MEGA

Review by eFreeware

Anyone who wants cloud storage but is uneasy about a provider holding readable copies of their files is the natural audience for MEGA. The developer's pitch is that encryption and decryption happen on your own devices, so the service itself never handles your data in the clear. In practice that means you get a place to keep documents, photos and videos that stays under your control in a way an ordinary drive does not.

The app is free to install and has been around long enough to feel settled, with more than 100 million installs and a 4.6 average from over 1.6 million ratings. It carries ads and offers in-app purchases. What appeals to me is the combination: storage, sync, sharing and encrypted messaging in one package, rather than stitching several services together.

Client-side encryption, and why it changes the deal

The feature the developer leads with is end-to-end encryption, and it is worth understanding what that means before you commit anything important. Files are scrambled on the device you are using and only unscrambled there, so the service stores something it cannot read. That is a meaningfully different arrangement from a standard cloud drive, where the provider holds the keys.

MEGA cannot access or reset your password, and the developer is explicit that you have to remember it and keep a copy of your account recovery key somewhere safe. Lose both and the files are gone for good. I would treat that recovery key as seriously as a spare house key: store it somewhere safe.

Because the encryption happens on your side, the same protection applies to whatever you upload from a phone or tablet and then reach from another device. You can search, download, stream, view, share, rename or delete items from wherever you happen to be.

Sync, backup and sharing folders

Beyond storage, MEGA covers the housekeeping that makes a cloud drive useful day to day. You can sync local data with your cloud drive so the same files appear across your devices, and there is a backup option that works as a one-way sync: you pick folders and they are copied up without changes flowing back down. That distinction matters if you want a safety copy of a working folder rather than a second live version of it.

Sharing is built around folders and contacts. You can share a folder with people you know and see their updates as they happen, which is handy for a household budget, a shared project or a set of documents several people need to reach.

The app also handles encrypted one-on-one and group chats, along with audio and video calls, using what the developer describes as zero-knowledge encryption. Messages and calls sit alongside the drive, and files can be sent and received through chat directly. For a small team or a family group, that means one place for conversation and the documents being discussed, rather than a chat app on one side and a drive on the other.

What the app asks of you

The requirements are straightforward but worth taking seriously. You need an account, a password you will not forget and a backed-up recovery key.

Permissions are framed as optional and tied to specific actions. Contacts are used so you can add people from your device, the camera and microphone come into play when you capture photos or video, record voice messages or join a call, and Bluetooth devices can be used for calls. Notifications cover chat messages, calls, transfer progress, contact requests and incoming shares. Location is used when you choose to share it in chat, and media access applies when you upload, share through chat or have camera uploads switched on.

On cost, the app is free and includes an amount of storage for registered users, with more available in 5 GB increments through the Achievements Programme. There are ads and in-app purchases, and subscriptions renew automatically for further periods of the same length at the same price.

Getting the most out of it without regrets

The single most useful habit here is to sort out recovery before you upload anything you would hate to lose. Set the password, save the recovery key somewhere durable, and only then start moving files across.

After that, I would think about which folders deserve a one-way backup rather than a sync. A camera roll, a set of scanned documents or a work folder you never edit on your phone are natural candidates, because the copy only ever moves in one direction. Sync is better for files you genuinely work on from more than one device and want kept in step.

Sharing is where the app starts to replace more than a drive. If you already coordinate with a small group, setting up a shared folder and using the chat and calls for the conversation around it keeps everything in one place, with the encryption applying throughout. The developer also publishes the client-side code for its Android app on GitHub, so anyone who cares about that level of transparency can look at it directly.

Encrypted storage that expects you to hold the keys

MEGA is a mature, widely used option for anyone who wants cloud storage where the provider cannot read the contents. It combines file storage, sync, one-way backup, folder sharing and encrypted chat and calls in a single app, and the free tier plus the Achievements Programme gives you room to try it properly before deciding whether you need a subscription.

The recovery key is not optional paperwork; it is the thing that keeps your files reachable, and if you are not willing to store it carefully, the privacy model works against you rather than for you.

If you want a drive that keeps your files out of everyone else's hands, including the company running it, and you are prepared to look after your credentials, this is a well-established choice with a large user base behind it.

What's new

- Bug fixes and performance improvements