GoodReader Data Security: Password for Files & Folders

If you don`t wish to protect the entire app with a password, you can set a password to only open specific files and folders. Those files & folders are considered protected. Anything outside the protected zone will be accessible without password, including from the outside, like, for example, from inside the pre-installed Files app.

Attention ! Super-important !

This feature ONLY MAKES SENSE with our Military-Grade File Encryption. Password-protecting files & folders without encryption HAS NO EFFECT! The possibility to set up a file password without encryption only exists there for historical and backward compatibility reasons. Years ago, it used to mean something. But then Apple introduced the pre-installed app named Files that allows to browse, open, and copy files and folders inside other apps` containers. And even if GoodReader refuses to open an unencrypted file, it makes no difference since you can simply open the same file from inside Files. Enabling Encryption solves this problem. With encryption, Files or no Files, your protected data will actually be protected and unreadable without the password. In fact, Files — or any other app for that matter — won`t even be able to see those files because we`re actually placing them into a different, encrypted, container.

Preparation

(do it only once)

To set up the app password, you need to go through the Settings Security Settings Encryption & Passwords Setup dialog. There, choose either Simple Password Protection (not recommended) or Encryption (yes please!).

If you ever want to change the password, go back to Security Settings and select Change Password for Files & Folders.

To completely disable the protection and remove the file password, go to the same Security Settings → Encryption & Passwords Setup dialog you used to set it up, and simply select No Security.

Actual protecting

(do it only for every file / folder you wish to protect)

press Manage Files on the main screen
select all the files and folders you wish to protect / unprotect
press Protect / Unprotect
if Encryption is enabled, the app will encrypt / decrypt the files

Warning

Please do not forget your password! Unless you`ve set up a recovery email — which is only available for Encryption — there is no way to restore a forgotten password. So if it ever happens, your only unfortunate option would be to delete and reinstall the app, losing all your files and settings inside the app in the process. This is a good reason to always maintain backup copies of your GoodReader files in another location, on a server, computer or other device.

Related Questions

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Fantastic App

This app delivers what it says it will deliver. I am on a national nonprofit board and travel a lot for work. I read a lot on planes and had a bulky laptop or the weight of documents. Still, I want to mark stuff up. This app lets me do that. I can annotate all I want. I can also organize .pdfs, conference agendas, research articles. You will get more than you expect. Make sure to read the instruction guide as there are many handy-dandy features that are not always so apparent (although all the basics are intuitive and easy to figure out).

Me24uandMe, Review on the App Store

Contact us by e-mail. We're always happy to read your suggestions for improvements and new features, and to answer your questions:

E-mail: support@goodreader.com

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