How to Encrypt Text or a File With a Passphrase (AES-256)
Published September 13, 2026 · 3 min read
Real encryption — not just obfuscation — needs a proper cipher, key derivation, and authentication so tampering is detectable. This tool uses your browser's native Web Crypto API to apply PBKDF2 key derivation and authenticated AES-256-GCM encryption to text or an entire file.
Try AES EncryptionSteps
- 1
Open the AES Encryption tool
Go to the encryption tool.
- 2
Enter text, or select a file
Type text directly, or drop a file into the file area to encrypt its exact bytes.
- 3
Set a passphrase
Choose a strong passphrase — it's the only way to decrypt the result later.
- 4
Encrypt and save the result
Get an encrypted string (for text) or an encrypted file download, ready to decrypt later with the same passphrase.
Frequently asked questions
PBKDF2 (250,000 iterations) for key derivation from your passphrase, and authenticated AES-256-GCM for the encryption itself — both via your browser's built-in, audited Web Crypto API, not a custom implementation.
There's no recovery option — since nothing is sent to a server, no one, including AnyTool Studio, has any way to reverse the encryption without the original passphrase.
Yes — select a file instead of typing text, and the tool encrypts its exact bytes, embedding the original filename so decryption restores it automatically.
Because encryption runs locally using your browser's own cryptography implementation, your plaintext and passphrase never leave your device, even momentarily.