Drive
Introduction
Drive is your personal encrypted file storage on the Hippius network. Every file you upload is encrypted in your browser before it leaves your device. Only you can decrypt and read it.
Reach Drive from the sidebar at
Your Unlock Password
Drive encrypts every file using a key tied to your unlock password. The console will ask for this password the first time you upload, preview, or download a file in each session. After you enter it, the key stays in memory until you close the tab. You won't be asked again during the same session.
Setting up for the first time? Your unlock password is created when you first sign into the Hippius Desktop App. If you haven't installed the desktop app yet, you'll need to do that first to generate your unlock password. Once created, the same password works in the console.
If you forget it, you'll need your 12-word recovery phrase to restore access to your encrypted files. Keep both somewhere safe. Hippius cannot recover either for you.
Browsing Your Files
Your files are organised into folders. The Drive root lists every folder on your account. Click a folder to open it and see its contents.
The breadcrumb at the top of the file browser shows where you are: for example My Drive › Documents › Receipts. Click any part of the breadcrumb to jump back up, or click the home icon to return to the root.
Files are displayed in a table showing the name, size, type, and upload date.
Sorting
Click any column header to sort by that column. Click it again to reverse the order.
Searching and Filtering
The search box in the page header filters the current folder by file name as you type. On mobile the search input is in the toolbar instead.
The filter pills in the toolbar let you narrow files by type, size, or date:
| Filter | Options |
|---|---|
| File Extension | Pick from common types (PDF, JPG, PNG, MP4, ZIP, …). |
| File Size | Pre set ranges from < 1 MB to > 500 MB. |
| Date Range | A date range picker for the upload date. |
Active filters show as chips above the table. Click the X on a chip to remove it, or use Clear all to remove them all at once.
Uploading Files
Click + New File in the page header to open the upload dialog.
The first time you upload in a session, the console will ask for your unlock password to encrypt the file. After that, the key is cached for the rest of the session.
Two important things to know before uploading:
- The destination is the folder you're currently in. If you're at the Drive root with no folder selected, the upload dialog will ask you to pick a destination folder first.
- Each file must be under 100 MB. Files larger than 100 MB will be flagged and cannot be uploaded via the console browser. To upload larger files, use the Hippius Desktop App.
You can also drag files from your desktop directly onto the Drive page. A full page drop zone appears and the dialog opens with your files pre loaded.
For a complete reference of the upload queue, progress widget, and error handling, see Console Uploads.
Previewing Files
Click any file name or the eye icon in its row to preview it directly in the browser. The first time you preview in a session, the console asks for your unlock password to decrypt the file.
Supported preview types:
| Type | What you see |
|---|---|
| Images (JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF) | Inline image viewer with zoom and pan. |
| PDFs | Multi page reader with page navigation. |
| Video (MP4, WebM) | Inline player with playback controls. |
For any other file type, use the action menu to Download it and open it locally.
The preview toolbar has buttons to Download, open Details, or Close the preview.
File Details
Click the action menu (three dots) on any file row and choose Details to see full metadata without opening a preview. The details panel shows the file name, path, size, MIME type, upload date, IPFS CID, and Hippius file hash, each with a copy icon.
Downloading Files
To download a file:
- Open the action menu on the row and choose Download.
- Or open the file preview and click the download icon in the toolbar.
- Or open File Details and click the download button.
Hippius decrypts the file in your browser and saves it to your local downloads folder. A toast confirms when it's ready.
Selecting and Deleting Multiple Files
Tick the checkbox at the start of any row to enter selection mode. The header checkbox selects everything on the current page.
A Selection Action Bar appears at the bottom of the page with a live count of selected files, a Delete button, and a cancel (X) button.
Deletes run in parallel. Each file is removed independently and a per file toast streams the result as it completes. A confirmation dialog appears before anything is deleted.
Deleted files cannot be recovered through the console. If a file was also synced from the desktop app, it will be removed there too on the next sync.
Storage Stats
The toolbar shows your total storage used and file count next to the breadcrumb. These update automatically after every upload or delete.
Refreshing
The file list refreshes automatically after uploads and deletes. To manually refresh, for example after another device has synced new files, click the refresh icon in the page header.
Insufficient Credits
If your credit balance can't cover a planned upload, an Insufficient Credits dialog appears before anything starts. It shows your current balance, the estimated cost, and a Top Up shortcut to the Billing page.
After topping up, start the upload again from the same dialog or click + New File again.
Limits
| Limit | Value |
|---|---|
| Max file size (via console) | 100 MB |
| Max files per upload batch | 1000 |
| Folder depth | Unlimited |
For files larger than 100 MB, use the Hippius Desktop App, which syncs files incrementally without a browser size cap.
Where to next
- Shared Links: share any Drive file as a public download link — no account required for recipients.
- Console Uploads: full reference for the upload queue, progress widget, and error handling.
- S3 Buckets: S3 compatible storage for use with any S3 client.
- Hippius Desktop App: real time folder sync and uploads beyond the 100 MB cap.