iPad then your data is protected by state-of-the-art 256-bit AES software and hardware encryption each time your iPhone or iPad is locked. The level of security only depends on how easy your passcode can be guessed. Find out more about iOS security in this white paper (PDF) by Apple.

Here's an interesting article (PDF) showing how Pastor Reader's device passcode security concept compares to other password management apps.

How do I set a passcode (password) to protect my data?

On your iPhone or iPad go to "Settings > Touch/Face ID & Passcode" and tap "Turn Passcode On". Enter a passcode.

What are the most secure settings for my iPhone or iPad?

Settings >Touch/Face ID & Passcode > Require Passcode > Immediately
Settings >Touch/Face ID & Passcode > Turn Passcode On > Passcode Options > Custom Alphanumeric Code
Settings >Touch/Face ID & Passcode > Erase Data > On
Settings > Display & Brightness > Auto-Lock > 30 Seconds

Always lock your iPhone or iPad after use by pressing the Sleep/Wake button.

I've read that the iPhone or iPad can be cracked within seconds?

That's misleading information. Weak passcodes (passwords) can be cracked within seconds or even milliseconds. This doesn't mean the underlying security system has been compromised.

Think of a safe that has a numeric lock that uses only a single number from 0 to 9. You'll be able to guess the correct number for unlocking the safe within seconds. If the lock would require several numbers or even characters and symbols then it would be very time consuming to guess the passcode. The same applies to your iPhone or iPad.

A 4 digit passcode protects you from casual access to your device but if someone with the right knowledge and the right tools wants to get to your data then it will take him only seconds to do so. But, if your passcode consists of several digits, symbols, lowercase and uppercase letters then it gets increasingly time consuming to guess your passcode. Here's some additional information how a secure passcode should look like.

I've read the whole FAQ but still have questions

Please send a support request.