Self-destructing files — burn after reading
Some files shouldn't outlive their purpose. Set a download limit or expiry and SealFile permanently erases the encrypted data once it's served its job.
Files that delete themselves
Every share you create can carry an expiry, a download limit, or both. Pick a one-time download limit and the share becomes burn-after-reading: your recipient opens it once, and the encrypted data is wiped. Pick an expiry and it disappears when the clock runs out — whether or not it was ever opened.
There's no archive, no trash, and no recovery. When the limit is hit, the ciphertext is removed from our servers and the link returns nothing.
Why it pairs perfectly with zero-knowledge
Self-destruction limits when and how often a share can be retrieved. Zero-knowledge encryption ensures that even while it exists, the data is unreadable to anyone but your recipient. Together, they keep sensitive files exposed for the shortest possible time, to the fewest possible eyes.
Download limits
Allow 1, 5, 10, or unlimited downloads. Set it to 1 for true burn-after-reading.
Time-based expiry
Choose 1 hour to 30 days. When the clock runs out, the share is gone — automatically.
Permanent deletion
Reaching the limit deletes the encrypted data server-side. There's no archive and no undo.
Zero-knowledge throughout
Before it self-destructs, we only ever held ciphertext — so nothing readable existed to begin with.
Frequently asked questions
How do self-destructing files work?
You set a download limit (as low as one) and/or an expiry from 1 hour to 30 days. Once the download limit is reached or the share expires, the encrypted data is permanently deleted from our servers and the link stops working.
Is this the same as burn-after-reading?
Yes. A one-time download limit makes a share burn-after-reading: the recipient can open it once, and then it's gone for everyone — including you.
What's actually stored before it self-destructs?
Only encrypted blobs and encrypted metadata that we can't read, thanks to zero-knowledge encryption. After expiry or the download limit, even that ciphertext is deleted.
Can a recipient save a copy before it expires?
Once someone decrypts and downloads a file, they hold a copy on their device — no system can prevent that. Self-destruction controls how long the share is available and how many times it can be retrieved, which dramatically limits exposure.
Send something that won't stick around
One-time links and auto-expiry, with zero-knowledge encryption baked in.