How to Send a File That Deletes Itself After Being Downloaded
4 min read · Updated 2026-09-12
Some documents should exist for exactly one download and then stop existing. A payslip, an ID scan, a signed contract, a password reset form. Droploder can send that kind of file as a single-use transfer that deletes itself as soon as the recipient has it.
Single-use transfers
This is now the default, and you do not need an account for it. Every transfer sent without signing in is single-use: you get a word passphrase to share as usual, but the first completed download is also the last.
Once the files have been pulled down, the transfer is removed and the passphrase stops working. Anyone who tries it afterwards sees nothing, which is the point: a leaked passphrase is worthless after the handoff.
Deletion is tied to a real download rather than to the passphrase itself. Entering the passphrase opens a short download session, and only that session can mark the transfer collected — so somebody who merely knows the words cannot destroy your transfer before the intended recipient has it.
Signed-in senders can opt out of single use when several people need the same batch, which is the one case where a transfer survives its first download.
Short retention windows
Single use handles the collected case; the retention window handles the uncollected one. Signed-in senders can pick a 1-hour, 5-hour or 24-hour ceiling; guests always get 24 hours.
A 1-hour window is ideal when you are on the phone with somebody and they will download it right now. A 5-hour window covers a working afternoon. 24 hours is the safe default for anything crossing a timezone.
Whichever you choose, expiry is automatic. Expired transfers are deleted permanently — there is no archive, and nothing to remember to clean up.
Revoking a passphrase you already shared
Sent a passphrase to the wrong chat thread? Open My Transfers and revoke that transfer. The passphrase stops working immediately, before the expiry window runs out.
You can also regenerate the passphrase, which keeps the files but issues a new phrase — useful when the right person still needs the documents and the wrong person now knows the old words.
Both actions require the transfer to be tied to your account, which happens automatically whenever you are signed in as you upload.
What self-destructing transfers are not
They are not end-to-end encrypted messaging. If your threat model involves a determined attacker rather than everyday privacy hygiene, use a tool built for that.
They are not proof of deletion on the recipient's device — once somebody downloads a file, they have a copy.
They are not storage. Everything here is designed to be temporary, so keep your own permanent copy of anything that matters.