How to Encrypt Files on Mac

The problem

The built-in macOS compress command cannot create encrypted archives, so files cannot be protected before sharing.

How this problem shows up

• You need to send files that only the recipient should be able to open
• The built-in compress command offers no password option
• You want strong encryption (AES-256) rather than legacy ZIP encryption
• You need to encrypt a file directly from the Finder

How to solve it

1. Use an archive utility such as ZipGood that supports archive encryption
2. Create a 7z or ZIP archive and enable AES-256 encryption in the options panel
3. Alternatively create an encrypted DMG disk image for a password-protected container
4. Set a default password in the macOS Keychain to enable one-click encryption from the Finder

How ZipGood solves this

• AES-256 Encryption — Protect supported archives with AES-256 encryption.
• Password Management — A password book and default password, stored in the macOS Keychain.
• Compress Files on Mac — Create archives in 14 output formats with per-format options.
• macOS Finder Context Menu — Compress, encrypt and extract from the Finder right-click menu.