The answer, step by step
- 01Limit the items first
The owner selects what to share instead of opening the entire vault by default.
- 02CloudKit checks participants
CloudKit manages shared records, participant identity, and read-only permission; the recipient must explicitly accept.
- 03Access is not decryption
Accepting CKShare grants ciphertext access, but the correct phrase is still required to read content.
- 04Revocation has limits
Revocation can stop future shared access, but cannot retract exported plaintext or make a disclosed phrase unknown.
How to check this claim
Use two independent Apple Accounts and a non-sensitive item. Test acceptance by the named participant, rejection for another account, inability to modify, and failed read-back after revocation. Record shared-item count and last sync time.
See the full verification protocol →What this answer does not claim
Direct answers
Can the app silently accept for the recipient?
No. The recipient must perform an explicit acceptance action.
Can family edit my items?
A read-only participant should not be able to modify or delete the owner's records.
What if the recipient still knows the phrase after revocation?
Revocation does not erase memory or copies. Knowledge of one unified phrase cannot be revoked per participant.