Photos & files
Photos and documents often carry more than they appear to: location tags, timestamps, and device details ride along inside the file. Cloud storage can also mean a company holds a readable copy. These guides cover stripping hidden metadata, sharing files without handing over the keys, and choosing storage that encrypts your data so only you can open it.
Tools compared
Who holds the keys to your files?
- Google Photos / Drive
Google holds the keys and scans content (including for CSAM). Convenient, but your files are readable to the provider.
- iCloud Photos (default)
By default Apple can access your photos, so they are scannable server-side.
- Dropbox
Encrypted in transit and at rest, but Dropbox holds the keys and can read or hand over files.
- iCloud + Advanced Data ProtectionVisitsupport.apple.com
Turning on Advanced Data Protection makes Photos, Backup and most iCloud categories end-to-end encrypted, so even Apple can't read them.
- CryptomatorVisitcryptomator.org
Free, open-source client-side encryption you layer over any cloud (Drive, Dropbox), so the provider only ever sees encrypted blobs.
- Proton DriveVisitproton.me
End-to-end encrypted file storage and sharing from the Proton ecosystem.
- EnteVisitente.io
Open-source, end-to-end encrypted photo storage; a private alternative to Google or Apple Photos.
Verified July 2026 and not exhaustive. “Readable by the provider” means the content can, in principle, be scanned or handed over. We take no money from any product listed here; where a tool sits can change, so check its current documentation.
Guides
- Share files without handing over the keys How to send files so that only your recipient can open them, using end-to-end encrypted sharing, expiring links, peer-to-peer transfer, and encrypt-before-upload tools.
- Strip hidden data from your photos before sharing How to find and remove the hidden metadata (GPS location, timestamps, device details) that your photos carry, on iPhone, Android, Windows, and macOS.
- Choose cloud storage that can't read your files What zero-knowledge cloud storage is, how Proton Drive, Tresorit, Ente, and Filen compare with Google Drive, Dropbox, and iCloud, and how to migrate.