Guides/On this machine
Encrypt files on iPad in the browser — with a caveat
iPad browsers are all WebKit under the hood, so the File System Access API Elba prefers is not available. Elba still runs, but the ‘folder’ workflow is best kept to a Mac or Windows machine and the iPad used for reading.
What works on iPad today
Opening Elba, entering a password, and unsealing individual files copied into the Files app. Good for reading; awkward for editing whole folders.
The practical setup
Do the folder work on your laptop; sync the sealed vault to iCloud; open individual files on the iPad through Elba when you need them.
Questions people actually ask
- Will this improve when Apple ships real Chromium?
- Yes — the EU DMA rules mean real Chromium is arriving on iOS, and Elba will benefit directly.
- Is Safari usable at all?
- For unsealing single files, yes. For folder work, wait for Chromium on iOS.
Take the island
Elba is one HTML file. It runs locally in a Chromium browser, seals a folder with AES-256-GCM, never phones home, and becomes open source on 1 January 2030.
- €49MMXXVI· now ·
- €39MMXXVII2027
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- €19MMXXIX2029
- FreeMMXXX2030
the price falls each year · free to all 1 jan 2030
pay once · no account · nothing leavesRelated guides
- How to encrypt files on a Mac without installing anything
No installer, no admin prompt, no App Store account. Elba is a single HTML file that runs in Chrome or Arc on macOS.
- How to encrypt files on a Chromebook (properly)
Chromebooks don't ship with a real file encryption tool. Elba is a single HTML file that adds one, using the browser you already have.