Are online file converters safe?
Need to turn a MOV into an MP4, or a WAV into an MP3? The usual answer is an online converter — which almost always uploads your file first. Whether that's safe comes down to what happens to your file on the other end, which you can't see.
The upload is the risk
A converter that runs on a server has to receive your file to convert it. That file — your video, recording, or document — now exists on a machine you don't control, subject to its retention, security, and access. Most are fine; the problem is you can't verify it.
How to judge a converter
Look for an explicit no-retention policy, HTTPS, and no requirement to sign in. But the strongest signal is simpler: does it upload at all? A converter that runs in your browser sidesteps every server-side risk because there's no server involved.
Convert without uploading
Toolery's converters run on your device using WebAssembly, so images, video, and audio are converted in the page itself and never uploaded. It's the same result as an online converter, without the file ever leaving your computer.
FAQ
Do online converters keep my files?
Server-based converters must receive your file, and whether it's kept depends on their policy. A browser-based converter never uploads the file, so there's nothing on a server to keep.
Is there a converter that doesn't upload?
Yes. Toolery converts images, video, and audio entirely in your browser.