How to Set Up GPG Email Encryption in Roundcube July 16, 2025

To prevent unwanted access to sensitive data, email encryption is important. Plugins for Roundcube, a well-known webmail client, enable GPG (GNU Privacy Guard) encryption, which helps protect incoming and outgoing communications.
We will walk you through the process of configuring GPG email encryption in Roundcube in this article.

What is GPG encryption for emails?
The OpenPGP standard has a free, open-source version called GPG (GNU Privacy Guard). To make sure that only the intended receiver can view and confirm the authenticity of your emails, it allows you to encrypt, decode, and digitally verify them.

Before setting up GPG in Roundcube, confirm you have the following:

• Log in to your Roundcube webmail account.
• The Enigma plugin is enabled on your Roundcube installation (this plugin supports OpenPGP/GPG).
• A GPG key pair (public and private keys).

Note: If you are using a managed hosting service, contact support to ensure the Enigma plugin is enabled.

How to set up GPG encryption in Roundcube?

1. Enable Enigma Plugin: (If you are a server admin and have not enabled the Enigma plugin)
   1.  Locate your Roundcube config directory.
   2. Open the config/config.inc.php file.
   3. Add ‘enigma’ to the plugins array:

      $config[‘plugins’] = array(‘enigma’, ‘...’); // Add other plugins as needed

2. Log in to Roundcube and Open the Settings:
   1. Log in to cPanel.
   2. Scroll to the “Email” section and click on “Email Accounts.”
      
      
   3. Next to your email address, click “Check Email.”
      
      
   4. Choose “Roundcube” as your webmail client (if not selected by default). Click on “Open”.
      
   5. Click on the “Settings” gear icon.
      
   6. Navigate to PGP Keys.
      
3. Generate or Import Your GPG Key Pair:
   You can either generate a new key or import an existing one.
   1. To Generate a New Key:
      1. Click on “Generate New Key.”
      2. Fill in your name, email address, and passphrase.
      3. Click “Create”; it may take a moment.
   2. To Import an Existing Key:
      1. Click “Import Key.”
      2. Paste your public and private GPG key into the provided field.
      3. Click “Import.”
4. Sending Encrypted Emails in Roundcube:
   1. Open Roundcube and click “Compose” to start a new email.
      
   2. Before sending, click the lock icon to encrypt the message.
   3. If the recipient’s public key is already stored, the email will be encrypted automatically.
   4. Optionally, click the sign icon to digitally sign your message for added authenticity.
      
5.  Receiving and Decrypting Encrypted Emails
   1. When you receive an encrypted email, Roundcube will prompt you to enter your GPG passphrase.
   2. After entering the correct passphrase, the email will be decrypted and securely displayed.

Best Practices for GPG in Roundcube

• Always keep a secure backup of your private key.
• Only share your public key with others.
• Never send your private key or passphrase via email.
• Regularly update Roundcube and its plugins to maintain security.

This way, GPG encryption is set up in Roundcube, as it strengthens the privacy of your email communication. Once configured, you can securely send and receive messages, confident that your information is protected from unauthorised access.

For further assistance, feel free to contact our support staff.

Want to secure your files too? Learn How to Use GPG to Encrypt Files for Secure Backups