FAQ - Paranoia File & Text Encryption
I forgot my password. Can you help me?
No, there is no backdoor. It's the purpose of the application. All data are encrypted (mathematically altered) using the password. Without the password you can't reverse the process and "reconstruct" original data. We can't help you. Nobody can. The correct password is the only way.
Why can't I use other application(s) that work with the same ciphers? For example AES to decrypt files/texts?
It isn't only about an encryption algorithm, there are many other pieces: encryption mode (CBC, CFB, PCBC, OFB, CRT, CWC, EAX, ...), password processing (KDF - Key Derivation Function), integrity check, file archive type, compression etc... Detailed format specifications can be found here.
I can't decrypt my data, the application says "Invalid password or corrupted data", but I'm 100% sure my password is correct.
A) Probability—more than 99.9%: Your password really is invalid. Avoid mistypes when you try to set/enter your password and remember the correct password for the particular piece of data. If you already are in an "incorrect password" situation, please check for missing / swapped / doubled letters, replaced by neighbor / added extra neighbor letters - try all the combinations of keys in the vicinity of your intended key (one by one — it's laborious, but possible in case of single character error — many users have recovered their data using this procedure). Many "100% sure users" have also recalled the correct password eventually (if they tried of course — those who think they never make mistakes prefer to sacrifice their data to this believe).
B) Probability—low: A hardware failure. The application verifies (decrypts) all data (Text Encryptor) and the wider header of .enc files after encryption to avoid calculation or memory errors. Most (unfortunately unpreventable) hardware errors are caused by storage failures.
The application can be easily "cracked" (means "gain PRO version features") by various automatic "patchers". Where are the strong ciphers?
The "strong ciphers" and all encryption capabilities of the application have absolutely nothing to do with anti-piracy protection of the PRO version. There isn't (and will not be) any special anti-piracy protection in this application, because it's complete nonsense. Applications of this type have to be trustworthy and their strongest attributes are: open source, not obfuscated build, fully off-line if possible, etc. All of these go against anti-piracy protections, but make the application much more reliable. Do not consider strengths as weaknesses. This isn't a "money making" project (it would end before it began) and if someone wants to rely on cracked security apps and has a rooted device full of "crackers and patchers", it's his fight and we are ok with that — there's no accounting for taste.
File Encryptor Specific
My file(s) are still visible after an encryption. The application doesn't work or what I am doing wrong?
SSE File Encryptor works as an archiver (a new .enc file is created). You can delete/wipe the original file(s) after the encryption process is completed.
My images/videos (or other documents) have been encrypted/deleted, but I can still see thumbnails in my picture viewer/gallery application. What should I do about it?
There are a number of gallery / picture viewer applications available, so this issue does not have a universal solution. When a picture file is deleted your gallery software still has its own "shrunk" copy of it (thumbnail) and updating this status is up to the gallery software. Thumbnails can be stored (cached) within the gallery software data space (so no other application has permission to access the data). A similar problem can occur with other documents if the target application holds, for example, AutoSave copies of your documents.
Text Encryptor Specific
The text is decrypted even when I change the algorithm in the application settings. How is that possible?
You can set an ENCRYPTION algorithm (the decryption algorithm is detected automatically - information about the used algorithm is part of the application data format).
The application produces a completely different output (using the same input) whenever I tap the encrypt button. How is that possible?
Two words for DuckDuckGo, Google (or some other search engine):
cryptographic salt