Pick the file.
Open the Encrypt flow and select the file. There is no separate sign-and-encrypt screen. Signing is an option on the flow you already use.
// guide / sign-and-encrypt-in-one-step
How to sign and encrypt a file in one step.
Before AgePony 3.0 you signed, then encrypted, and sent two files. Now the signature is sealed inside the encrypted file. One .age goes out, and the ciphertext no longer tells an interceptor who signed it.
// at a glance
- Open Encrypt, pick the file
- Choose recipients
- Turn on Sign
- Pick the signing identity
- Authenticate and share one .age file
Prerequisites
- AgePony 3.0 or later (current release is 3.1.0)
- An identity to sign with
- The recipient public keys you want to encrypt to
Choose recipients.
Add the recipient public keys (age or SSH) that should be able to open the file. Anyone you list here will also see the verified signer once they decrypt.
Turn on Sign.
Enable Sign. AgePony signs the plaintext first, then encrypts both the file and the signature together, so the signature is inside the sealed envelope rather than travelling beside it.
Pick the signing identity.
Choose which of your identities signs. One thing to know: security-key identities are not offered in this combined flow. If you need to sign with a FIDO2 hardware key, use standalone signing, which produces a detached .sig alongside the file.
Authenticate and share.
Unlock the identity with your biometric or device passcode. AgePony writes a single .age file. Send that one file and nothing else. When the recipient decrypts it in AgePony, the verified signer is shown automatically.
Older signatures still verify
Detached pairs made before 3.0, a .age file plus its .age.sig, still verify normally. You do not need to re-sign anything you have already sent.
Verify it worked.
- AgePony produces one .age file and no separate .sig.
- The confirmation names the identity that signed.
- Decrypting the file in AgePony shows the verified signer without any extra step.
- The signature is not visible in the encrypted file, only after decryption.
Common questions.
Why is this better than a detached .sig?
Two reasons. You send one file instead of two, and the signature sits inside the ciphertext, so the encrypted file no longer reveals who signed it to anyone who intercepts it.
How does the recipient check the signature?
They do not have to do anything. When they decrypt in AgePony, the verified signer is shown automatically as part of the result.
Can I use a security key for this?
Not in the combined flow. Security-key identities are not offered when signing and encrypting together. Use standalone signing for those, which produces a detached .sig.
Do my old detached signatures still work?
Yes. Existing .age plus .age.sig pairs still verify. Nothing you signed before 3.0 is invalidated.
Next steps.
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