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Encrypt files on your device before they enter the cloud-sync folder. A practical setup is to install the storage service’s desktop sync client, create a Cryptomator vault inside that synchronized folder, and add files through Cryptomator. The provider then uploads encrypted vault data rather than ordinary readable files.
This is client-side encryption. It is different from a provider’s normal encryption at rest: the provider still encrypts its servers, but client-side encryption means you control the key and the provider receives ciphertext. The trade-off is responsibility. If you lose the vault password and recovery information, the files may be unrecoverable.
What encrypting before upload actually changes
With ordinary cloud storage, a file can be readable on your computer before upload and may be readable by service-side systems during processing, even when the provider encrypts its disks and network connections. Client-side encryption changes the order of operations: your device encrypts the file first, then the sync client uploads the encrypted result.
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Google Cloud describes this distinction clearly. Its standard service-side encryption protects stored data by default, while a customer using client-side encryption encrypts data before transmission and manages the keys. Google Cloud says it does not know the customer’s client-side keys. When client-encrypted data is downloaded, the provider’s own server-side layer is removed, but the customer still has to decrypt the remaining client-side layer.
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| Protection model | Where encryption happens | Who controls the decryption key | What you need to access plaintext |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider-managed encryption at rest | Inside the provider’s service after or during upload | Usually the provider | Your storage account and the provider’s normal apps or web interface |
| Client-side encryption | On your device before upload | You or your organization | The encryption application, vault password, and synchronized encrypted data |
| Both layers together | On your device and again on the provider’s servers | You control the client key; the provider controls its server-side layer | Your client key plus the account and app needed to retrieve the data |
Cloud providers commonly encrypt network traffic as well as stored data. Google Cloud documents AES-256 encryption at rest and TLS/HTTPS in transit. Those protections are valuable, but they do not by themselves make the provider unable to receive readable files. A personal free Drive account should also not be assumed to include Google Workspace’s organizational Client-side Encryption feature; that feature requires a Workspace account and administrator enablement.
What you need before starting
- A local sync client. Install the desktop application for the cloud service you intend to use. This creates a folder on the computer that is synchronized with your online account. A browser-only upload workflow does not provide the local synchronized location used in this guide.
- Cryptomator for each device that must open the files. Cryptomator is an encryption application, not a cloud-sync provider. Its setup wizard lets you place a vault in a folder that another application synchronizes.
- A strong, unique vault password. Do not reuse your email, cloud-account, or device password. Anyone who obtains the vault password can attempt to open the vault.
- A separately stored recovery key. Generate the recovery key when the vault is created. Keep it somewhere protected and independent of the synchronized vault folder; the recovery key can reset the vault password and must be treated like a password.
- A compatibility check. Cryptomator’s supported-services list is platform-specific and can change. Confirm that your particular storage service, operating system, and device combination is supported before moving important data.
- An independent backup plan. Encryption protects confidentiality, not availability. Keep another copy of irreplaceable files and of your recovery information.
Free storage quotas, features, and terms vary by service and can change. This workflow does not depend on a particular quota, so check the current terms of the service you choose rather than relying on an old allowance.
Step-by-step: create an encrypted cloud folder
1. Install and configure the cloud service’s sync application
- Sign in to the cloud-storage service’s official desktop sync application.
- During setup, note the exact local folder that the application synchronizes. If you can choose its location, use a drive with enough free space for the encrypted vault and temporary file activity.
- Let the client finish its initial setup. Verify that a small test file placed in the folder appears in the service’s web interface. Delete the test file after confirming synchronization.
Do not create the vault in an arbitrary folder and assume it will reach the cloud. Only the folder covered by the provider’s sync rules is part of this workflow.
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- Open Cryptomator and choose the command to add or create a vault.
- Select a new vault and choose a location inside the cloud-sync folder you identified in the previous step. Give the vault a recognizable local name, but do not put sensitive information in the name itself.
- Read the wizard’s notice that Cryptomator supplies encryption while the separate sync application transfers the vault data.
- Finish the creation process. Cryptomator creates the vault’s encrypted files and configuration in the synchronized location.
The vault is not a second cloud service. The storage provider sees a collection of encrypted vault data because its own client is still responsible for uploading and downloading those files.
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3. Set the password and protect the recovery key
- Choose a long password that is unique to this vault. A password manager or an offline written copy kept in a secure place can help you preserve it, but do not store the only copy inside the vault it unlocks.
- Generate the recovery key offered by Cryptomator and save it in a separate secure location. Do not place it beside the vault in the same synchronized folder.
- Confirm that you can locate the recovery information without opening the vault. Treat anyone who can read it as someone who may be able to reset the vault password.
Cryptomator derives the vault’s protection from the password. A forgotten password is not equivalent to a forgotten cloud-account password: the storage provider generally cannot reset the encryption for you.
4. Unlock the vault and add files through its decrypted view
- In Cryptomator, select the new vault and choose Unlock.
- Enter the vault password. The application presents a decrypted, mounted location in your file manager.
- Copy or save files into that mounted location, not into the encrypted vault’s internal files and not into the cloud provider’s ordinary root folder.
- Close files when finished and lock the vault when you no longer need plaintext access.
Cryptomator encrypts file contents and names and obfuscates the directory structure. Someone browsing the synchronized folder should not see your ordinary filenames or folder hierarchy. The provider still sees account and synchronization metadata, such as the existence and changing size of encrypted objects.
5. Wait for synchronization to finish
- Leave the cloud sync client running until it reports that the vault folder is fully synchronized.
- Do not shut down the computer, disconnect the network, or move the vault while large changes are still uploading.
- Check the provider’s web interface only to confirm that encrypted vault data is present. You should not expect the provider’s web file viewer to display the plaintext files.
Many small changes inside a vault can produce multiple encrypted updates. Allow extra time after editing a large set of files, and do not mistake a visible local change for a completed cloud upload.
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6. Verify access on another device
- Install the same cloud service’s sync client on the second device and allow the encrypted vault folder to download completely.
- Install Cryptomator and use its add-existing-vault command to point at the synchronized vault.
- Unlock it with the vault password and open several test files.
- Make a small, noncritical change, lock the vault, and confirm that the change synchronizes back to the first device.
Do this test before deleting originals. It confirms that the password, device support, sync configuration, and vault data all work together.
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7. Remove unencrypted working copies deliberately
Once the second-device test succeeds, search your computer for duplicate plaintext copies in Downloads, temporary folders, desktop folders, application export directories, and recycle bins. Delete only copies you have positively identified and only after confirming that the encrypted vault and an independent backup contain what you need. Encryption does not retroactively protect a plaintext copy left outside the vault.
What the provider can and cannot see
The provider receives encrypted vault data rather than the readable contents, ordinary filenames, or the original directory structure. It can still see that your account is active, that a vault occupies storage, when synchronization occurs, and how encrypted objects change in size. Client-side encryption is therefore a confidentiality measure for stored file contents, not anonymity.
It also does not protect a plaintext file while you are using it. When the vault is unlocked, an infected computer, malicious browser extension, remote-access tool, or another process with sufficient permissions may read the mounted files or capture what you type. Cryptomator’s security documentation explicitly describes this local-malware boundary.
- Keep the operating system and security software updated.
- Lock the vault when you finish working.
- Avoid opening sensitive files on shared or untrusted computers.
- Use a separate device account with a strong login password and screen lock.
- Be cautious when sharing decrypted files with other applications.
Recovery: passwords, keys, and damaged vaults
If you forget the vault password
Use the recovery key through Cryptomator’s password-recovery function. Store the key separately from the vault and protect it from unauthorized access. If both the password and recovery key are lost, neither the cloud provider nor the sync client can decrypt the files for you.
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If the recovery key is lost
Do not assume that a working unlocked session replaces the recovery key. Create and store a new secure copy while you still know the password, following Cryptomator’s current recovery-key procedure. Keep at least one copy outside the cloud account whose data it protects.
If vault files or configuration data are missing
Do not delete or rename unfamiliar vault files while troubleshooting. Cryptomator’s recovery guidance notes that missing configuration information can limit what can be recovered, and its vault format has specific requirements. Restore the complete vault folder from a known-good backup before experimenting with repair steps.
Use a test vault first
Create a small vault containing disposable files and practice unlocking it on every device you plan to use. Test password recovery, a fresh sync, and restoration from your independent backup. This exposes compatibility and recovery problems before they affect valuable data.
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Check the service and platform combination
Cloud-service support is not universal. A service that works with Cryptomator on one operating system may have different behavior or availability on another. Consult Cryptomator’s current supported-cloud-services table for the exact provider and device combination, and repeat the check after major app or operating-system changes.
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Understand sharing limits
A password-protected vault is simplest for one person or a small, informed group. Sharing requires a secure method for giving authorized users the vault password, plus a process for deciding who may edit files and how quickly access is revoked. Send the password through a secure channel rather than placing it in the same cloud folder or an ordinary shared document.
Recipients need the encryption application, access to the synchronized vault, and the password. A provider’s normal “share link” feature does not automatically give recipients a way to decrypt the vault. For frequent multi-person editing, coordinate locking, synchronization timing, and conflict handling before making the vault a shared workspace.
Common problems and fixes
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The vault appears locally but not online | The vault was created outside the synchronized folder, or uploading is incomplete | Check the vault’s exact path, move it only through a careful backup-and-restore process, and wait for the sync client to report completion. |
| Files are visible in the cloud but cannot be opened there | The provider sees encrypted vault data, not ordinary documents | Download or synchronize the complete vault, open it in Cryptomator, and unlock it locally. |
| A second device shows an incomplete vault | Synchronization has not finished, selective-sync rules excluded files, or the local disk lacks space | Pause work, confirm the complete vault folder is selected for sync, free local space, and wait until the client reports completion. |
| Recent edits conflict or disappear | Two devices edited or synchronized the vault at the same time, or a file was moved during upload | Stop editing on all devices, preserve conflict copies, allow synchronization to settle, and restore from the newest known-good backup if necessary. |
| The password is rejected | Wrong vault selected, typing error, or forgotten password | Confirm the vault path and keyboard layout, then use the separately stored recovery key. Do not repeatedly alter vault files manually. |
| A file is still readable outside the vault | An original, export, thumbnail, or temporary copy remains on the device | Identify the application that created the copy, remove it securely after verification, and review where future exports are saved. |
| Files were readable while the vault was open on an infected device | Client-side encryption does not protect plaintext in active memory or the mounted location | Disconnect the device, investigate and clean or reinstall it, change credentials from a trusted device, and restore from a known-good encrypted backup. |
Choosing between provider encryption and a client-side vault
| Decision factor | Provider-managed encryption | Client-side vault in free cloud storage |
|---|---|---|
| Key custody | The provider manages the normal encryption layer and account recovery. | You manage the vault password and recovery key. |
| Setup | Usually works immediately through the provider’s web and mobile apps. | Requires a sync client, Cryptomator, a vault, and device-specific setup. |
| Plaintext access | Provider-native apps generally open files directly. | Each device needs the encryption app and an unlocked vault. |
| Recovery | Account recovery may be handled by the provider. | Lost password and recovery information can make files unreadable. |
| Provider visibility | The provider’s systems may handle readable content while applying server-side controls. | The provider receives encrypted vault data and cannot use your client key to decrypt it. |
| Collaboration | Built-in sharing is usually simpler. | Users must obtain the app, vault, and password through a secure process. |
| Backup protection | Encryption does not itself create an independent backup. | Encryption still does not replace versioned or offline backups. |
Choose the client-side workflow when preventing the storage provider from receiving readable file contents is more important than effortless browser access and provider-managed recovery. Choose ordinary provider encryption when convenience, broad collaboration, and account recovery matter more and the provider’s trust model is acceptable. You can also use both: client-side encryption for the most sensitive files and the provider’s standard protection for less sensitive material.
Quick Recap
Safe operating checklist
- Confirm the vault is inside the actual synchronized folder.
- Use a unique password and store the recovery key separately.
- Unlock only on devices you control and trust.
- Lock the vault when finished.
- Wait for synchronization to complete before shutting down or switching devices.
- Keep an independent backup of irreplaceable originals and recovery information.
- Test restoration periodically with a noncritical vault.
- Review the current Cryptomator compatibility list after changing services, devices, or operating systems.
- Remember that encryption does not prevent account takeover, unsafe sharing, malware access while unlocked, accidental deletion, or synchronization conflicts.
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