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Upload Documents

Add files to your vault securely

Upload documents, images, videos, and other files to your Torvus vault with end-to-end encryption.

Before You Begin​

Prerequisites:

  • ✅ Vault created
  • ✅ Logged into Torvus Security

Supported File Types: All file types accepted (PDF, images, videos, Office documents, archives, etc.)

Maximum File Size: 500 MB per file

Upload Methods​

Step 1: Navigate to Your Vault​

  1. Log in to app.torvussecurity.com
  2. Click "Vaults" in sidebar
  3. Select the vault where you want to upload documents

Step 2: Start Upload​

  1. Click "Upload Document" button (green button in top-right)
  2. Upload dialog appears

Step 3: Choose Files​

You have two options:

Option A: Drag and Drop

  1. Drag files from your computer into the upload area
  2. Multiple files can be dragged at once (up to 10 files)

Option B: File Picker

  1. Click "Choose Files" button
  2. Browse your computer
  3. Select one or multiple files (hold Cmd/Ctrl to select multiple)
  4. Click "Open"

Step 4: Add Metadata (Optional)​

For each file, you can add:

Tags:

  • Add descriptive tags (e.g., "insurance", "legal", "medical")
  • Use commas to separate multiple tags
  • Tags help organize and search documents later

Description:

  • Brief description of document contents
  • Helpful for recipients who may not recognize file names
  • Example: "Life insurance policy with Acme Insurance, policy #123456"

Category (if enabled):

  • Select predefined category (Legal, Financial, Medical, Personal, etc.)
  • Categories can be customized in vault settings

Step 5: Upload​

  1. Review files to be uploaded
  2. Click "Upload" button
  3. Progress bar shows upload status
  4. Encryption happens automatically on your device before upload

What Happens During Upload:

  1. Your browser encrypts each file using AES-256
  2. Encrypted files are sent to Torvus servers
  3. Metadata is saved (file name, size, tags, description)
  4. You receive confirmation when upload completes

Method 2: Mobile App Upload​

Step 1: Open Torvus Mobile App​

  1. Launch Torvus Security app
  2. Authenticate (biometric or password)
  3. Navigate to your vault

Step 2: Choose Upload Source​

Tap "Upload" button and select source:

Camera:

  • Take photo or video directly
  • Useful for capturing physical documents

Photo Library:

  • Select existing photos/videos
  • Multiple selection supported

Files:

  • Browse device storage
  • Access cloud storage (iCloud, Google Drive) if connected

Step 3: Add Metadata and Upload​

  1. Add tags and description (optional)
  2. Tap "Upload"
  3. File encrypts on device and uploads in background
  4. You can continue using app while upload completes

Background Upload: Upload continues even if you close the app (iOS 13+, Android 8+).

Method 3: API Upload (Advanced)​

For automated uploads, use the Torvus API:

curl -X POST https://api.torvussecurity.com/v1/vaults/{vault_id}/documents \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: multipart/form-data" \
  -F "file=@/path/to/document.pdf" \
  -F "tags=insurance,legal" \
  -F "description=Life insurance policy"

See Documents API for full documentation.

Supported File Types​

Documents​

  • PDF: .pdf
  • Microsoft Office: .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .ppt, .pptx
  • OpenOffice: .odt, .ods, .odp
  • Text: .txt, .rtf, .md

Images​

  • Common Formats: .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .gif, .bmp
  • High-Quality: .heic, .heif (iPhone photos)
  • Professional: .tiff, .tif, .raw, .dng

Videos​

  • Common Formats: .mp4, .mov, .avi, .mkv
  • Professional: .m4v, .wmv, .flv

Archives​

  • Compressed: .zip, .rar, .7z, .tar, .gz

Other​

  • Audio: .mp3, .wav, .m4a, .flac
  • Code: .js, .py, .java, .html, .css
  • Data: .json, .xml, .csv, .sql
  • Design: .psd, .ai, .sketch, .fig

Note: All file types are accepted. The list above shows commonly used formats.

Upload Limits​

File Size Limits​

PlanMax File SizeMax Total Storage
Free100 MB5 GB per vault
Standard250 MB25 GB per vault
Professional500 MB100 GB per vault
Enterprise2 GBCustom (up to 10 TB)

Batch Upload Limits​

PlanMax Files Per Batch
Free5 files
Standard10 files
Professional25 files
Enterprise100 files

Tip: For large batches, upload in groups rather than all at once for better progress tracking.

Organizing Uploaded Documents​

Using Tags​

Best Practices:

  • Use consistent tag names (e.g., always "insurance" not "insurance-docs")
  • Create a tagging system before uploading many documents
  • Common tags: financial, legal, medical, personal, business, crypto

Example Tagging System:

  • Category tags: financial, legal, medical
  • Type tags: contract, receipt, certificate, policy
  • Year tags: 2023, 2024, 2025

Multi-tag Example: A tax return might be tagged: financial, tax, 2024

Adding Descriptions​

What to Include:

  • Document type (e.g., "Life insurance policy")
  • Account/policy numbers
  • Relevant dates
  • Context for recipients

Good Description Examples:

  • "Life insurance policy with Acme Insurance, policy #123456, $500K coverage"
  • "Will and testament, updated January 2025, witnessed by John Smith"
  • "Bitcoin wallet recovery seed phrase for Ledger hardware wallet"

Bad Description Examples:

  • "Document" (too vague)
  • "Important" (doesn't provide context)
  • "" (empty - missed opportunity)

Folder Organization (Professional Plan)​

Professional and Enterprise plans support folder organization:

  1. Click "New Folder" in vault
  2. Name folder (e.g., "Insurance Policies", "Tax Returns")
  3. Upload documents to folder or drag existing documents into folder

Recommended Folder Structure:

📁 Legal
  📄 Will and Testament.pdf
  📄 Power of Attorney.pdf
📁 Financial
  📁 Tax Returns
    📄 2023_Tax_Return.pdf
    📄 2024_Tax_Return.pdf
  📁 Insurance
    📄 Life_Insurance.pdf
    📄 Home_Insurance.pdf
📁 Medical
  📄 Medical_Directive.pdf
  📄 Prescriptions.pdf

Security During Upload​

Encryption Process​

What Happens:

  1. You select file to upload
  2. Your browser generates encryption key
  3. File is encrypted on your device using AES-256-GCM
  4. Only encrypted file is sent to Torvus servers
  5. Torvus never sees unencrypted file contents

Technical Details:

  • Algorithm: AES-256-GCM (industry standard)
  • Key Derivation: PBKDF2 with 100,000 iterations
  • Unique Keys: Each document has unique encryption key
  • Zero-Knowledge: Torvus cannot decrypt your files

Network Security​

HTTPS/TLS:

  • All uploads use HTTPS (TLS 1.3)
  • End-to-end encrypted connection
  • Certificate pinning in mobile apps

Integrity Verification:

  • SHA-256 checksum computed on upload
  • Verified on download to ensure file integrity
  • Detects any tampering or corruption

Privacy​

What Torvus Can See:

  • File size
  • Upload timestamp
  • File extension (e.g., .pdf, .jpg)
  • Tags and descriptions (encrypted)

What Torvus Cannot See:

  • File contents (encrypted)
  • Original file name (encrypted)
  • Metadata inside files (EXIF data, document properties)

Troubleshooting​

Upload Fails​

Possible Causes:

  • File size exceeds plan limit
  • Storage quota exceeded
  • Network connectivity issue
  • Browser compatibility problem

Solutions:

  1. Check file size: Compress large files or upgrade plan
  2. Check storage: Navigate to vault settings → storage usage
  3. Check network: Ensure stable internet connection
  4. Try different browser: Chrome, Firefox, Safari recommended
  5. Disable VPN temporarily: Some VPNs interfere with uploads

Upload Stuck at 99%​

Cause: Encryption finalization or server processing

Solution:

  • Wait up to 60 seconds for large files
  • Do not close browser tab
  • If stuck for >5 minutes, refresh page and try again

"File Type Not Supported" Error​

Cause: This error should not occur (all file types accepted)

Solution:

  • Try renaming file extension to common type (e.g., .bin → .zip)
  • Contact support if issue persists

Uploaded File Won't Open​

Possible Causes:

  • File was corrupted before upload
  • Decryption issue

Solutions:

  1. Download again: Temporary decryption issue
  2. Check original file: Ensure file opens on your computer before upload
  3. Re-upload: Delete corrupted file and upload again
  4. Contact support: If issue persists with multiple files

Best Practices​

✅ DO​

  • Upload originals: Store original documents, not screenshots
  • Verify uploads: Download and verify important files after upload
  • Use descriptive names: Rename files before upload (e.g., "Will_2025.pdf" not "document.pdf")
  • Add context: Include descriptions for complex documents
  • Organize as you go: Tag and categorize files during upload
  • Keep backups: Torvus is for secure sharing, not primary backup

❌ DON'T​

  • Upload duplicates: Check if file already exists before re-uploading
  • Use temporary names: Avoid names like "temp.pdf", "new_document.docx"
  • Upload without reviewing: Verify you're uploading correct file
  • Ignore storage limits: Monitor storage usage and delete old files
  • Upload sensitive data without 2FA: Enable 2FA before uploading critical documents

What Happens After Upload?​

Document Processing​

Immediate:

  1. File is encrypted and stored
  2. Appears in vault document list
  3. Searchable by name, tags, and description

Background Processing:

  • Thumbnail generation: PDF first page, image thumbnails (Professional plan)
  • Text extraction: Full-text search indexing, encrypted (Professional plan)
  • Malware scanning: Automated virus detection (All plans)

Malware Scanning​

What Happens:

Every document uploaded to Torvus is automatically scanned for viruses and malware before becoming accessible. This protects you and your recipients from malicious files.

  1. Automatic Scanning: File scanned within seconds of upload
  2. Virus Detection: Uses ClamAV engine with 8M+ virus signatures
  3. Quarantine: Infected files automatically isolated
  4. Notification: You're notified if file contains malware

Scan Process:

Upload → Encrypt → Scan → Clean ✓ → Available
                      ↓
                   Infected → Quarantine → Notify

What Gets Scanned:

  • ✅ All file types (documents, images, archives, executables)
  • ✅ Files up to 100MB (larger files may have longer scan times)
  • ✅ Archive contents (.zip, .rar, .7z)

Scan Results:

  • Clean: File passed scan, available immediately
  • Infected: Virus detected, file quarantined and inaccessible
  • Failed: Scan error (rare), file held for manual review

If Malware Detected:

  1. File Quarantined: Document automatically isolated
  2. Access Blocked: Nobody can download the infected file
  3. Email Notification: You receive alert with virus name
  4. Security Review: Security administrators can review quarantined files

Common Detections:

  • Malicious executable files (.exe, .dll, .bat)
  • Macro-enabled Office documents with malware
  • Archive files (.zip) containing viruses
  • Known ransomware, trojans, and spyware

False Positives:

Occasionally, legitimate files may be flagged:

  • Older software installers
  • Security/hacking tools (Kali Linux tools, penetration testing software)
  • Compressed password managers with certain structures

If You Believe Your File Was Incorrectly Quarantined:

  1. Email support@torvussecurity.com with:
    • Document name
    • Why you believe it's safe
    • Alternative scan results (VirusTotal link)
  2. Security team will manually review
  3. If confirmed safe, file will be released

Performance:

  • Small files (< 10MB): Scanned in < 2 seconds
  • Large files (50-100MB): Scanned in 3-10 seconds
  • Archives: Extra time to scan contents

Security Note: Malware scanning provides an additional layer of protection, but you should still only upload files from trusted sources.

Learn More: Malware Scanning System

Recipient Access​

Before Release:

  • Recipients cannot see or access uploaded documents
  • Documents are encrypted and inaccessible

After Release:

  1. Recipients receive notification
  2. Recipients can view/download documents based on permission level
  3. Audit log tracks all document access
  4. Original uploader can see who accessed each document

Mobile App Features​

Camera Capture​

Use Cases:

  • Photograph physical documents (will, deed, certificate)
  • Capture whiteboards or handwritten notes
  • Quick upload of receipts

Tips:

  • Use good lighting for legibility
  • Hold phone steady or use tripod
  • Crop photos before upload for smaller file size

Offline Queue​

How It Works:

  1. Upload documents while offline
  2. Files queue for upload when connection restored
  3. Background upload when online
  4. Notification when all uploads complete

Use Case: Upload files while on airplane, automatic upload when you land.

Biometric Security​

Before Upload:

  • Face ID / Touch ID / Fingerprint required
  • Prevents unauthorized uploads from stolen device

Advanced Features​

Version Control (Professional Plan)​

Feature: Keep multiple versions of the same document

How It Works:

  1. Upload document (e.g., "Will_2025.pdf")
  2. Later, upload revised version with same name
  3. System keeps both versions (v1, v2)
  4. Access previous versions anytime

Use Cases:

  • Legal documents that change over time
  • Contracts with amendments
  • Updated insurance policies

Bulk Upload (Enterprise Plan)​

Feature: Upload hundreds or thousands of files

Methods:

  • Web: Drag folder containing files
  • API: Automated bulk upload script
  • Console: Admin bulk import tool

Use Case: Migrating existing document archive to Torvus

Next Steps​

After uploading documents:

  1. Add Recipients: Designate who should receive access
  1. Document Management: Organize, search, and manage files
  2. Vault Settings: Customize storage and permissions

Need Help?​

Last Updated: October 7, 2025