Release notes

Confidesk drive

The desktop app can attach selected Confidesk folders as a drive on Mac, Windows and Linux. Files on the drive open and save in any program, and changes are encrypted and uploaded. Decryption and encryption happen in the desktop app, which holds the key, so the servers still receive only encrypted files. While the drive is attached, any program on the computer can read the files on it. Details in the user guide.

Desktop app for Free accounts

The desktop app, previously Pro and Advanced only, is available to Free accounts too, including the drive and offline use. External mail accounts (IMAP/POP) remain Pro and Advanced.

Devices list

The desktop app is listed among the account's devices on the web, and as “This computer” in the app itself. Removing a device ends its session immediately on the web, the desktop and the phones. When a removed device next connects, it deletes the account data it holds; on a computer this includes the local copy of mail and files, and the drive.

Split view in Documents

The desktop app's Documents window has a split view: two documents side by side, both editable. Each side shows a document picked from the tabs or the list, and the divider can be dragged to resize them.

Formatting at the cursor

The document editor shows the formatting at the cursor in a line under the toolbar, for example “Heading 2 · Serif · 18 pt · Red · Centred”, in every app.

All inboxes on the phones

The mailbox list on iPhone and Android starts with All inboxes: unread mail from every mailbox in one list, grouped by mailbox, as on the web and the desktop.

Files on the phones downloaded when opened

Mail, the Vault, notes and documents are still downloaded automatically. Other files are downloaded when opened and then kept on the phone. Keep offline in Files stores a file or a whole folder on the phone in advance. Settings › Local copy adds Download all files (off by default) and Remove offline copies. Files already on the phone are kept.

Folders in Notes and Documents

On the phones, new notes, documents and folders are created in the current folder rather than at the top level; the desktop app's Documents window does the same for new documents. Folders can be renamed on both, and the Notes list on the phones has a New folder button.

Smaller improvements

• Android: accounts can be created in the app.
• Phones: several files can be selected at once for upload.
• EPUB reader: the left and right arrow keys turn pages.
• Domains page: clearer DNS instructions, including the MX priority and the meaning of “@”.
• Sync: the desktop and phone apps check for file changes with a single request instead of listing every folder each minute, which uses less data and battery.

Fixes

Mail

• Tapping a link in a formatted mail did nothing on the phones.

Documents and files

• Editing a document offline on two devices could leave two unreadable “conflicted copy” files.
• The document editor jumped to the top when editing started and after every save (phones).
• After a save was refused because the file had changed elsewhere, the device kept showing its own version under the original name, and the conflicted copy's name was not valid on Windows.
• Documents did not open offline in the desktop app.
• The desktop app reloaded the file list over and over.

Desktop app

• Settings › Mailboxes and Settings › Domains showed “Could not load” on the Pro plan; they now name the plan that includes them.
• Mac: quitting with Cmd+Q, the Dock or logging out skipped the app's clean-up.
• Windows: locking with a document open could freeze the app for a minute.
• Windows drive: a file deleted on the web, then edited on the drive while it was detached, stayed on the computer and never reached Confidesk.
• A stuck network request could stop automatic sync until it ended (desktop and phones).

Phones

• Face ID stopped working after a few hours and asked for a full sign-in.
• Lists stopped dead at the top instead of bouncing.
• The Notes list scrolled sideways when a note had a long name.

Web

• The note editor's “Convert to mail” button was twice as tall as the buttons beside it.

Confidesk for Android

Confidesk is now on Google Play. It is the same app as on the iPhone: Mail, Files, Notes, Documents, Chat, Contacts, the Vault and Secure send.

• Unlock with your fingerprint or face.
• Works offline, and syncs when you are back online.
• Push notifications.

It needs Android 14 or newer.

Vault: full KeePass support

The Vault now handles everything in a KeePass (.kdbx) file except attachments, and stays compatible with KeePassXC and other KeePass apps.

• Custom fields, with protected fields hidden until you reveal them.
• Entry history: view, restore or remove earlier versions of an entry.
• One-time codes (TOTP).
• Expiry dates, with expired entries marked and an “Expired” filter.
• Tags and icons.
• Groups inside groups.
• A Recycle Bin: deleted entries go there first and can be restored.
• Search also looks in custom fields and tags.
• A new layout: groups, entries and the open entry side by side on the web and the desktop, and the entry list next to the entry on the iPad.
• “Lock now” in every app. A copied password is cleared from the clipboard after 30 seconds on the desktop and Android, and by the system on the iPhone.

Attachments, auto-type and key files are not supported.

Background sync on the phones

The iPhone and Android apps now fetch new mail and file changes while they are in the background, so the app is up to date when you open it.

On the iPhone, files, notes, documents and vault changes you save while offline are also sent in the background once you are back online. On Android, open the app once you are back online for them to be sent.

Document editor

• Clear formatting now removes all formatting, including links.
• The same keyboard shortcuts in every app; press Cmd/Ctrl+/ to see them all.
• Text highlight in five colours.
• Font sizes from 8 to 36 pt.
• Spacing before and after a paragraph.
• Numbered list styles: 1. a. A. i. I.
• Change case: UPPER, lower, Title.
• Paste without formatting.

Highlights need the latest version of the app; an older version shows them as plain text. On the Pro and Advanced plans.

Send files, notes and documents by mail or chat

Files, notes and documents now have Send in mail and Send in chat. Mail opens a new message with the item attached; chat lets you pick a conversation or start a new one. Documents are sent as Word files. Convert to mail in the document and note editors turns what you have written into a new message, with the title as the subject and images included.

Chat attachments can now be up to 12 MB, the same as mail.

Chat has its own screen

On the web, Chat now uses the full screen instead of sitting beside your mail folders. In the desktop app it opens in its own window.

Smaller improvements

• Mail: the editor gives more room to the message; Cc and Bcc appear when you click them.
• Phones: a red dot on the Chat tab when you have unread messages.
• Notes on the phone open straight away and sync in the background, and file lists on the desktop and phones load faster.
• Desktop Documents window: Sync, New folder, Import and New are always in the top bar.
• Frozen accounts: if your account is frozen and someone writes to you, we let you know at your external address (at most once a day), so you can sign in and unfreeze it.

Fixes

Mail

• Replying to the first message of a conversation failed with “Could not load source message”.
• In a phone browser, the mail, file and notes lists cut subjects and names down to a single character.
• Offline, writing a message showed “Checking recipients…” indefinitely; it now says the recipients can't be checked while offline.

Documents

• Bold and italic could be lost on saving and exporting. (Formatting that was already lost cannot be brought back.)
• Word export ran lines together.

Vault

• A vault saved by Confidesk could not be opened in KeePassXC.
• On the phone, you could leave the Vault with unsaved changes without a warning.

Desktop app

• High CPU use while the app was open.
• After a session expired, paying users were shown “Upgrade now” instead of the sign-in screen.

Phones

• Creating a note offline showed an error but created the note anyway, so trying again made duplicates.
• The tab bar could cover buttons at the bottom of the screen.

Photo gallery

Folders containing two or more pictures now show a Gallery button. The gallery opens pictures full-screen with a strip of thumbnails underneath, and can play them as a slideshow. As with every other preview, each photo is decrypted in memory when it is displayed, and nothing is written to disk. The gallery is available on all plans and in all apps.

Privacy proxy for images in mail

Previously, remote images in a message were loaded directly from the sender's server, which revealed your IP address, your device and the time you opened the message. Confidesk now fetches these images on your behalf, so the sender sees only a request from our servers and learns nothing about you. The proxy is available on the Pro and Advanced plans. It is enabled by default and can be turned off in Settings.

Confidesk on iPad

The app now has a proper iPad layout instead of a stretched iPhone layout. Mail shows your folders, the message list and the open message side by side, and Chat and Contacts use a two-column layout. It is the same app with the same account, available on the App Store.

Documents

• Duplicate. Creates a copy of the open document next to the original and opens it immediately.
• Single Export menu. PDF, Word and EPUB export are now grouped in one menu instead of three separate buttons.
• Import. Documents can be imported from your disk or from your Files. Markdown files are converted to full documents on import, and the original file is left unchanged.

Available in the desktop app on the Pro and Advanced plans.

EPUB reader

EPUB files now open as pages instead of one continuous scroll per chapter. Turn pages by swiping on the phone, or with the arrow keys, Page Down or the mouse wheel elsewhere. The reader also adds a chapter list, adjustable text size, and light, sepia and dark page themes, and it saves your reading position on the device. The scrolling view remains available through a toggle.

Mail

• Drafts are kept when you switch tabs. On the phone, an unfinished message is preserved if you accidentally tap another tab.
• Mark as unread from the message list. Each row now has a read/unread toggle, and an Unread button appears when several messages are selected.
• Word documents fit the screen. The .docx viewer no longer extends past the edge of the screen on a phone.

Confidesk for iPhone, now on the App Store

The full Confidesk in an app: Mail, Files, Notes, Documents, Chat, Contacts, the password vault and Secure send. Your key is unlocked on the phone, and everything is stored encrypted. Available on Free, Pro and Advanced. Download on the App Store.

• Works offline, with a visible outbox that syncs when you're back online.
• Search your mail instantly, on the phone.
• Face ID unlock, revocable remotely from any of your devices.
• Optional push notifications that never carry your content.

Desktop app

A new release for Mac, Linux and Windows. The app updates itself, or download the latest. What it brings:

• Documents: the document editor arrived on the desktop in its own window: write, format, and export to PDF, Word or EPUB.
• Files, reworked: Files now opens as a real file manager: folders on the left, list or icon view, sorting by name, size, date or type, drag & drop straight from your computer (folders included), and previews without the browser's size caps.
• Writing polish: a continuous-paper layout in the editor, undo/redo, cleaner formatting tools, and folders you can create right where you save.

Web

• Clearer storage mails: a warning before your storage is full, and plain words about what happens when it is.

Documents

A document editor, in Confidesk's own encrypted format: write and format in the browser, insert images from your Files, and export to PDF, Word or EPUB. The export is built on your device, so the server never sees a readable page. If two devices edit the same document, nothing is lost: you get a conflicted copy, never a silent overwrite. On Pro and Advanced; the desktop and iPhone apps received Documents with their next releases (above).

Drafts on every device

Proper drafts across web, desktop and iPhone: saved as you write, reopened on any device, and deleted everywhere when you delete them.

A native desktop app for the Mac, with Linux and Windows following the same week. Your mail lives encrypted on your own computer, and the key never touches the interface layer. On Pro and Advanced, from the download page.

• Works offline: read and write without a connection; it syncs when you're back.
• Search your mail: full-text, across everything stored on your device. The browser can't have this safely; the desktop can.
• Bring in your other mailboxes: connect any standard IMAP or POP account alongside your Confidesk mail.
• Auto-lock and quick unlock: the key is wiped from memory after inactivity; reopening takes just your passphrase.

The whole service was reworked as a new platform: modern end-to-end encryption with your own key, generated in your browser: Curve25519, with a passphrase that never leaves your device. Only you can read your mail and files; there is no reset, no recovery, no back door. Registration opened to the public, and migration from the classic service began: sign in once, and your data moves over, re-encrypted to your new key.

The rebuild is not just new plumbing. It added what the classic service never had:

• Chat: encrypted conversations between Confidesk users.
• Secure send: a passphrase-encrypted message to any address, Confidesk or not.
• A personal contact form: anyone can write to you encrypted, without an account.
• A password vault: KeePass-compatible, readable only by you.
• Notes: encrypted notes in Markdown, plain or rich text.
• Trusted devices: skip the sign-in code on a device you've chosen to trust, revocable remotely.