File System

Introduction

The Hippius File System is one of our core innovations, offering a unique, decentralized approach to storage. Designed to be efficient and accessible, it was built with a strong focus on security and privacy. All files are encrypted on your device before syncing to the Hippius network, so only you can read them.

The desktop app supports multi-folder sync, allowing you to sync multiple folders from your device simultaneously. Each folder syncs independently and can be managed, paused, or removed individually.

Encryption

Hippius uses end-to-end encryption to protect your files. Every file is encrypted on your device before it leaves your machine, so the Hippius network only ever stores ciphertext that no one else can read.

How It Works

When you sign in for the first time, the app prompts you to set an unlock password. This password is used to derive a cryptographic key from your mnemonic seed. That key encrypts and decrypts every file in your sync folders.

1. Files are encrypted locally on your device before upload.
2. Files are decrypted locally on your device after download.
3. The Hippius network and servers never see your plaintext data.

You do not need to set a separate encryption password. Your unlock password handles both file encryption and account recovery automatically.

Important

Your unlock password cannot be recovered. If you forget it, you will need your mnemonic seed to restore access to your files. Store both your password and mnemonic seed safely.

What the Unlock Password Does

Your unlock password serves multiple purposes:

Purpose	Description
File encryption	Encrypts and decrypts files on your device during sync
Multi-device access	Lets you access your files when you log in on a new device
Console access	Lets you preview and download files on Hippius Console

The app sets up encryption automatically using your unlock password, so you only need to remember one password for everything.

When is the unlock password required?

• First login: The app prompts you to set your unlock password right after signing in for the first time.
• New device: The app asks for your unlock password to decrypt your files on the new device.
• Hippius Console: Enter your unlock password to preview or download files from the web.

Unlock Password

The unlock password is the single password that protects your encrypted files, both on your device and across all other devices and Hippius Console.

How It Works

When you set your unlock password, the app uses it to encrypt your files locally and also creates an encrypted backup of your account key on the server. This backup can only be decrypted with your unlock password, so no one else can access it.

When you log in on a new device, the app asks for your unlock password to decrypt this backup and set up your files. On Hippius Console, the same password lets you preview and download your files directly from the web. Without the password, the encrypted backup remains locked and your files stay inaccessible.

Setting Your Unlock Password

The app prompts you to set your unlock password on your first sign-in. This is required before you can use the app.

1. Enter a strong password (minimum 8 characters).
2. Confirm the password.
3. Click Save password.

Once set, file encryption is configured automatically. You can start adding sync folders right away without any additional setup.

Changing Your Unlock Password

You can change your unlock password at any time from Settings.

1. Go to
   Settings
   →
   Security
   .
2. Click Change Unlock Password.
3. Enter your current password.
4. Choose a new password and confirm it.
5. Click Change password.

Changing the password re-encrypts the sealed backup on the server. Your mnemonic seed and encrypted files are not affected. Your desktop app access continues to work normally regardless of this change.

Uploading Files

Files uploaded to Hippius are automatically added to your sync folder and encrypted for security. This ensures your data remains private and protected.

1. Click on
   Files
   in the sidebar.
2. Click the Upload File button.
3. If you have multiple sync folders, select the destination folder from the Upload to folder dropdown.
4. Drag and drop or click to select one or more files to upload.
5. Click the Upload File button in the modal to start the upload process.

Private & Encrypted

All files uploaded are stored privately and encrypted. Files are added to your sync folder and secured automatically.

Sync Must Be Active

If syncing is stopped for a folder, you will be prompted to resume syncing from Settings → Sync & Storage before you can upload files. An alert will appear if you try to add files to a stopped folder.

Uploading Folders

You can upload entire folders to Hippius. Like individual files, folders are encrypted and synced securely.

1. Click on
   Files
   in the sidebar.
2. Click the Add Folder button.
3. If you have multiple sync folders, select the destination folder from the dropdown.
4. Select the folder you want to upload from your device.
5. Click Upload Folder in the modal to start the upload process.

A toast notification will confirm: "Folder added. Your sync will start soon."

Browsing Files

The Files page shows all your synced files and folders. You can navigate through your folder structure by clicking on folders.

Folder Tabs

When you have two or more sync folders, a tab bar appears at the top of the Files page:

• All: Displays files from every synced folder
• Individual folder tabs: Shows files from that specific folder only

File Actions (Context Menu)

Right click any file or folder (or click the

menu) to access the full set of actions:

Action	Applies To	Description
Open	Folders	Navigate into the folder
Download	Files	Download the file to your local device
View	Images, Videos, PDFs	Open in the built-in media viewer
Reveal in Finder / Explorer	Files & Folders	Show the item in your operating system's file manager
File Details / Folder Details	Files & Folders	View detailed metadata (size, type, modified date, sync status)
View on Explorer	Uploaded files	Open the file's Arion Hash tracker on hipstats.com
Delete	Files & Folders	Remove the item (disabled while actively syncing)

tip

Pictures, videos, and PDFs open directly in the desktop app's built-in viewer. Other file types will open in your default system application.

View Modes

The Files page supports two display layouts:

• List View: A traditional table format showing file name, size, modified date, and sync status in columns
• Card View: A grid layout with file thumbnails for quick visual browsing

Toggle between views using the view mode buttons at the top of the Files page. Your selection is remembered across sessions.

Creating Folders

You can create new folders directly within your sync folders:

1. Navigate to the location where you want to create a folder.
2. Click the Create Folder button.
3. Enter a name for the new folder.
4. Click Create to confirm.

The new folder appears immediately and will be synced to the Hippius network on the next sync cycle.

Sync Progress

Whenever files are syncing, a progress widget appears in the bottom-right corner of the app. It provides real-time feedback on sync operations.

Collapsed View

The widget shows a compact circular progress indicator with the current sync percentage and a status icon:

• Spinner: Files are actively syncing
• Checkmark: Sync completed successfully
• Error icon: Some files failed to sync
• X icon: Disconnected from sync network

Expanded View

Click the widget to expand it and see detailed information:

• Status banner: Summary like "5 synced, 2 deleted" or "3 files failed to sync"
• Overall progress bar: With byte counters showing uploaded/total
• File list: Up to 20 files showing individual status and progress

The widget auto-dismisses when sync completes. If there are errors, you can close it manually after reviewing the results.

Conflict Resolution

When the same file has been modified on multiple devices or both locally and remotely, sync conflicts may arise. Hippius detects these automatically and gives you full control over how to resolve them.

Conflict Detection

When conflicts are detected during a sync cycle, a conflict banner appears at the top of the Files page:

"X file conflict(s) detected during sync."

Click Review & Resolve to open the Staged Changes dialog, or click the dismiss icon to skip the review and let sync continue with default behavior.

Reviewing Staged Changes

The Staged Changes dialog organizes pending sync operations into clear sections:

1. Upload — Files that will be uploaded to the server
2. Download — Files that will be downloaded from the server
3. Delete Locally — Files that will be removed from your device
4. Delete from Server — Files that will be removed remotely
5. Conflicts — Files with conflicting changes that require your decision

Resolving Conflicts

For each conflicting file, choose a resolution from the dropdown:

Resolution	What It Does
Keep Local	Use your local version of the file
Accept Remote	Replace your local file with the remote version
Keep Both	Create a renamed copy of your local file (e.g., file_conflict_...) and accept the remote version
Skip	Do nothing, leave the file unresolved for now

You can use the Apply All buttons to apply the same resolution to all conflicts at once. The Sync Now button remains disabled until every conflict has a resolution selected.

Conflict Types

Hippius identifies the following conflict scenarios:

Conflict Type	Description
Both modified	The file was changed on both your device and another device
Modified locally, deleted remotely	You edited the file, but it was deleted on another device
Deleted locally, modified remotely	You deleted the file, but it was changed on another device
Both created	The same file was created independently on multiple devices

Stop and Resume Syncing

You can stop syncing for individual folders at any time. When syncing is stopped:

• Files in the folder will not be uploaded or downloaded
• Your local files remain on your device untouched
• A "Syncing is stopped" alert appears on the Dashboard and Files pages when all sync folders are stopped
• You will see an alert dialog if you try to add files to a folder with stopped sync

Stopping Sync

1. Go to
   Settings
   in the sidebar.
2. In the Sync & Storage section, find the folder you want to stop.
3. Click Stop Syncing (or select Pause Sync from the folder menu).
4. Confirm in the dialog that appears.

Resuming Sync

1. Go to
   Settings
   in the sidebar.
2. Click Start Syncing next to the stopped folder.
3. Syncing will resume and your files will be synchronized again.

tip

If the sync stopped alert appears on the Dashboard or Files page, click the Start Syncing button in the alert to resume quickly.

Connectivity Status

The app monitors your connection to the Hippius sync network and displays alerts when connectivity changes:

• Connected: Sync is operating normally
• Reconnecting: Temporarily lost connection, attempting to reconnect
• Disconnected: Unable to reach the sync network. Files will sync when connection is restored