Guide
Are phone photos enough to show what state a car was in?
Photos help, and they're worth taking. On their own, though, they can't show which set you and your customer agreed, or whether one was swapped later. KeySigned puts the photos and both signatures into one record, sealed so any later change shows, and your customer can check it with the evidence pack.
Coming soon to the App Store
See a sealed record checkedFrom launch: a two-week free trial for new subscribers, then £14.99 a month or £119.99 a year, VAT included, until you cancel. iPhone with iOS 17 or later.
What photos do well
A clear photo shows a mark, where it is and roughly how big it is. Take a wide shot of each side and a close-up of each existing mark, in good, even light, with something in the frame for scale. It's a good habit for every car you take in.
What photos can't show on their own
- Which set you and your customer agreed. A camera roll holds every shot, including the ones you didn't use.
- That none was swapped or removed afterwards.
- That your customer saw them and agreed. A photo carries no signature.
Photos sent in a chat
If you photograph the car and send the pictures on WhatsApp or by text, that's quick, and it's better than nothing. What a chat can't hold is the agreement: your customer hasn't signed anything, and nothing ties those photos into one set you both saw.
You can keep using the chat. KeySigned sends your customer their copy by WhatsApp, email, iMessage or AirDrop: the record page and the .zip evidence pack, which also holds the signed PDF.
What a signed paper sheet adds
A condition sheet your customer signs adds their agreement. Its weak point is the version. A folder of photos or a paper sheet can't show, on its own, which version was signed. A KeySigned pack can, as long as your customer has a copy.
Photos in a chat, or a KeySigned record
| What it covers | Photos in a chat | KeySigned |
|---|---|---|
| Your customer agrees to them | Only if they reply in the chat | You both sign the record on your iPhone |
| Which photos were agreed | Not shown on their own | The record names every photo, and both signatures cover them |
| A later change shows | Not on their own | Yes: change one pixel or one mileage figure and the seal breaks |
| Damage | Written in a message, if you write it | Marked on the photos of that car, with close-ups |
| Photo checks | None from the chat | Tells you when a shot is too dark, blurred or blocked |
| Your customer checks it later | By scrolling back through the chat | With the evidence pack, in an up-to-date browser. Nothing is uploaded |
| Where the time comes from | The phone that took it, and the time shown on each message | The phone's clock too: it isn't a trusted timestamp |
| Cost | Nothing extra | From launch: £14.99 a month or £119.99 a year, VAT included, however many handovers you record. Two-week free trial for new subscribers, then it renews until you cancel |
What sealing adds
Once you've both signed, KeySigned fingerprints every photo, mark and reading and seals them with a key held on your iPhone. Change one pixel or one mileage figure later and the seal breaks.
Your customer gets the record page and the .zip evidence pack. They check the record with the evidence pack in an up-to-date browser at keysigned.app/verify. Nothing is uploaded and they don't need an account.
Try it now: check a sealed demonstration record, then an altered copy of it, and watch the check fail.
Timestamp camera apps
Some camera apps print the time and place on every photo, and some check the time against the network. That helps show when a photo was taken. KeySigned's time comes from the phone's clock. What KeySigned adds is the agreement: you both sign, the record is sealed, and your customer can check it with the evidence pack.
What sealing does not do
- It isn't a trusted timestamp: the time comes from the phone.
- It isn't an identity check. It can't tell who drew a signature, which is why you both sign in person.
- It shows a later change, but it can't prevent one, or stop a file being deleted.
- It isn't a legal guarantee.
Signatures and the law
Electronic signatures can be admitted as evidence in UK courts (Electronic Communications Act 2000, s.7). How much weight they carry is for the court.
Last checked 28 October 2026.
This is general information, not legal advice. If a claim is live, take proper advice on it.
How it works
Demonstration record, shortened. The car and some screens are illustrations.
The walk-round
You and your customer walk round the car together. KeySigned guides you to eight photos, one from each angle, and checks each for focus, light and framing. You mark any existing damage on the photos of that car and add a close-up.
Two signatures
You sign, then hand the iPhone to your customer, who signs the same version of the record. Any change after signing needs fresh signatures from you both.
The seal
KeySigned seals the record with a key held on your iPhone. Any later change to a photo, mark or signature shows when the record is checked. Your customer gets the record page and the .zip evidence pack, and checks the .zip in an up-to-date browser at keysigned.app/verify. Records stay on your iPhone and aren't backed up, so export the ones you need.
Each opens the checker with a demonstration record. Nothing is uploaded.
Pricing
Solo, from launch
£14.99 a month
or £119.99 a year, VAT included. Two-week free trial for new subscribers, then it renews automatically until you cancel. To avoid a charge, cancel at least 24 hours before the trial or a renewal ends: in iPhone Settings, tap your name, then Subscriptions. Covers the Apple Account that subscribes.
Coming soon to the App Store
- Handovers in progress
- Without an active plan, you can still finish, sign and seal a handover within 48 hours of starting it. After that, it needs a plan to sign and seal, and it waits on your iPhone until then.
- Return legs
- The return leg of a car you've already collected is never charged.
- Your records
- Records you've already sealed stay readable, checkable and exportable whatever happens to your plan.
Questions
Are photos enough on their own?
They help, and they're worth taking. On their own they can't show which set was agreed, or whether one was swapped. A record you both sign, sealed so any later change shows, adds that.
Can I still send photos on WhatsApp?
Yes. KeySigned sends your customer their copy by WhatsApp, email, iMessage or AirDrop: the record page and the .zip evidence pack, which also holds the signed PDF.
Where does KeySigned's time come from?
From the iPhone's clock. The seal shows whether anything changed after you both signed. It isn't a trusted timestamp.
Does my customer need the app?
No. You send them the record page and the .zip evidence pack. They open the checker at keysigned.app/verify in an up-to-date browser and add the .zip. Nothing is uploaded, and they need no account.
Talk to us about your business
KeySigned is coming soon to the App Store. Questions about using it in your business? Email [email protected].