Bring the file into AgePony.
Share the .age file into AgePony from Files, Mail, or any app, or paste an armored block directly into the Decrypt screen.
// guide / decrypt-age-file-on-mobile
How to decrypt an age file on your phone.
Received a .age file? AgePony opens it with whichever identity matches — a key in the app, one in the Secure Enclave, or one on a hardware security key.
// at a glance
- Share the .age file into AgePony
- Choose Decrypt
- Select your identity
- Unlock with biometrics
- Read or save the result
Prerequisites
- AgePony installed
- The encrypted .age file
- An identity that matches one of the file's recipients
Choose Decrypt.
AgePony detects that the input is an age file and offers to decrypt it. Armored and binary files are both handled automatically.
Select the identity to use.
Pick the identity that matches. If you only have one, AgePony uses it. Hardware-backed identities (Secure Enclave or security key) appear here too.
Unlock and decrypt.
Authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or your device biometric. AgePony unwraps the file key and decrypts the payload.
Read or save the result.
View the decrypted text in-app, or save the decrypted file back to Files. If the file was a bundle, you will get a bundle.tar to extract.
Verify it worked.
- AgePony shows which recipient your identity matched.
- The decrypted content opens cleanly.
- For passphrase files, AgePony prompts for the passphrase instead of an identity.
Common questions.
What if no identity matches?
The file was not encrypted to any key you hold. Confirm the sender used your correct public key, or ask them to re-encrypt.
Can I decrypt passphrase-protected files?
Yes — AgePony detects scrypt passphrase files and asks for the passphrase.
Does decryption happen on-device?
Always. AgePony never sends your file or keys anywhere; there is no server.
What about a bundle of files?
Decrypting a .tar.age yields a bundle.tar containing the original files, which you can extract on any device.
Next steps.
Get AgePony
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