# PGPony: PGP & GPG Encryption — Secure Messages, Email, Files

> Free PGP encryption app for iPhone with hardware security key support. (iPhone/iPad app by Kevin Stewart.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pgpony-pgp-and-gpg-encryption/id6759994432 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Kevin Stewart](https://appshunter.io/developer/1840294398)
- Category: Utilities, Productivity
- Price: Free
- Rating: 4.60/5 from 10 App Store ratings · 2 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 17.6 · 13 MB
- Languages: American English, French (France), German (Germany), Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Chinese (Simplified, China), European Spanish
- Released: 2026-03-10
- Data updated: 2026-09-01
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pgpony-pgp-and-gpg-encryption/id6759994432/reviews.md

## What is PGPony?

PGPony makes PGP encryption easy, private, and powerful, and every feature is free.
Generate keys, encrypt to people or to a password, sign and verify, back up your whole keyring, and revoke compromised keys, all from your iPhone and iPad, in seven languages.
New in 8.1.0: iPad support and large files. Encrypt, sign, and decrypt files of any size, including with an RSA hardware key over NFC or USB-C, with progress and cancel. Signing with a passphrase-protected RSA key is fixed.
Post-quantum encryption pairs Ed25519 with ML-KEM-768, in RFC 9580 (v6) and LibrePGP versions, private even against future quantum computers.
HARDWARE SECURITY KEYS
Keep your private key on dedicated hardware, not your phone. Generate a key pair on the card over NFC, or add an existing card with a tap. Sign, decrypt, and encrypt-and-sign in one step, with RSA and ECC (Ed25519/Curve25519) keys, on YubiKey, Token2, and others. Full card admin: change or unblock PINs, factory-reset, and view Card Details.
ENCRYPT, DECRYPT & SIGN
Encrypt messages and files of any size to any public key, or to a password with no keys at all, readable by gpg -c and back. Decrypt with a private key, a hardware key, or a passphrase, now close to instant even with a large keyring. Sign without encrypting, including detached signatures and large files, and verify a downloaded file against its signature. A signature banner shows who signed on every decrypt, for every key type including RSA. AEAD (OCB) encryption.
GENERATE & MANAGE KEYS
Create keys on a card or in-app: post-quantum Ed25519 + ML-KEM-768 in v6 and LibrePGP, v6 Ed25519, classic Ed25519 + Cv25519, or RSA 2048/4096. Full OpenPGP v6 (RFC 9580), bit-for-bit interoperable with Sequoia PGP and GnuPG. A built-in helper helps you pick the right type. Import from files, clipboard, QR codes, or keyservers, including GnuPG v4 and v6 keys. Make revocation certificates and export private keys (GnuPG-compatible).
BACK UP & RESTORE
Save your whole keyring, secret keys included, as one encrypted file. A single backup code opens it, and the same file restores onto another iPhone or Android. The file stays with you, never on anyone's server.
KEYSERVERS
Look up a recipient by email through Web Key Directory, then keys.openpgp.org. Publish to several servers at once, and choose which PGPony searches and publishes to. Route lookups through Tor or a SOCKS proxy, and let background refresh catch revocations. PGPony warns when a server may not accept a newer key type.
PASSWORD STORE
Open a pass (password-store) folder and browse its entries. Decrypt with a software or hardware key, then copy the password through an auto-clearing clipboard. otpauth URIs are shown, and plaintext is dropped the moment you leave the entry.
SHARE SHEET EXTENSION
Encrypt or decrypt text, encrypt a file, or sign a file in any app: Safari, Files, Notes, Mail. Messages for your hardware key hand off to the app.
SECURITY FIRST
Face ID / Touch ID lock with auto-lock. Software keys live in the iOS Keychain (hardware-backed), or on an NFC card instead. iCloud Keychain sync, key expiration reminders, and Contacts auto-matching by email. No analytics, tracking, accounts, or sign-up. Your private keys never leave your device, and with a hardware key they never leave the card.
SEVEN LANGUAGES
English, German, Spanish, French, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, and Simplified Chinese.
ALL FEATURES INCLUDED
Everything is free with no restrictions:
Post-quantum keys, on-card generation, and hardware keys (RSA and ECC)
Cross-platform encrypted backup and restore, verified signatures including RSA
Full OpenPGP v6 (RFC 9580), password encryption (gpg -c), multi-keyserver publishing with Tor
Detached signing, Password Store, QR exchange, GnuPG import, open-source core, dark mode
Built by an indie developer who cares about your privacy. Your keys, your messages, your data, always yours.
Terms of Use (EULA): https://pgpony.app/eula.html
Privacy Policy: https://pgpony.app/privacy.html

## Key features

- Generate PGP keys
- Encrypt/decrypt messages and files
- Sign and verify digital documents
- Hardware security key integration (YubiKey, Token2)
- Password-only encryption
- Key management and revocation
- Share sheet extension for app integration

## Recent user reviews (2 of 2)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pgpony-pgp-and-gpg-encryption/id6759994432/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Yubikey Support

*2026-08-29*

I’ve been waiting forever for an iOS PGP app with Yubikey support. I finally found PGPony and I really like it for so much more than Yubikey. The design is nice and clean, well thought out. Bonus on top is native keygen support for newer ECC keys.

### 3/5 — Encryption Error keeps showing

*2026-08-27*

When I first got the app, everything worked smooth during my tests.. 

Recently I tried to encrypt a message to a contact that I have encrypted to before and now it keeps saying error unsupported symmetric Id 10

But again it was working with the same contact a few days ago...

Not sure what changed but it doesn't work anymore

**Developer response:** Thanks for the detail, especially the exact error text. It pointed straight at the cause.

This isn't something you did, and it isn't your message. It's that contact's key. "Unsupported symmetric Id 10" means their encryption key now lists Twofish as one of its settings, and this build only accepts AES there, so it stops instead of guessing. It worked a few days ago because their key has changed since then, most likely a key update or refresh on their end.

This is a bug on my side, and I've made a change that should let PGPony encrypt to that contact again in the next update. If you'd like to fully test it against that exact key before or after it ships, email me at NorseHorse@norsehor.se and I'll get you a build and confirm it works.

Thanks again for reporting it so clearly.

NorseHorse

## Frequently asked questions about PGPony

### What is PGPony?

PGPony is a free utility app for iPhone that makes PGP encryption easy to use. It allows you to generate keys, encrypt messages and files, sign documents, and integrate with hardware security keys for enhanced security.

### Does PGPony have ads?

No, PGPony is completely free and does not contain any advertisements. All features are available without charge.

### Can I use PGPony with hardware security keys?

Yes, PGPony fully supports hardware security keys like YubiKey and Token2. You can generate keys directly on the card or manage existing ones, with your private key never touching your phone.

### What encryption algorithms does PGPony support?

PGPony supports various algorithms including Ed25519, Cv25519, and RSA 2048/4096 for key generation. It also supports AEAD (OCB) encryption.

### How does PGPony handle key management?

You can generate new keys, import existing keys from files, clipboard, or QR codes, view key details, and create revocation certificates. It is interoperable with Sequoia PGP and GnuPG.

### Is PGPony available on other devices besides iPhone?

Based on the provided data, PGPony is currently supported on iPhones only.

### How often is PGPony updated?

The latest version, 7.0.0, was released on 2026-06-17, indicating recent development and updates.

### What is the age rating for PGPony?

PGPony has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for a wide range of users.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 8.2.0 — 2026-08-28

PGPony 8.2.0 brings iOS in line with the Android 4.2.0 and 4.3.0 releases. This is the largest update yet.

POST-QUANTUM

New ML-KEM-1024 with X448 keys, beside the existing 768 suite, in both the LibrePGP and v6 composite forms. Tested against GnuPG 2.5.x in both directions.
Large post-quantum files now open on the streaming path, so size is no longer a wall.

KEYS AND IDENTITIES

Change a key's passphrase: add one, change it, or remove it, on v4, v6, and post-quantum keys.
Multiple identities per key: add and revoke user IDs and choose your primary.
Add subkeys, edit a key's expiration, and see each subkey's algorithm and capabilities in Key Detail.
Editable identity proofs: add identity notations like proof@ariadne.id=... to your key, then verify a contact's proofs against HTTPS pages, GitHub gists, Mastodon profiles, and DNS records.
Import now recognizes brainpool and NIST-curve keys from GnuPG and other tools.
The import screen shows the full fingerprint in readable four-character groups.

DELETING, SAFELY

A key recycle bin: deleting a key moves it to Recently Deleted, restorable for 30 days, instead of destroying it outright.
Deleting a key pair offers a backup first and asks for Face ID. Clear All Data is a deliberate, multi-step reset.
Per-key fallback decryption keys and signing defaults, so the right key signs for each recipient and older recipients still get a signature they can verify.

SENDING AND RECEIVING

Streaming for large files and bundles: encrypt and decrypt multi-file bundles with flat memory use, and progress on big exports.
Wrap encrypted output in a .zip for transports that mangle .asc and .gpg attachments. Decrypting a .zip just works.
Animated multi-part QR: a large key now cycles across several QR frames automatically.
Open a signed-but-not-encrypted file and verify it in place, instead of hitting an error.
Fixed a WKD and keyserver import that failed to parse some keys, including certain Thunderbird keys.

EVERYTHING ELSE

Passphrase cache with a duration you choose, from one minute to until you clear it.
Back up and restore your whole keyring, and import OpenKeychain backups.
Fully localized in English, German, Spanish, French, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, and Simplified Chinese.

Many of these came straight from user reports on GitHub and the board.

### 8.1.0 — 2026-08-11

iPad support. PGPony now runs on iPad, with a layout built for the larger screen.

Large files, end to end. You can now encrypt, sign, and decrypt files of any size, not just under 64 MB. It works with an RSA hardware key over NFC or USB-C, with a live progress bar and a cancel button the whole way through.

Signing fixes. Signing with a passphrase-protected RSA key works now instead of failing, whether the key was imported from GnuPG or generated in PGPony. A wrong passphrase tells you so, rather than a generic error.

Hardware keys. Clearer guidance throughout for NFC and USB-C keys, including when a key can only be plugged in.

Plus a round of smaller fixes to the keyboard, buttons, and cancel behavior from tester reports. Thanks to everyone who wrote in with detail.

### 8.0.1 — 2026-08-01

This update fixes an issue where a hardware security key was not offered for signing on the Encrypt tab, even though it could still decrypt normally. If your YubiKey or other OpenPGP card holds your primary key in the signature slot alongside a separate signing subkey, PGPony now recognizes it correctly, so Sign Message and encrypt-and-sign work as expected. Thanks to the testers who reported it.

### 8.0.0 — 2026-07-22

Version 8.0.0 is a big one.

Post-quantum encryption
Create keys that pair Ed25519 with ML-KEM-768, so your messages stay private even against future quantum computers. Both the RFC 9580 (v6) and LibrePGP versions are supported, alongside the classic RSA and Ed25519 key types.

Back up and move your keyring
Save your entire keyring, secret keys included, as a single encrypted file. One backup code opens it, and the same file restores onto another iPhone or onto Android. The file stays with you, not on anyone's server.

Signatures for every key type
Signed messages now show a clear Signature Verified badge with the signer's name for all key types, including RSA for the first time.

Faster decryption
Decrypting with a passphrase-protected key is now close to instant, even when your keyring holds a lot of keys.

More keyserver control
Choose which keyservers PGPony searches and publishes to, publish to several at once, and route lookups through Tor if you want. PGPony tells you up front when a server may not accept a newer key type.

Start with a key you already have
Setup now lets you import an existing key or restore from a backup, not just generate a new one.

There's also a new helper that walks you through picking the right key type, plus a long list of smaller fixes and refinements.

Thanks for using PGPony. Questions and ideas are always welcome.

### 7.1.1 — 2026-07-15

PGPony is now fully localized in Simplified Chinese, with completed translations across German, Spanish, French, Japanese, and Brazilian Portuguese.

Fixed: private keys created in PGPony and exported with a passphrase could not be imported into GnuPG or other OpenPGP apps. If you exported a passphrase protected backup of a key you created in PGPony, please export it again after updating. Keys on your device and keys imported from other apps are not affected.

Fixed: decrypting with passphrase protected RSA keys.

New: Refresh from Key Server on Key Details pulls the latest version of a key, verifies its fingerprint before merging, and detects revocations.

Key Details now shows all User IDs on a key.

Importing a key you already have now updates the existing entry instead of creating a duplicate.

The share extension is now fully localized, and plural forms now display correctly in every language.

## More apps by Kevin Stewart

- [NorseHorse](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/norsehorse/id6752630128)
- [Polly's Place](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pollys-place/id6759225948)
- [Hay or Neigh?](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hay-or-neigh/id6759813889)
- [Cashout: Tip & Shift Tracker](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cashout-tip-and-shift-tracker/id6760863414)
- [HeardCheck](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heardcheck/id6760924907)

All apps by Kevin Stewart: https://appshunter.io/developer/1840294398

## Related topics

[pgp encryption](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/pgp-encryption) · [gpg](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/gpg) · [gpg decrypt](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/gpg-decrypt)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-01.*
