Encrypting a Message with PGP

Last updated: May 2026

This guide covers encrypting a message so that only the intended recipient can read it.

Encryption Steps

gpg --encrypt --armor --recipient email@example.com message.txt

• --encrypt - perform encryption
• --armor - output in ASCII armored format (text file)
• --recipient - specify the recipient's email

If you want to encrypt and sign (so the recipient knows it's from you):

gpg --encrypt --armor --sign --recipient email@example.com message.txt