How to Use PGP on iPhone and iPad (2026 Guide)

Short answer: the Mail app on iPhone and iPad supports S/MIME, not PGP, and iOS doesn't allow Mail plugins, so there is no way to add PGP to it. To use PGP on iPhone you have three options: a mail app with PGP built in (such as Canary Mail or FlowCrypt), a standalone PGP app that you use alongside the mail app you already have (such as iPGMail or PGPony), or an encrypted email service with its own app (Mailfence or Proton Mail), which means moving to a new email address.

Quick picks:

• Keep your Gmail, iCloud, Outlook or work address and have PGP inside the mail app: Canary Mail.
• Keep Apple Mail and add PGP as a separate tool: iPGMail ($3.99 once) or PGPony (free).
• Gmail only, free: FlowCrypt.
• Happy to switch to a new encrypted address: Mailfence or Proton Mail.

New to PGP itself (public and private keys, how encryption works)? Start with our beginner's guide to PGP encryption. This article is only about getting it working on iPhone and iPad.

Can Apple Mail on iPhone use PGP?

No. Apple Mail on iOS and iPadOS has built-in S/MIME, a different email encryption standard that uses certificates instead of PGP keys. Apple's support documentation for encrypted mail on iPhone covers S/MIME only, and unlike Mail on the Mac, the iPhone version can't load plugins. S/MIME and PGP can't read each other's messages, so if the people you write to use PGP, S/MIME doesn't help. If your company issues S/MIME certificates, skip to the S/MIME setup steps further down.

What you can still do in Apple Mail is read a PGP message with the help of another app. The steps are further down in this guide.

PGP apps for iPhone and iPad compared

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The first four keep your current email address. The last two are email providers: you'd be moving your mail to a new address, which is a bigger decision than installing an app. If you're unsure which way to go, see secure email provider vs secure email client.

The best PGP apps for iPhone and iPad in 2026

1. Canary Mail: Best PGP solution for iPhone and iPad

Disclosure: Canary Mail is our product, so weigh this pick accordingly. Every other app below was checked against its developer's site and App Store listing in September 2026.

Canary is our top pick because PGP is part of the mail app itself, not a separate tool you copy text into, and it works with the email account you already have. Here's what that means in practice:

• OpenPGP inside the mail app: you write, send and read encrypted mail in the same inbox as everything else. It uses the OpenPGP standard, so recipients don't need Canary; any PGP tool can read what you send.
• Works with any provider: Gmail, iCloud, Outlook, Exchange and other IMAP accounts. No new address needed.
• Keys created and kept on your device: generate a key pair on the iPhone or import an existing one (.asc or .pgp). Private keys are stored encrypted on your devices (in your iCloud Keychain in Auto mode, or in an encrypted on-device database in manual mode) and are never sent to Canary's or anyone else's servers.
• Finds public keys for you: Canary searches public key servers, including the OpenPGP and Proton Mail key servers, for your recipients' keys, and colleagues in the same organization are found automatically. When a valid key is found, the email is encrypted automatically.
• SecureSend for people without PGP: the recipient gets a secure link with identity verification, and you can set an expiry time or revoke access after sending. Our PGP vs SecureSend guide explains when to use which.
• Face ID or passcode lock for the whole app, useful if your phone is lost or shared.
• Team key management: an admin can approve or upload public keys for the whole organization, and they sync to every device.

Canary is trusted by security-sensitive organizations, including law-enforcement agencies.

• Price: the app is free, but PGP and SecureSend are only on the Pro+ plan: $100/year ($10/month billed yearly) or a lifetime license, with a 7-day trial and no card needed. The Free and Growth ($36/year) plans don't include PGP.
• Platforms: iPhone and iPad, Mac, Windows, Android, with keys and settings synced between devices
• Best for: anyone who wants PGP on iPhone without changing email provider or juggling two apps
• Watch out for: PGP needs the paid Pro+ plan. If you only need to encrypt a message now and then, a standalone app is cheaper.

2. iPGMail: Best standalone PGP app for iPhone

iPGMail has been around since 2011 and is the most complete standalone OpenPGP app on iOS. You don't change mail apps: you write or paste text in iPGMail, encrypt it, and share the result into Apple Mail, Gmail or Outlook. It can also send directly over SMTP. It supports both current OpenPGP versions (v4 and v6), RSA and modern elliptic-curve keys, encrypts files up to 100 MB, and keeps private keys on the device behind Face ID or Touch ID. It can search key servers for other people's public keys.

• Price: $3.99 one-time, no subscription
• Platforms: iPhone and iPad (iOS 17 or later), Mac with Apple silicon
• Best for: people who want to keep Apple Mail and pay once
• Watch out for: encrypting and decrypting happens outside your mail app, so every message takes a few extra taps. Some reviewers find adding public keys less intuitive than in other apps.

3. PGPony: Best free PGP app for iPhone

PGPony is a newer app (first released in 2026) and every feature is free, with no ads or in-app purchases. It works like iPGMail: encrypt or decrypt through the Share Sheet from Mail, Files or Messages, then send with any app. It supports OpenPGP v4 and v6 and picks the right one for each contact, can encrypt to a password when the recipient has no keys, and works with hardware security keys such as YubiKey over NFC or USB-C, so your private key never has to live on the phone. It also offers a post-quantum key option.

• Price: free
• Platforms: iPhone and iPad, Android
• Best for: occasional PGP users and anyone who wants their key on a hardware token
• Watch out for: it's young, with few ratings so far, and the iOS app itself is closed source (its crypto libraries are open).

4. FlowCrypt: Best free option for Gmail only

FlowCrypt is a mail app that adds PGP to Gmail. It generates keys on the device and stores them in the iOS Keychain, encrypts attachments, and can send password-protected messages to people who don't use PGP. Its encryption has been audited by the security firm Cure53.

• Price: free for individuals
• Platforms: iPhone and iPad, Android, Chrome and Firefox extension
• Best for: Gmail users who want free PGP inside a mail app
• Watch out for: it works with Gmail accounts only, and it's a basic mail app. The iOS version has only a handful of App Store ratings and updates are infrequent.

5. Mailfence: Encrypted email service built on OpenPGP

The next two options aren't apps for your current email. They're email providers, so using them means switching to a new address and moving your contacts over to it.

Mailfence is a Belgian email service built around OpenPGP. Its iPhone app sends and receives OpenPGP-encrypted email, works with anyone who uses PGP elsewhere, and can send password-protected email to people who don't. You can also connect a Mailfence account to other mail apps over IMAP.

• Price: free plan; paid plans from €2.50/month
• Platforms: web, iPhone and iPad, Android
• Best for: people who want a new address where PGP is the default
• Watch out for: you have to change your email address.

6. Proton Mail: Encrypted email service with PGP support

Proton Mail encrypts mail between Proton users automatically and uses PGP under the hood. It can also exchange PGP mail with people outside Proton, and it can send password-protected messages to anyone from the iPhone app. For contacts outside Proton, though, you manage PGP keys (importing someone's public key or setting up your own) in the web app, and Proton itself says manual PGP setup is not for beginners.

• Price: free plan with the same encryption; Mail Plus $4.99/month or $3.99/month billed yearly
• Platforms: web, iPhone and iPad, Android, Mac, Windows
• Best for: people who can move to a new address and mostly write to other Proton users
• Watch out for: you have to change your email address, and the iPhone app can't add your Gmail or other IMAP accounts. Compare it in the best secure email apps.

Also asked about: Tuta and Thunderbird

Tuta (formerly Tutanota) is an encrypted email service, but it doesn't use PGP. It has its own encryption and can't exchange encrypted mail with PGP users. Thunderbird has built-in OpenPGP on the desktop, but its iPhone app hasn't been publicly released yet: it's in beta, and OpenPGP support is listed as planned.

How to set up PGP in Canary Mail on iPhone

1. Install Canary Mail from the App Store and add your email account (Gmail, iCloud, Outlook or any IMAP account).
2. Tap the menu icon and go to Settings.
3. Tap Security, then PGP Keys.
4. Generate a new key pair, or import your existing key as an .asc or .pgp file (see the next section for moving a key from your computer).
5. Add public keys for people you write to, or let Canary find them. Emails to anyone with a valid key are encrypted automatically.
6. For recipients who don't use PGP, send with SecureSend instead.

PGP is on the Pro+ plan, which you can try free for 7 days.

How to move your existing PGP key to your iPhone

If you already use PGP on a computer, use the same key on your phone so people can keep writing to you with the public key they already have.

1. Export your key pair as an .asc file. In GPG Suite on Mac, select the key in GPG Keychain, choose Export and include the secret key. In Kleopatra on Windows, right-click the key and choose Backup Secret Keys. On the command line, use gpg --export-secret-keys --armor. Keep the passphrase on the key.
2. Move the file directly. Use AirDrop from a Mac, or a USB cable and the Files app. Don't email your private key to yourself or leave it in a shared cloud folder.
3. Import it in your PGP app. Open the .asc file from Files and share it to Canary, iPGMail or PGPony, or import it from the app's key settings.
4. Delete the exported file from Downloads, Files and your computer once the import works, and empty Recently Deleted.
5. Test it: send yourself an encrypted message from the computer and open it on the iPhone.

If you'd rather not keep your main private key on a phone, create a separate key for mobile, or use a hardware key such as a YubiKey with an app that supports it (PGPony does).

Is there a Kleopatra app for iPhone?

No. Kleopatra is the key manager in Gpg4win for Windows, and there's no iOS version. On iPhone, use a key manager built into a PGP app instead: export your key from Kleopatra as described above and import it into Canary Mail, iPGMail or PGPony.

How to read a PGP email that arrives in Apple Mail

Apple Mail shows PGP messages as a block of text starting with "-----BEGIN PGP MESSAGE-----" or with an attachment such as encrypted.asc. To read it:

1. With a standalone app: select and copy the whole encrypted block, or long-press the attachment and share it to iPGMail or PGPony. The app asks for Face ID or your passphrase and shows the decrypted text.
2. With Canary: if the same account is in Canary Mail, open the message there. It decrypts in the inbox with your key.
3. To reply encrypted: write your reply in the PGP app, encrypt it to the sender's public key, then paste or share it into your reply in Mail.

How to set up S/MIME encryption in Apple Mail on iPhone

If your company or a certificate authority gives you an S/MIME certificate, iPhone Mail can encrypt with it without any extra app. This is common in Exchange and Microsoft 365 setups.

1. Install your certificate. Your IT team usually does this with a configuration profile; otherwise open the .p12 file on the iPhone and follow the prompts to install it.
2. On iOS 26 and iOS 27, open Settings, tap Apps, then Mail, then Mail Accounts.
3. Choose the account, then tap Account > Advanced.
4. Turn on Encrypt by Default. If you have more than one certificate, choose the one to use.
5. To encrypt to someone, you need their certificate first. Open a signed email from them, tap their name, tap View Certificate, then Install.

When you write to someone whose certificate you have, a blue lock appears in the address field. Replies and forwards keep the encryption state of the message you're answering.

What PGP doesn't protect

• The subject line: standard PGP email encrypts the body and attachments, not the subject. Keep sensitive details out of it.
• Metadata: who sent the message, to whom, and when remain visible to email providers.
• Messages to people without keys: PGP only works if the recipient has a key pair. For everyone else, use a password-protected message or a secure link such as SecureSend.
• A lost key: without a backup of your private key, you can't read old encrypted mail. Keep an offline backup and a revocation certificate.
• An unlocked phone: decrypted mail is readable on the device, so use a passcode and an app lock.

For the difference between encrypting messages and choosing a privacy-focused provider, read encrypted email vs private email.

FAQ

Does the iPhone Mail app support PGP?

No. Apple Mail on iPhone and iPad supports S/MIME only, and iOS doesn't allow Mail plugins. To use PGP, use a mail app with PGP built in, such as Canary Mail, or a PGP app like iPGMail or PGPony alongside Apple Mail.

What is the best PGP app for iPhone?

If you want PGP inside your mail app with your existing account, Canary Mail. If you want a separate tool next to Apple Mail, iPGMail ($3.99 once) or PGPony (free). If you only use Gmail, FlowCrypt is free.

Is there a free PGP app for iPhone?

Yes. PGPony is free with no in-app purchases and works with any mail app. FlowCrypt is free for Gmail. Proton Mail and Mailfence have free plans, but they're new email addresses.

Can I use PGP with Gmail or iCloud on iPhone?

Yes, but not in the Gmail app or Apple Mail by themselves. Add the account to a mail app with PGP, such as Canary Mail (any provider) or FlowCrypt (Gmail only), or use a standalone PGP app and share the encrypted text into your usual app.

How do I import my PGP key to my iPhone?

Export the key pair as an .asc file on your computer, move it to the iPhone with AirDrop or a cable, open it in your PGP app, and delete the exported file afterwards. Never email your private key to yourself.

Is the subject line encrypted with PGP?

No. Standard PGP email encrypts the message body and attachments, but the subject, sender, recipients and date stay readable. Put nothing sensitive in the subject.

What's the difference between PGP and S/MIME on iPhone?

Both encrypt email end to end. S/MIME uses certificates issued by an authority and is built into iPhone Mail; it's common in companies. PGP uses keys you create yourself and needs a separate app on iPhone. The two can't read each other's messages.

Does Proton Mail use PGP?

Yes. Proton uses PGP and can exchange encrypted mail with PGP users outside Proton, but you manage those keys in the web app. Tuta, by contrast, uses its own encryption, not PGP.

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Sources

Checked September 2026.

• Apple, S/MIME in Mail on iPhone: support.apple.com/en-us/102245
• Apple, iPhone User Guide, set up mail accounts (iOS 27): support.apple.com/guide/iphone
• Canary Mail pricing and PGP help: canarymail.io/pricing, canarymail.io/help
• iPGMail: ipgmail.com and the App Store listing
• PGPony: pgpony.app and the App Store listing
• FlowCrypt: flowcrypt.com and the App Store listing
• Mailfence: App Store listing and blog.mailfence.com
• Proton Mail PGP support: proton.me/support/how-to-use-pgp
• Tuta encryption: tuta.com/encryption
• Thunderbird for iOS roadmap: roadmaps.thunderbird.net
• OpenPGP software list: openpgp.org/software