Guide · New in 2026.45.2

Siri & Shortcuts

Encrypt and decrypt by voice, build your own automations in the Shortcuts app, and find your keys from Spotlight.

Ask Siri

Three shortcuts work as soon as you install version 2026.45.2. You don’t have to set anything up. Say a phrase to Siri, or type it into Spotlight.

Tip: You can say “PGP” instead of “iPGMail” in any of these phrases, for example “Decrypt clipboard with PGP” or “Encrypt clipboard for Alice with PGP”.

Decrypt Clipboard

Opens iPGMail and decrypts the PGP message on your clipboard in the Decode tab, just like tapping the clipboard button there. The decrypted text stays inside iPGMail and is never handed to Siri.

Say“Decrypt clipboard with iPGMail”

Or“Decrypt my clipboard in iPGMail” · “iPGMail decrypt clipboard”

Encrypt Clipboard

Encrypts the text on your clipboard for a key and puts the encrypted message back on the clipboard, ready to paste into any mail or messaging app. A copy is also saved in iPGMail’s Files tab.

Say“Encrypt clipboard for Alice with iPGMail”

Or“Encrypt clipboard with iPGMail”. Siri asks “Who should be able to read it?”

Tip: Siri tells you who the message was encrypted for, for example “Encrypted for Alice and Bob. The encrypted message is on the clipboard and saved in Files as …”

Show PGP Key

Opens a key’s details in iPGMail. If you have the private key, it opens the private-key view, the same as tapping the key in the Keys list.

Say“Show Alice in iPGMail”

Or“Show the key for Alice in iPGMail” · “Show a key in iPGMail”

Note: Siri understands these phrases in English, German and Spanish.

Build your own shortcuts

Open the Shortcuts app, create a shortcut and search for “iPGMail”. In addition to the three Siri shortcuts above, iPGMail offers four actions that take their input from earlier steps and pass their result to the next one.

Encrypt TextEncrypts text for one or more Recipients and returns an ASCII-armored message. Choose one of your own keys in Sign With to sign it too.

Encrypt FileEncrypts any file for one or more recipients and returns an armored .pgp file. It can be signed as well.

Decrypt TextDecrypts a PGP message, or verifies a signed message, and returns its text. It also reports whether the signature is valid. Attachments aren’t included, so use Decrypt File for those.

Decrypt FileDecrypts a .pgp, .gpg or .asc file and returns the original file.

Require Valid Signature

Decrypt Text and Decrypt File have a Require Valid Signature option. Turn it on and the action fails, without returning anything, unless the message is signed by a key in iPGMail. This is useful in automations that should act only on messages from people you trust.

Encrypt Clipboard for several people

In the Shortcuts app, Encrypt Clipboard has two more options: Also Encrypt For adds more recipients, and Sign With signs the message with one of your keys.

Ideas to get started

Encrypt from the share sheet: Receive files from the Share Sheet → Encrypt File → Save File.
Encrypt a note for your team: Get Note → Encrypt Text for several recipients → Send Email.
Check a signed message: Get Clipboard → Decrypt Text with Require Valid Signature on → Show Result.

Find keys in Spotlight

Swipe down on the Home Screen and type a name, email address or key ID. Your iPGMail keys appear in the results. Tap one to open it in iPGMail. Spotlight search for keys requires iOS 18 or later.

Spotlight only gets each key’s name, email addresses, key ID and fingerprint. Key material is never added to the index.

Show Keys in Spotlight & Siri

This setting is on by default. To keep your key names out of Spotlight, Siri and Shortcuts suggestions, go to Settings → Advanced and turn off Show Keys in Spotlight & Siri. Turning it off removes the keys from Spotlight right away. You can still pick a key by saying or typing its name when Siri asks for one.

Where your results go

Encrypt ClipboardThe encrypted message replaces the clipboard and is also saved in the Files tab.

Encrypt TextReturned to your shortcut, and saved in Files as an .asc file named after the first recipient’s key ID and the time.

Encrypt FileReturned to your shortcut as name.pgp. That same file appears in the Files tab, so there is only one copy.

Decrypt actionsReturned only to your shortcut. Decrypt Clipboard shows the text in the Decode tab.

Security

Your device must be unlocked. Every action that uses a private key or returns decrypted text asks you to unlock your iPhone or iPad first.
Your key passphrase still protects your key. When a passphrase is needed, iPGMail comes forward so you can type it or use Face ID.
The app lock is respected where it matters. Decrypt Clipboard and Show PGP Key open iPGMail’s screens, so they wait until you pass the app PIN or Face ID / Touch ID lock. If it isn’t unlocked within two minutes, they stop.
Background actions skip the app PIN by design. Encrypt Text, Encrypt File, Decrypt Text, Decrypt File and Encrypt Clipboard rely on your device being unlocked and on your key passphrase, not on the app PIN.

Why does iPGMail open for clipboard actions? iOS only lets the app in front read the clipboard. Decrypt Clipboard and Encrypt Clipboard bring iPGMail forward so they can see what you copied.

Troubleshooting

“There is no text on the clipboard.”Copy the text again and retry. Some apps put only an image or a file on the clipboard.

“The message couldn’t be decrypted.”The message wasn’t encrypted for any private key in iPGMail. Check that you’ve imported the right key.

“The key … can’t be used for encryption.”The recipient’s key has expired or been revoked. Ask them for an updated public key.

“The message has no text, only … attachment(s).”Use Decrypt File instead of Decrypt Text.

“No key password was entered.”The passphrase prompt was dismissed. Run the shortcut again and enter your passphrase.

Siri doesn’t know a key’s nameMake sure Show Keys in Spotlight & Siri is on, and open iPGMail once after importing new keys so Siri learns their names.

Still stuck? See Troubleshooting or contact support.