This guide explains how to add true end-to-end encrypted email (OpenPGP / PGP) to a Gmail account on an iPad using FlowCrypt.

FlowCrypt encrypts email on your device, so neither Google nor FlowCrypt can read your messages.

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•	True end-to-end encryption (OpenPGP)
•	Works with existing Gmail accounts
•	Messages and attachments encrypted locally on the iPad
•	Compatible with other PGP email clients (Thunderbird, Proton Mail, etc.)

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•	iPad (iPadOS)
•	Gmail account
•	FlowCrypt app from the App Store
•	Recipients who support PGP encryption

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•	Open the App Store
•	Install FlowCrypt – Encrypted Email
•	Launch the app

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•	Tap Sign in with Google
•	Select your Gmail account
•	Approve access

Note: FlowCrypt uses Google OAuth. Your Gmail password is never shared.

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When prompted:

•	Choose Create a new encryption key
•	Select 4096-bit key (recommended)
•	Create a strong passphrase

Important:

•	This passphrase protects your private key
•	If lost, encrypted email cannot be recovered

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You must back up your private key to avoid permanent data loss.  (I do this using my free password manager, KeePass. Learn about KeePass and protecting your passwords )

Recommended backup locations:

•	Encrypted password manager (e.g., KeePassXC)
•	Cryptomator vault
•	Encrypted USB drive

Backing up allows you to:

•	Add FlowCrypt on another device
•	Recover access after reinstalling the app

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To receive encrypted email, contacts need your public key.

You can:

•	Email it to contacts
•	Attach it once in a normal email
•	Publish it on a public key server

FlowCrypt can automatically fetch public keys for many recipients.

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•	Tap Compose in FlowCrypt
•	Enter the recipient
•	If a public key is available, a lock icon appears
•	Write the message
•	Attach files if needed (attachments are encrypted)
•	Send

If no public key exists, FlowCrypt will warn you before sending.

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•	Encrypted messages appear normally in FlowCrypt
•	Enter your PGP passphrase to decrypt
•	Decryption happens locally on the iPad

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•	Encrypted messages cannot be read in the Gmail app
•	Gmail shows a placeholder such as:

“This message is encrypted”

•	You must open FlowCrypt to read or reply securely

This is expected and normal.

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•	Fully encrypted
•	Only readable by intended recipients
•	Suitable for PDFs, images, documents, and text files

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PGP works best with:

•	FlowCrypt
•	Thunderbird with OpenPGP
•	Proton Mail (PGP mode)

It is not ideal for one-time or non-technical recipients.

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Avoid sensitive information in subject lines.

•	Bad: Medical test results
•	Good: Document

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•	Gmail cannot index encrypted content
•	Message previews and search will be limited
•	This is the privacy trade-off for encryption

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Go to Settings in FlowCrypt and enable:

•	Face ID / biometric unlock
•	Auto-lock timeout
•	Disable lock-screen message previews

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•	Regular communication with the same people
•	Privacy-sensitive email and documents
•	Recipients already using PGP
•	You want encryption without changing email providers

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•	Importing an existing PGP key
•	Sending password-encrypted messages to non-PGP users
•	Using FlowCrypt on macOS or Windows
•	Comparing FlowCrypt vs iPGMail or Canary Mail

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Here are clear, DokuWiki-formatted instructions for viewing and sharing your public key in FlowCrypt on an iPad.

You can paste this directly into your wiki.

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Your public key is what others need in order to send you PGP-encrypted email. It is safe to share publicly and does not expose your private key.

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•	Open FlowCrypt on your iPad
•	Tap the ☰ menu (top left)
•	Go to Settings
•	Tap Encryption Keys
•	Select your active key
•	Tap Public Key

You can now:

•	View the full public key text
•	Copy it to the clipboard
•	Share it via email or other apps

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FlowCrypt can automatically send your public key to a contact.

•	Open FlowCrypt
•	Tap Compose
•	Enter the recipient’s email address
•	If they do not already have your key, FlowCrypt will prompt:
•	Send your public key
•	Confirm and send

This sends a normal (unencrypted) email with your public key attached.

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If you want to include your public key with other information:

•	Open FlowCrypt
•	Go to Settings → Encryption Keys
•	Select your key
•	Tap Export Public Key
•	Attach the exported file to an email or message

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A public key is plain text and begins and ends like this:

-----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----
...
-----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----

Anyone can have this key. Only you have the private key.

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You may publish your public key so others can find it automatically.

Options include:

•	PGP public key servers
•	Personal website
•	Wiki page
•	Email signature (link or attachment)

FlowCrypt can automatically discover keys published on common key servers.

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•	Sharing your public key is safe
•	Never share your private key
•	Protect your private key with:
•	Strong passphrase
•	Secure backup (password manager, encrypted vault)

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•	Can’t see the key?
•	Make sure a key exists under Settings → Encryption Keys
•	Multiple keys listed?
•	Use the one marked Active
•	Recipient can’t encrypt to you?
•	Confirm they imported your public key correctly

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Short answer: Yes, but with important limitations. FlowCrypt supports password-encrypted messages (shared secret) instead of public-key (PGP) encryption, but this is not the same as true PGP and works differently.

Below is a DokuWiki-formatted explanation you can paste directly into your wiki.

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FlowCrypt primarily uses public-key (PGP) encryption, but it also supports password-encrypted messages for recipients who do not use PGP.

This method uses a shared secret (password) instead of a public key.

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•	You choose a shared password
•	The message is encrypted using that password
•	The recipient receives:
•	An email with a secure FlowCrypt link
•	They enter the password in their browser to read the message
•	No PGP software is required for the recipient

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•	Recipient does not use PGP
•	One-time or infrequent secure messages
•	You can safely share a password out-of-band
•	Phone call
•	Text message
•	In-person

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•	Not true end-to-end PGP
•	Relies on FlowCrypt’s secure message portal
•	Less suitable for long-term or repeated communication
•	Password must be shared securely ahead of time

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•	Open FlowCrypt
•	Tap Compose
•	Enter recipient email address
•	If no public key is found, FlowCrypt will prompt:
•	Send a password-encrypted message
•	Choose a strong password
•	Send the message
•	Share the password with the recipient via a different channel

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•	Recipient receives an email with a link
•	Clicks the link
•	Enters the shared password
•	Reads the message in a secure web page
•	Can reply securely using the same password

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•	Use a long, unique password
•	Never send the password in the same email
•	Avoid reusing passwords
•	Set expiration dates if offered

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•	Subject lines are not encrypted
•	Gmail cannot index encrypted content
•	Password-encrypted messages may expire depending on settings

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•	Use PGP public keys for regular, privacy-critical communication
•	Use password-encrypted messages only when PGP is not feasible

⸻ This is a known and intentional behavior in FlowCrypt, not something you’re doing wrong.

Short answer: 👉 On iOS (iPad/iPhone), FlowCrypt does NOT support password-encrypted (“shared key”) messages. That’s why you only see “Send unencrypted” or “Cancel.”

Below is a DokuWiki-formatted explanation you can paste into your wiki.

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When composing an email in FlowCrypt on iPad, you may only see:

•	Send unencrypted
•	Cancel

and no option to send a password-encrypted (shared secret) message.

This is by design.

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FlowCrypt features differ by platform:

👉 iOS FlowCrypt only supports PGP public-key encryption.

Password-encrypted messages are not implemented in the iOS app.

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FlowCrypt has stated (and demonstrated by behavior) that:

•	Password-encrypted messages rely on a secure web portal
•	This requires browser-based flows that are:
•	Less reliable on iOS
•	Harder to secure consistently
•	FlowCrypt’s security model on iOS is:
•	PGP only
•	Or plaintext

So if no recipient public key is found, FlowCrypt will only offer:

•	Send unencrypted
•	Cancel

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On an iPad:

•	You cannot send encrypted email to non-PGP users using FlowCrypt
•	There is no hidden setting to enable shared passwords
•	Reinstalling or changing settings will not help

This is a hard limitation, not a configuration issue.

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•	Ask recipient to install:
•	FlowCrypt
•	Thunderbird
•	Proton Mail (PGP mode)
•	Exchange public keys
•	Communicate securely end-to-end

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If you occasionally need password-encrypted messages:

•	Use FlowCrypt Chrome extension on a desktop
•	Send the password-encrypted message there
•	Continue PGP communication on iPad

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If your use case is mostly shared-secret messaging:

•	Proton Mail (password-protected emails)
•	Secure file sharing + separate email
•	Encrypted notes + link sharing

FlowCrypt on iOS is not designed for this scenario.

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•	FlowCrypt on iPad cannot send shared-password encrypted messages
•	Seeing only “Send unencrypted” is expected behavior
•	PGP public-key encryption does work fully
•	Shared-key encryption requires desktop FlowCrypt

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