Does Signed upload my documents anywhere?

Short answer: No. Signed is local-first: documents, signatures and initials are stored only on your iPhone. Nothing is uploaded, and there is no cloud copy on any server.

No — and this is the single biggest architectural difference between Signed and most e-signature services.

Signed is local-first: the PDF you import, the signatures you draw, your initials, the signed copies you export — all of it is stored only on your iPhone. There is no Signed cloud. Nothing is uploaded, we can't see your documents, and there's no server copy to breach, subpoena or leak.

Contrast with how most e-sign platforms work: you upload your document to their servers, they store it (often indefinitely), and their terms give them various processing rights. That's a reasonable trade for multi-party contract workflows — but for the everyday case of you signing a PDF someone sent you, uploading the most personal paperwork you own is unnecessary.

Two honest caveats: because documents live on your phone, back your phone up (standard iOS backup covers it); and the one feature that does use a server is AI signature generation — generating the signature image requires a model call. Your name goes to the generator; your documents never do.

Signed also offers an optional Face ID lock, so even someone holding your unlocked phone can't open your paperwork.