How to install Mailvelope Business for Nextcloud

Select Generate key on set up screen. Start by entering your name (or a pseudonym). Next, add the email address of the Nextcloud Mail account you want to use with Mailvelope — your new key will be associated with it. Now create a strong, unique password or passphrase. Be sure to write it down on paper or save it securely in a password manager.

Note: Mailvelope does not store your password, so if you lose it, it cannot be recovered by us.

Once your key is successfully created, Mailvelope will confirm the process and display your new key on the Key Management screen.

Because a key backup is essential for recovering your encrypted data in case of data loss or reinstallation of your operating system or browser extension, we recommend creating one now by clicking the Create a Backup button. This will save a copy of your keys to your device’s download folder. Make sure to store the backup securely in a safe location — for example, on a USB drive or in a password manager.

To ensure your communication partners can find your newly created key, it will be automatically uploaded to the Mailvelope Key Server unless you unchecked the option Upload public key to Mailvelope Key Server during key creation. Shortly after key creation, you’ll therefore receive an encrypted email with the subject line “Verify your email address.” Open the email in the inbox of your Nextcloud Mail account (not on another device, since the message is encrypted). Now enter the password you created during key generation in order to decrypt the email. Once you can see the message in cleartext, click on the verification link provided in the email. Your public key will now be available on the Mailvelope Key Server, making it discoverable by other Mailvelope users, whether within your organization or externally.

Note: Should you encounter any difficulty to open the email from Mailvelope Key Server, see step 4 of this tutorial, section: Decrypting an email sent to you.

Select Import Keys on the setup screen. You’ll need the keypair file (usually a file with an .asc extension). Import the key by either dragging and dropping the file into the browser window or selecting it manually using the Add File option.

When you click the Import Keys button, Mailvelope will display the key’s technical details, including the Key ID and Fingerprint, for your review. After you confirm, the key will be successfully added to your keyring and is ready for use.

To ensure the new keypair is available to other Mailvelope users who may want to send you encrypted emails, we recommend uploading it to the Mailvelope Key Server. To do this, open Key Management and click on your newly imported keypair. On the key details page (just click on the key in the keychain), you will see a red notification saying, The user ID is not synchronized with the Mailvelope Key Server. Simply click the Synchronize button to upload your public key. Next, check your email inbox for a message titled Verify your email address from the Mailvelope Key Server. Since this email is encrypted, make sure to open it using your webmail provider with Mailvelope enabled. Decrypt the email by entering your key’s password, then click the confirmation link inside. Once verified, your key will be available on the Mailvelope Key Server, making it easy for other users to send you encrypted messages.

Note: If you should encounter any difficulty to open the email, head on to Step 4 of this tutorial, section: Decrypt an email sent to you.

Key servers are directories that store public keys along with their associated email addresses, making it easy to find your contacts’ keys by searching for their email addresses. To search for a key, navigate to Key Management → Search. Mailvelope’s built-in search function queries its own key server as well as several other commonly used key servers. If needed, you can customize the key servers included in the search to suit your preferences.

If your contact has sent you their public key as a file (typically with a “.asc” extension), you can easily add it to your keyring. Simply go to Key Management and select Import. You can upload the file by either dragging and dropping it into the browser window or selecting it manually using the “Add File” option.

If the email you received includes an encrypted attachment (usually with a .gpg file extension, as shown in the screenshot above), click the three dots next to the attachment to download it.

Next, click the Mailvelope icon in the upper right corner of your browser to open the main menu. Go to Dashboard and select Decrypt from the top menu bar. Click “Add File” or simply drag and drop the encrypted file into the Mailvelope window. After entering your private key password, the decrypted content will be displayed, and you can download the files.