Guide
How to password-protect a ZIP file
Open the ZIP in Anyfile’s archive opener, choose Archive › Add a password…, type it twice and download: every file inside is then encrypted, with strong AES-256 by default. Neither Windows nor macOS can do this from their own menus, though a Mac can in Terminal.
Step by step
Make the ZIP, or open the one you have
Drop an existing ZIP on the archive opener. To start from loose files, click New file on that page and choose ZIP of your files, or zip a folder first with your computer’s own Compress command.
Choose Add a password…
In the Archive menu, choose Add a password… (it’s also the Password button on the toolbar). Type the password in Password and again in Again.
Pick the kind of encryption
Under Encryption (ZIP), AES-256 is strong and opens in 7-Zip, WinZip, Keka and The Unarchiver. ZipCrypto is weak, but Finder and Windows open it with no extra app. Choose by who will open it, then press Set password.
Download the protected ZIP
Press Download. Files added to the archive later are protected with the same password. Keep the password somewhere safe: it can’t be recovered.
A ZIP’s password protects what’s in the files, not their names: anyone can still see the list. To hide the names too, save it as 7z instead, open Add a password… again and tick Hide file names too (7z). People then need the password even to see what’s inside.
Tar and tar.gz archives can’t hold a password at all, so if you add one to those, the dialog asks you to save as ZIP or 7z. Nothing loses its protection without you choosing it: removing a password works through the same menu.
Nothing is uploaded: your browser reads the file and makes the new one on your device. See how it works, and how to check.
Other ways to do it
Windows. File Explorer can make ZIPs but not protect them. The free 7-Zip can: right-click the files, choose 7-Zip › Add to archive…, and type a password with AES-256 encryption.
Mac. Finder’s Compress has no password option. In Terminal, zip -e archive.zip file asks for a password, but it uses the weak ZipCrypto kind. Keka, a free app, makes AES-256 ZIPs and 7z files with passwords.
Office files and PDFs. If it’s a single document, a password on the document itself may suit better: Word and Excel have their own, and PDFs can have one too.
When Anyfile is quicker
Anyfile is quicker on a computer where you can’t install 7-Zip or Keka, on a Chromebook, or when you just need one protected ZIP today. If you protect archives every week on your own PC, 7-Zip’s right-click menu is hard to beat.
Questions
Which encryption should I choose?
AES-256 if the person has 7-Zip, WinZip, Keka or The Unarchiver. ZipCrypto only when they must open it with Finder or Windows alone, and the contents aren’t sensitive.
What if I forget the password?
It can’t be recovered or reset, by Anyfile or anyone else. Keep a copy of the files, or the password, somewhere safe.
Can I remove a password later?
Yes. Open the archive, type the password when asked, and use the same menu to remove it, then download.
Is my password sent anywhere?
No. The files are encrypted by your browser, on your device; neither they nor the password leave it.