Get the official download
Open the Obscured Media download page and choose Download for Windows for the installer, or the portable version if you do not want an installer. The current download page lists Windows 10/11 on x64.
Illustrated user guide · Windows + optional connected devices
Set up your library.
Keep it private.
A practical first-run guide to installing Obscured Media, protecting a folder, browsing and playing it, and watching from your other devices.
Obscured Media on Windows · example screenStep 1
Install the Windows app
The Windows app holds your library, player and private server. Set it up before adding a phone or headset.
Run it on the PC with your media
Follow the installer prompts, then open Obscured Media. If Windows requests WebView2, install the Microsoft runtime and reopen the app. The portable build can be run directly from its downloaded executable.
Download from the official site.The download page also provides SHA-256 checksums. If Windows shows an unknown-publisher warning, verify the file and its source before running it.
Step 2
Create private access
Your first launch asks you to create the library. Later launches ask you to unlock it.
- Choose a password of at least 12 characters and enter it twice.
- Choose a separate, safe location for the recovery file, such as a USB drive or secure backup location.
- Select Create private library. Keep both your password and the recovery file available to you.
- Next time you open the app, enter your password and choose Unlock library. The lock screen also offers Use my recovery file.
The recovery file matters.If you lose both it and your password, Obscured Media cannot unlock the protected media for you. Keep the recovery file separate from the PC holding the library.
Step 3
Add and protect a folder
Start with a small folder so you can see the whole process before protecting a large collection.
Choose your folder
On Home, use either route: select Browse folders to pick a folder, or drag a folder from Windows File Explorer onto Drag folders here to add and protect. You can also expand Browse drive tree to select a parent folder and exclude a child folder. The selection alone does not change files on disk.
Choose a protection mode
The two mode choices sit together below your folder selection. Choose the one that matches what you need:
- Secure Mode — recommended: fully encrypts eligible files and verifies them. It takes longer because the files must be processed.
- Fast Mode: quickly conceals supported media. Fast media objects are not fully encrypted, so use it when speed and concealment are the goal.
Review and confirm
Select the Secure or Fast action. Review the plan: selected folders, eligible files, exclusions, blocking items and expected result. Correct anything unexpected before confirming. Protection begins only after this review.
Check the result
Let processing and verification finish; a long job can be paused safely and resumed. Use Refresh on Home to check the protected folder count. Then open that folder in Windows File Explorer to see that the ordinary readable filenames and files are no longer there in the same form. Check the media still appears and plays in Full Library.
Secure and Fast are different.Choose Secure Mode for actual file encryption. Do not use File Explorer to rename or remove protected objects; manage protection and restoration from Obscured Media.
Screenshots in this guide were captured from an earlier desktop build. They show the workflow; written button names follow the newer project interface.
Step 4
Explore the Full Library
Browse by media type or by the folders you already know. Protected files stay managed by Obscured Media while you use the library.
All media and media types
Open Full Library from the top navigation or Home. The default view brings your media together as cards. Use All, Videos, Images, Music or Books to narrow the type. Change the card size when you want more items on screen or larger previews.
Folder View
Select Folder View from the view menu, or use the folder-shaped button in the library toolbar. Start at the root folders; each shows its file count. Open a folder to see its subfolders and media. Use the breadcrumb trail to move back up, or the Folder View button to return to your previous collection view.
Search, sort and filter
Search names or private tags; sort by name, date added, last played, duration, size, resolution or rating, then choose ascending or descending order. More filters adds options such as tag, rating, watched status, availability and resolution. You can save a useful filter as a Smart Collection.
Play and organise
Open an item to play it, seek, pause or go fullscreen. Recently Played and Continue Watching help you resume. In Playlists, create a named list and add or drag items into it without moving the original files. Choose Lock library when stepping away.
Choose the view you need
- All media brings the collection together as cards. The media tabs narrow it to Videos, Images, Music or Books.
- Continue Watching shows items you have started; Recently Played follows playback history; Recently Added brings new imports forward.
- Folder View follows the library’s folder structure. Click folders to go deeper and use the breadcrumb trail to go back.
- Invalid Files surfaces items that need attention. Use More filters and sorting in any view to narrow the result.
Use the Size control to switch thumbnails among Small, Medium and Large.
Want the readable originals back?On Home, open the configured folder and choose Restore Folder. Wait for verification to finish before working with the restored files in Explorer.
Step 5 · optional Plus features
Use another screen
Set up the Windows host first, then get the client from Apps & Devices. Android, Quest, browser access and casting need an active Plus trial or licence.
Network → Start server→Apps & Devices → get client→Open client on the same network→Approve pairing on PC
Start the Windows server
Unlock the library, open Network, and choose Start server. Check the readiness and firewall status shown there. Leave the Windows computer on and connected to the same private network as the other device.
Open Apps & Devices
In the Windows app, open Apps & Devices. Choose Android or Meta Quest to open its official download page and get the client. All downloads opens the complete download page. For a browser-only device, copy the browser address displayed on this screen after the server is running.
Install and open the client
Install the Android APK on a phone or tablet. For Quest, enable developer mode and sideload the official Quest APK with a tool such as SideQuest, then launch Obscured Media from the headset’s installed or unknown-source apps. A browser client needs no separate installation: open the copied address.
Pair and watch
Find the Windows host on the same network, review the connection details, and approve the pairing request on the PC. The headset uses a six-digit code. Once connected, browse your library in the client and start playback. The Windows Network page lists trusted devices and lets you revoke them.
Keep serving after the desktop app closes
The Background server section is on Network. It is optional and must be installed and enabled deliberately. The installed service can keep serving while the desktop window is closed. Choose among Off, Unlock after restart (starts with Windows but needs one local unlock), and Always on (uses Windows-protected authorisation after startup). Confirm the status reads available before relying on it. The portable safety build may not offer service installation.
Background hosting still requires clients to authenticate. Turn the mode Off or remove the service from Network when you no longer want it.
Cast from the Android app to a TV
- Unlock the Windows host and start its server. Pair and open the Android app on the same private network.
- In the Android app, choose a video and its cast action, then pick a receiver. You can also use Find a TV (or TVs when receivers are already listed) from the library to connect to a television first.
- Read the receiver label and any consent prompt. A basic smart-TV route may send the selected video unencrypted across your local network; cast only if you accept that trade-off. Secure-capable receivers use their authenticated route.
- Use the Now casting controls to pause, seek or stop. Choose Stop casting when finished. If casting options do not appear, check the Windows app’s Settings → TV casting controls and consent.
Casting is labelled beta by the project. TV format support varies; MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio is the broad compatibility choice.
Help
Quick fixes and useful habits
Most first-run problems can be narrowed down from the Windows host.
The app will not open on Windows
Check that you downloaded the Windows x64 build from the official site. Install the Microsoft WebView2 runtime if prompted, then relaunch. Verify the downloaded file against the checksum published beside the binaries.
I cannot unlock the library
Try the recovery-file option on the lock screen. If both the password and recovery file are unavailable, there is no remote reset service.
A folder is missing media or a drive is unplugged
Reconnect the drive, then use Home → Configured folders → Refresh or Refresh All. Confirm the selected folder still points to the intended location.
My phone or Quest cannot find the PC
Unlock the Windows library, open Network and confirm the server is running and healthy. Put both devices on the same local network, review the Windows Firewall status shown in Network, and retry pairing.
A video does not play
Try another known-good file to separate a codec issue from a wider playback issue. For uncommon codecs, install VLC separately and check Settings → Secure installed player.
I want my original files back
Choose Restore Folder under Home → Configured folders and wait for verification to finish. Keep the computer and its storage available during the restore.