What is a 3-word password?
Three simple English words that act as the key to your files. Easy to share. Easy to type. Hard to guess.
How it works
Instead of a link with a long random string, Skypost generates 3 common English words, like “coral ladder seven”. You share these words however you like. The person on the other end goes to skypost.co.uk, types them in and downloads the files. They don't need an account or an app.
The words are the address and the key. There's no separate link to forward, no email address to hand over and nothing to install. If the person can use a web browser, they can open your folder.
Why words instead of links?
Text them, WhatsApp them, write them on a napkin or say them across a room.
Try reading a cloud storage link over the phone. Now try saying "coral ladder seven".
Three short words are far easier to type on a phone keyboard than a 40-character URL.
Around 64 billion possible combinations, plus rate limiting on wrong guesses.
How secure is it?
The words are drawn at random from a list of about 4,000 everyday words. Three different words in order gives roughly 64 billion possibilities. Skypost limits how many wrong attempts can be made, so guessing your folder is not realistic. Behind the words, files are encrypted at rest with AES-256, and every folder expires automatically: after 7 days on the free plan, 30 on Pro and 90 on Business.
Treat the words like a key. Anyone who has them can open the folder until it expires, so send them only to the person who needs the files. If you're signed in you can delete a folder early from your dashboard.
Where 3 words work best
- Over the phone
Read the words out to a client, a colleague or a parent. No spelling out random letters and numbers.
- By text or WhatsApp
Three short words never break across lines the way long links do, and they don't look like spam.
- Phone to computer
Upload on your phone, then type the words on any computer. No cables, no email to yourself.
- Written down
Jot them on a sticky note or a delivery slip. Anyone can type them in at skypost.co.uk.
Think of it like…
A combination lock, but with words instead of numbers. Skypost sets the combination when you upload. The receiver enters it to open. Simple, memorable and hard to crack.
Questions about 3-word passwords
How are the 3 words chosen?
Skypost picks 3 different words at random from a list of about 4,000 everyday English words, using a cryptographically secure random number generator. Nobody chooses them, including us, so they can't be predicted from your name, the date or the file.
How many possible combinations are there?
With about 4,000 words and 3 different words in a set order, there are roughly 64 billion possible combinations. Wrong guesses are rate-limited, so trying them one by one is not practical.
How long does a 3-word password last?
As long as the folder does: 7 days on the free plan, 30 days on Pro and 90 days on Business. When the folder expires the words stop working and the files are removed.
Can the same words be given to someone else?
Not while your folder is active. Skypost checks every new set of words against active folders, and a used set is held back for a cooling-off period before it can be issued again.
Can I choose my own 3 words?
No. The words are always generated for you, because random words are much harder to guess than ones a person picks.
Are the files themselves protected?
Yes. Files are encrypted at rest with AES-256, and only someone who has the 3 words (or the secure link) can open the folder.
Is a 3-word password safer than a share link?
Both are hard to guess. The difference is practical: 3 words can be read out over the phone, typed on a small screen and sent by text without breaking, while long links get mangled, wrapped or ignored as suspicious.
