The 1 TB free tier is the headline that pulls people into TeraBox. The hidden costs show up later. The free app is heavy with full-screen ads, upload and download speeds slow to a crawl on the free plan, individual files are capped at 4 GB before you pay, and the company holds the encryption keys to everything you store. Add in the unresolved questions about TeraBox’s roots in Baidu’s Chinese cloud product DuBox before its rebrand to Tokyo-headquartered Flextech in 2021, and the deal looks less generous than the splash screen suggests.
This guide compares seven TeraBox alternatives worth considering in 2026: MEGA for a free tier large enough to feel like a real swap, Google Drive for everyday productivity, pCloud for one-time lifetime plans, Proton Drive for end-to-end encryption with a privacy-first European parent, OneDrive for households already paying for Microsoft 365, Sync.com for zero-knowledge sharing, and Internxt for an open-source, post-quantum encrypted option. Each one solves a specific TeraBox problem, and we name where each falls short.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free plan | Entry paid tier | Encryption | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TeraBox | Cheap bulk storage if you tolerate ads | 1 TB (with ads, slow speeds, 4 GB file cap) | Premium 2 TB at a modest monthly fee | TLS in transit, server-side at rest, no E2EE | Closed source, vague privacy policy |
| MEGA | Largest free tier with end-to-end encryption | 20 GB | Pro Lite 400 GB at a modest monthly fee | End-to-end, zero-knowledge | New Zealand-based, open-source clients |
| Google Drive | Documents, sheets, and shared workspaces | 15 GB shared with Gmail and Photos | Google One 100 GB at a low monthly fee | TLS in transit, at rest with Google keys | Best collaboration in the category |
| pCloud | Pay-once lifetime storage | 10 GB | Premium 500 GB on monthly or annual billing | Optional zero-knowledge Crypto folder | Switzerland-based, lifetime plans available |
| Proton Drive | Privacy with mainstream usability | 5 GB | Drive Plus 200 GB on annual billing | End-to-end, zero-access | Switzerland, open-source clients |
| OneDrive | Households inside Microsoft 365 | 5 GB | Microsoft 365 Personal includes 1 TB plus Office | TLS in transit, at rest with Microsoft keys | No E2EE on consumer plans |
| Sync.com | Zero-knowledge sharing for small teams | 5 GB | Solo Basic 2 TB at an annual rate | End-to-end, zero-knowledge | Canadian PIPEDA jurisdiction |
| Internxt | Open-source, post-quantum encryption | 1 GB (10 GB through referrals) | Standard 200 GB at a modest monthly fee | End-to-end with post-quantum crypto | Spain-based, GDPR-compliant, lifetime plans |
Why people are leaving TeraBox
The complaints we see across user reviews, Reddit, and recent security write-ups land on five points.
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The free app is full of ads. Reviewers consistently describe TeraBox’s mobile app as ad-heavy to the point that everyday tasks like opening a folder or starting a download trigger interstitials. Trustpilot complaints land on intrusive advertising and an ad wall that makes the free service feel nearly unusable.
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Free uploads and downloads are throttled. Performance throttling on free accounts can interrupt large transfers, so files you assume have been stored safely sometimes finish incomplete or corrupted. The 4 GB per-file cap on free accounts also blocks large videos and disk images.
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There is no zero-knowledge encryption. TeraBox does not offer client-side encryption, so data is encrypted only after it reaches TeraBox’s servers, not before upload. The company holds the keys to your files.
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The corporate history raises questions. The service originally launched as DuBox under a Chinese technology company, was rebranded as TeraBox in April 2021, and operational control then shifted to Flextech Inc, headquartered in Tokyo. Closed-source code and vague disclosures make those claims hard to verify independently.
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Account terminations and data loss are reported. User reports on Reddit detail sudden account terminations and file deletions without warning, which suggests user control over data is fragile and subject to the company’s unilateral decisions.
If any of those points pushed you to look for an alternative, here are the seven cloud storage apps that actually replace TeraBox in 2026.
Which cloud storage app should you pick?
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MEGA if the 1 TB free tier was the only reason you used TeraBox. MEGA’s 20 GB free plan is the largest free allowance from a major service, and every file is end-to-end encrypted by default.
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Google Drive if you collaborate on documents and spreadsheets daily. The Workspace integration is unmatched, and 15 GB free is enough for most personal users who do not store video.
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pCloud if you want to pay once and stop renting storage forever. The lifetime plans are the cleanest escape from monthly cloud bills.
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Proton Drive if privacy is your reason for leaving TeraBox. Proton’s Swiss base, open-source clients, and zero-access architecture address the exact gaps that make TeraBox uncomfortable.
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OneDrive if your household already has Microsoft 365. The 1 TB per user that ships with Personal and the 6 TB shared across Family Sharing make the deal hard to beat on price.
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Sync.com if you share confidential files with clients or colleagues. Sync’s zero-knowledge link sharing keeps the file encrypted end-to-end even when sent to a recipient who does not have an account.
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Internxt if you want open source code, post-quantum encryption, and an EU jurisdiction. The lifetime plans are an alternative to renting, and the source is open for review on GitHub.
Stay on TeraBox only if you are using it as a temporary, anonymous transfer tool for non-sensitive files and you have a separate backup elsewhere. For users whose primary concern is privacy, services like Sync.com and Proton Drive are built on a fundamentally different philosophy: a zero-knowledge architecture that is not just a feature but a structural guarantee that the company cannot access user data.
1. MEGA, the closest direct swap with end-to-end encryption
MEGA is the cloud storage product founded in 2013 by Kim Dotcom and now owned and operated out of Auckland, New Zealand. It has the largest free tier of any major service: 20 GB out of the box, expandable through achievements and referrals. Every file uploaded to MEGA is encrypted on your device before it leaves it, with keys controlled by you, which is the structural feature TeraBox does not match at any tier.
MEGA vs TeraBox is the comparison that gets closest to a direct swap. Both pitch generous storage, both have polished mobile apps, both handle large file uploads. The difference is the encryption model: MEGA cannot read your files even if it wanted to, the apps are open source, and there is no ad wall on the free tier. The Android and iOS apps include camera auto-upload, the desktop sync client (MEGAsync) covers Windows, macOS, and Linux, and the web client uses a JavaScript-based encryption layer that lets you upload from any browser without installing anything.
Where it falls short: The free tier was once 50 GB but settled at 20 GB after policy changes. Bandwidth on the free plan is metered, so heavy downloads can hit a temporary limit during a session. The MEGA name still carries reputational baggage from its former association with the original Megaupload, even though the modern company is a separate entity under different ownership.
Pricing: Free 20 GB. Pro Lite 400 GB at a modest monthly fee, Pro I 2 TB at a moderate monthly fee, Pro II 8 TB and Pro III 16 TB at higher tiers. Annual billing knocks roughly 16% off. Family-style multi-user plans are available through MEGA Business.
Migrating from TeraBox: Download your TeraBox files to a local folder using the desktop client or the web interface, then drag the folder into the MEGA web app or MEGAsync. There is no one-click TeraBox importer because TeraBox does not expose a public migration API. For libraries above 100 GB, expect a long round trip on a typical home connection.
Bottom line: Pick MEGA if you want a TeraBox-shaped experience, generous free storage, and the encryption guarantee that TeraBox refuses to provide.
2. Google Drive, the productivity-first replacement
Google Drive is the cloud storage that most people already have. Every Google account ships with 15 GB of storage shared between Drive, Gmail, and Photos, and the apps are pre-installed on most Android phones. The reason to choose Drive over TeraBox is not the free quota, it is the work that happens inside it: Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides are the only mainstream office suite that lets multiple people edit a document at the same time without saving conflicts, and the integration is what keeps teams on the platform.
Google Drive vs TeraBox on storage is a clear loss for Drive on the free tier alone. Where Drive wins is everything around the file: real-time collaboration, comment threads, offline editing on Android, integration with Gmail attachments, and the link-sharing model that almost everyone already understands. Drive also runs cleanly on every platform, with native apps for Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS, plus a polished web client.
Where it falls short: The 15 GB free tier is shared with Gmail attachments and Google Photos, so a heavy email user can hit the cap without uploading a single file to Drive. Google holds the encryption keys to consumer accounts, which means privacy-conscious users get the same key-custody concern they had with TeraBox, just from a different jurisdiction. There is no end-to-end encryption option for personal Drive files.
Pricing: Free 15 GB shared. Google One 100 GB at a low monthly fee, 200 GB at a slightly higher tier, 2 TB and beyond at higher tiers. Family Sharing splits any tier across up to five family members at no extra cost.
Migrating from TeraBox: Download your TeraBox files locally, then upload via drive.google.com or the Drive desktop app. For Android, the Drive mobile app accepts uploads from the system file picker, so you can move files directly from TeraBox to Drive on the phone without a desktop computer.
Bottom line: Pick Google Drive if you live inside Docs and Sheets and you treat cloud storage as the place collaboration happens. Skip it if you came to TeraBox specifically for the privacy of not being on Google.
3. pCloud, the lifetime-plan TeraBox alternative
pCloud is a Swiss cloud storage service that has built its identity around two unusual features: optional zero-knowledge encryption through a separate Crypto folder, and lifetime plans that let you pay once for storage you keep forever. The lifetime tiers are the headline draw. Pay one-time for 500 GB, 2 TB, or 10 TB and there is no monthly bill afterwards, which is the cleanest answer to the rented-storage treadmill that TeraBox, Google Drive, and Dropbox all sit on.
pCloud vs TeraBox on encryption depends on which tier you pick. Standard pCloud storage is encrypted in transit and at rest with company-held keys, the same arrangement as TeraBox. The pCloud Crypto folder, sold as an add-on subscription or bundled into some lifetime plans, applies client-side encryption to a specific folder, where keys never leave your device. Security writeups regularly point to the Crypto folder as the industry gold standard for client-side encryption inside an otherwise mainstream cloud service.
Where it falls short: Standard storage is not zero-knowledge by default; the Crypto folder costs extra unless your lifetime plan includes it. The free tier is 10 GB, smaller than MEGA’s. The mobile apps prioritise media playback, so power users sometimes find the desktop sync client less polished than Dropbox or OneDrive.
Pricing: Free 10 GB. Premium 500 GB at a moderate annual fee, Premium Plus 2 TB at a higher annual fee, Ultra 10 TB at a premium tier. Lifetime plans are sold periodically for 500 GB, 2 TB, and 10 TB at one-time prices that work out cheaper than three to four years of subscription. Family plans bundle 2 TB or 10 TB across up to five members.
Migrating from TeraBox: Use pCloud’s web uploader or the desktop sync client (Windows, macOS, Linux). pCloud also offers a “Backup” feature that pulls data directly from third-party services such as Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive, though TeraBox is not among the supported sources, so the round trip goes through your local disk.
Bottom line: Pick pCloud if a one-time payment for storage you keep forever sounds better than another monthly bill, and if Switzerland-based hosting matters to you.
4. Proton Drive, the privacy-first TeraBox alternative
Proton Drive is the cloud storage product from the Geneva-based team behind Proton Mail and Proton VPN. Every file, file name, and metadata field is encrypted on your device before it leaves it, and Proton’s zero-access architecture means the company itself cannot read what you store. The clients are open source on GitHub, the servers are in Switzerland under Swiss privacy law, and there is no advertising on any tier.
Proton Drive vs TeraBox is a structural mismatch: where TeraBox holds your keys and uses your activity to fund free storage with ads, Proton holds none of your keys and funds the service entirely through subscriptions. The mobile apps cover Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, and a polished web client. Photo and video auto-upload from the phone is built in. Sharing links can be password-protected and time-limited, and the recipient does not need a Proton account to download.
Where it falls short: The free 5 GB is small compared to TeraBox or MEGA, and the mid-tier paid plans are pricier per gigabyte than Google or Microsoft because Proton bundles encryption that the cheaper services do not provide. There is no advanced AI search, no document collaboration to match Google Workspace, and the desktop sync client has had occasional sync hiccups that the team is still working through.
Pricing: Free 5 GB. Drive Plus 200 GB on annual billing at a moderate monthly rate. Proton Unlimited 500 GB plus VPN, Mail, and Pass at a higher monthly rate on annual billing. Proton Duo 2 TB for two users and Proton Family 3 TB for six users at higher annual tiers. All paid plans support family-style multi-user setups.
Migrating from TeraBox: Download files from TeraBox to local disk, then drag them into the Proton Drive web client or desktop app. Proton Drive does not yet have a one-click TeraBox importer because no public TeraBox migration API exists, so the local-disk round trip is the only path.
Bottom line: Pick Proton Drive if you want to leave TeraBox specifically because of the privacy questions, and you are willing to accept a smaller free tier and a higher per-gigabyte cost in exchange for keys you control.
5. OneDrive, the right call inside Microsoft 365
Microsoft OneDrive is the cloud storage that ships with every Microsoft 365 subscription, and the bundled 1 TB per user is the deal that makes most TeraBox-to-OneDrive switches pencil out. The mobile apps include camera auto-upload, the Files on Demand feature on Windows lets you browse the entire cloud library without downloading every file, and Office documents open and save back to OneDrive in real time across Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote.
OneDrive vs TeraBox on storage is roughly even at the paid tier (1 TB versus 2 TB), but OneDrive’s edge is what comes with the storage: the full Office desktop apps, Outlook, and Defender on Microsoft 365 Personal, plus shareable family plans that stretch 6 TB across six people. The Personal Vault folder offers a stronger protection layer for documents (BitLocker plus identity verification), but it is not end-to-end encrypted, and it is limited to three free files outside Microsoft 365.
Where it falls short: No end-to-end encryption on consumer plans, so the same key-custody concern that pushes people away from TeraBox applies to OneDrive too, just from a different jurisdiction. The mobile UI prioritises Office documents, so power users who store mostly photos and video sometimes find the experience clunky compared to MEGA or pCloud. Microsoft has retired some standalone OneDrive plans, so check current availability before signing up.
Pricing: Free 5 GB. OneDrive Standalone 100 GB at a low monthly fee. Microsoft 365 Personal: 1 TB plus Office at a moderate monthly or annual rate. Microsoft 365 Family: 6 TB shared across six users plus Office at a higher monthly or annual rate. Family Sharing across six accounts is the cheapest 1-TB-per-user deal in this guide.
Migrating from TeraBox: Download from TeraBox to local disk, then upload via the OneDrive web client, the Windows or macOS sync client, or the OneDrive mobile app. The OneDrive Mover service supports import from Google Drive, Dropbox, and Box, but not TeraBox, so the local round trip is the only path.
Bottom line: Pick OneDrive if Microsoft 365 already lives on your machines, or if a 6 TB family plan plus Office for the price of a streaming subscription matches what you actually do all day. Skip it if privacy was the reason you wanted out of TeraBox.
6. Sync.com, the zero-knowledge sharing alternative
Sync.com is a Toronto-based cloud storage service built around end-to-end encryption from day one. Files are encrypted on your device with a key derived from your password, sent to Sync’s servers in encrypted form, and only decrypted again when you (or someone you share with) opens them. The killer feature is shared link encryption: links from Sync.com remain end-to-end encrypted to the recipient, with optional password protection, expiry dates, and download limits, even if the recipient does not have a Sync account.
Sync.com vs TeraBox is the cleanest privacy upgrade in this guide for users who share files with clients or collaborators. The Toronto base puts Sync.com under Canada’s PIPEDA, which is generally regarded as one of the more privacy-protective regimes outside the EU, and the company commits to no scanning, no profiling, and no advertising. The Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS apps cover the basics, with selective sync on desktop and camera auto-upload on mobile.
Where it falls short: The free tier is 5 GB, the same as Proton Drive and OneDrive. The web-based file preview is limited to common formats (PDF, common image and video formats); less common formats are download-only. There is no real-time collaboration on documents, because end-to-end encryption rules out the kind of server-side editing that Google Docs needs. Speeds are competitive but not class-leading because the encryption layer adds CPU work on both ends.
Pricing: Free 5 GB. Solo Basic 2 TB at an annual fee. Solo Professional 6 TB at a higher annual fee. Teams Standard from 1 TB per user at a per-user annual rate, scaling up. Annual billing is the standard; monthly billing carries a premium.
Migrating from TeraBox: Download files from TeraBox locally, then upload to Sync.com via the web client or the desktop sync app. As with the other privacy-first options, no direct API import path exists, so the local round trip is the cost of moving data into a zero-knowledge service.
Bottom line: Pick Sync.com if you regularly send files that should not leak, you want zero-knowledge protection that extends to the recipient, and Canadian jurisdiction works for your compliance posture.
7. Internxt, the open-source post-quantum option
Internxt is the most ambitious privacy bet in this guide. The Valencia, Spain-based service is open source, GDPR-compliant, and built around post-quantum encryption algorithms designed to resist attacks from future quantum computers, which is the longest-horizon privacy posture of any service we tested. Files are encrypted client-side, split into shards, and distributed across multiple servers, so even Internxt itself cannot reassemble or read them.
Internxt vs TeraBox is the structural opposite: TeraBox is closed-source, ad-supported, key-custodial, and based in a jurisdiction users disagree about. Internxt is open-source on GitHub for independent code review, ad-free, zero-knowledge, and based in the EU under GDPR. The Drive product covers Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux, and a web client, and Internxt also offers a separate VPN, Antivirus, and encrypted Mail product within the same account, which puts it on the same shape of bundle as Proton.
Where it falls short: The free tier is small (1 GB out of the box, expandable to roughly 10 GB through referrals and verification steps). The brand is less established than MEGA, Proton, or Sync.com, so support communities and third-party tutorials are thinner. The desktop sync client has fewer tuning options than what Dropbox or pCloud offer.
Pricing: Free 1 GB. Standard 200 GB at a modest monthly fee, with higher tiers at 1 TB, 2 TB, 3 TB, and 5 TB on monthly or annual billing. Lifetime plans are sold periodically (2 TB, 5 TB, and 10 TB at one-time prices). Family plans bundle multiple users on a shared subscription.
Migrating from TeraBox: Download from TeraBox to a local folder, then drag into the Internxt web app or desktop sync client. Internxt also has a built-in tool to migrate from Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive, which is useful if you are consolidating multiple clouds at once even if it does not support TeraBox directly.
Bottom line: Pick Internxt if you want open-source, EU-jurisdiction storage, and you are willing to trade a smaller free tier for the longest-horizon encryption guarantee on this list.
How to choose
The decision tree is shorter than the marketing makes it look.
Pick MEGA if you want the closest one-for-one swap with TeraBox: a generous free tier, a polished mobile app, and end-to-end encryption that TeraBox does not match. The 20 GB free plan is the right place to start, with paid tiers ready when you outgrow it.
Pick Google Drive if Docs and Sheets are part of your daily life. The 15 GB free tier is small compared to TeraBox, but the collaboration features more than make up for it if you actually use them. Skip it if privacy is what pushed you out of TeraBox.
Pick pCloud if you are tired of monthly bills and want to pay once for storage you keep forever. The lifetime plans are unique in the category and the optional Crypto folder closes the encryption gap when you need it.
Pick Proton Drive if Swiss jurisdiction, open-source clients, and zero-access encryption are non-negotiable. The smaller free tier is the trade-off, and the bundled Proton Unlimited plan with VPN, Mail, and Pass is the best value if you replace several services at once.
Pick OneDrive if your household is already on Microsoft 365, or if a 6 TB family plan plus Office for the price of a streaming subscription matches what you actually do. It will not satisfy you on privacy.
Pick Sync.com if you regularly share confidential files and want zero-knowledge link sharing that extends end-to-end to the recipient. The Canadian PIPEDA jurisdiction is a meaningful step up for compliance-sensitive work.
Pick Internxt if you want the most thorough privacy posture on this list: open source, post-quantum encryption, EU jurisdiction, and a parent company that funds itself entirely through subscriptions.
Stay on TeraBox only if you are using it as a temporary, anonymous transfer tool for non-sensitive files, and you have a real backup somewhere else. The 1 TB free tier is genuinely useful for moving large videos around once, but it is not a backup destination for anything you cannot afford to lose.
A practical hybrid we have seen work: keep MEGA or Proton Drive as the primary cloud for everyday files, and use a pCloud or Internxt lifetime plan as the long-term archive. The two together cost less than five years of TeraBox Premium Plus and survive a service outage at either one.
FAQ
Is TeraBox safe to use in 2026?
It is broadly safe in the sense that the company has not had a publicly reported breach, but the safety story has gaps. Users report interface issues and slow upload speeds, and there are concerns over third-party access in certain regions. Files are encrypted in transit and at rest, but TeraBox holds the keys, the privacy policy is broad, and the closed-source code makes independent verification impossible. For low-stakes file transfers it is fine; for personal documents, photos, or anything regulated, the alternatives in this guide are better choices.
Why are people looking for TeraBox alternatives?
Three reasons keep coming up. The free app is heavy with ads and the upload and download speeds are throttled on free accounts. There is no zero-knowledge encryption, so the company holds the keys to your files. And the company history (rebrand from Baidu’s DuBox to Tokyo-based Flextech in 2021) leaves jurisdictional questions that closed-source code cannot answer.
What is the cheapest TeraBox alternative?
If “cheapest” means free, MEGA’s 20 GB allowance is the largest free tier of any service in this guide that includes end-to-end encryption. If “cheapest” means lowest cost per gigabyte over time, pCloud and Internxt lifetime plans are the only options that let you pay once and own the storage forever, which works out cheaper than any monthly subscription after roughly three years.
Can I import my files from TeraBox to another service?
Not directly. TeraBox does not expose a public migration API, so no major cloud service offers a one-click TeraBox importer. The standard path is: download files from TeraBox to a local disk using the desktop client or the web interface, then upload to the new service from there. For libraries above 100 GB, expect a long round trip on a typical home connection.
Which TeraBox alternative offers the most free storage?
MEGA, at 20 GB out of the box, with the option to expand through achievements and referrals. Google Drive comes second at 15 GB shared with Gmail and Photos. After that, pCloud at 10 GB is the largest free tier in the guide.
Does TeraBox have end-to-end encryption?
No. TeraBox does not offer client-side encryption, which means data is encrypted only after it reaches TeraBox’s servers, not before upload. If end-to-end encryption is what you need, MEGA, Proton Drive, Sync.com, and Internxt are the alternatives in this guide that offer it.
Is MEGA actually as private as it claims?
Yes, with one caveat. MEGA’s clients are open source, every file and metadata field is encrypted on the device before upload, and the keys never leave you unless you choose to export them for sharing. The caveat is that you are still trusting MEGA’s hosted infrastructure to be available, and if you lose your master key without setting up a recovery method, MEGA cannot recover your files for you.
What is the most private TeraBox alternative?
For everyday users, Proton Drive and Sync.com are the two strongest privacy picks because their entire business model is built around zero-knowledge architecture. For users who want open-source code and the longest-horizon encryption guarantee, Internxt is the more ambitious option. Internxt offers zero-knowledge, post-quantum encryption with code that is open for review on GitHub, hosted in Europe under GDPR.
Can I use these alternatives in India?
Yes. All seven alternatives are available in India through the Google Play Store, the Apple App Store, and Aptoide. None of them are subject to the regional restrictions that occasionally affect TeraBox, and most operate dedicated billing in INR for paid plans.
What is the best TeraBox alternative for backup?
For pure backup, pCloud and Internxt with a lifetime plan are the cheapest long-term options because the cost-per-terabyte over five-plus years beats any subscription. For automatic backup with zero-knowledge protection, Sync.com is the strongest pick because the desktop client handles versioning, automatic uploads, and recovery without exposing keys to the company.