.gpg

What is a .gpg file?

GPG files are encrypted or digitally signed using GNU Privacy Guard — the open-source implementation of PGP.

Use caution
Type Security
By Werner Koch (GNU Project)
MIME application/pgp-encrypted

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What is it

A .gpg file is the output of GPG (GNU Privacy Guard) encryption or signing. It's a binary file containing data encrypted with one or more public keys, signed with a private key, or both. GPG implements the OpenPGP standard — the same encryption used for secure email, package signing, and file encryption across the open-source world.

The format is binary by default. When you run `gpg -c secret.txt` (symmetric encryption) or `gpg -e -r [email protected] secret.txt` (public key encryption), you get `secret.txt.gpg`. To decrypt: `gpg -d secret.txt.gpg`. Linux package managers (apt, rpm) use GPG signatures to verify package authenticity.

GPG is pre-installed on most Linux distributions. On Mac, install via Homebrew (`brew install gnupg`). On Windows, Gpg4win provides GPG with a GUI (Kleopatra). For encrypted email, Thunderbird has built-in OpenPGP support. The learning curve is real, but GPG remains the gold standard for open-source cryptography.

Technical details
Full Name
GPG Encrypted/Signed File
MIME Type
application/pgp-encrypted
Developer
Werner Koch (GNU Project)
Magic Bytes
N/A
Safety
.gpg requires caution. GPG files may contain any type of encrypted content. The encryption itself is safe, but verify the source before decrypting unknown files.
What opens it
gpg (CLI)
FREE Windows / Mac / Linux
Kleopatra (Gpg4win)
FREE Windows
GPG Suite
FREE Mac
FAQ
How do I decrypt a .gpg file?
`gpg -d file.gpg` decrypts the file. You'll need either the password (if symmetrically encrypted) or the matching private key (if encrypted to your public key).
What's the difference between GPG and PGP?
PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) is the original commercial software. GPG (GNU Privacy Guard) is the free, open-source implementation of the same OpenPGP standard. They're interoperable — GPG can decrypt PGP-encrypted files and vice versa.
Related formats