Blog
Windows doesn't let you password protect a file without BitLocker (Pro only). macOS doesn't let you password protect individual files without creating a disk image. iPhone and Android don't have built-in file locking at all.
Every operating system expects you to either buy premium software or learn command-line tools to do something that should be simple: put a password on a file so nobody else can open it.
Here's how to do it in 10 seconds, on any device, for free.
To unlock later: open the tool, switch to "Decrypt File," drop in the .enc file, enter the password, get the original file back.
Password protect any file. Any type, any size. Free.
Protect a File Now →Some file formats have their own built-in password features. Others don't. Here's how it breaks down:
| File Type | Built-in Password Option? | This Tool |
|---|---|---|
| ~Some PDF editors (paid) | ✓ Encrypts entire file | |
| Word/Excel/PowerPoint | ✓ Built into Office | ✓ Also works (encrypts entire file) |
| JPG/PNG images | ✗ No built-in option | ✓ Yes |
| MP4/MOV videos | ✗ No built-in option | ✓ Yes |
| ZIP archive | ✓ Some ZIP tools offer it | ✓ Also works |
| CSV/JSON/TXT | ✗ No built-in option | ✓ Yes |
| HTML/XML files | ✗ No built-in option | ✓ Yes |
| Any other file | Varies | ✓ Yes — any file works |
The advantage of using this tool over format-specific password features: it works on everything. You don't need to figure out whether your file type supports passwords. You don't need different tools for different formats. One tool, one process, any file.
Windows has EFS (Encrypting File System) and BitLocker. EFS is only available on Windows Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions — not Windows Home, which is what most people have. BitLocker encrypts entire drives, not individual files. Neither is a simple "right-click, set password" solution.
macOS lets you create encrypted disk images (.dmg) with Disk Utility, which is clunky. You can also encrypt PDFs in Preview. But there's no native "password protect this file" option for arbitrary file types.
Neither iOS nor Android has a built-in way to password protect individual files. You can lock apps or use secure folders (Samsung Secure Folder, for example), but these protect access to the device, not the file itself. If someone copies the file to a computer, those locks don't follow it.
A browser-based tool works on all of these platforms because it runs in the browser, not the operating system. Same tool, same process, any device. See our platform-specific encryption guide for more detail on each OS.
| Method | What It Does | Protects Against |
|---|---|---|
| Password-protecting a file (this tool) | Encrypts the file contents with AES-256 | Anyone without the password — device theft, cloud breach, unauthorized access |
| Zip with password (WinZip/7-Zip) | Compresses + encrypts files in a ZIP | Similar, but older ZIP encryption can be weak. 7-Zip AES is strong. |
| BitLocker / FileVault | Encrypts the entire drive | Device theft (but all files are open when you are logged in) |
| Secure folder (Samsung/iOS) | App-level lock on a folder | Casual snooping on your phone (but files are not encrypted on disk) |
| Cloud storage encryption | Provider encrypts files on their servers | External hackers (but the provider holds the key) |
Password-protecting individual files gives you control over which files are protected and who has the password. Drive encryption protects everything, but it's all-or-nothing. Cloud encryption protects from outsiders, but not from the cloud provider itself.
Any file. Any device. One password. AES-256 encryption.
Password Protect Your File →