AES Key Generator
Generate a cryptographically secure 128-bit or 256-bit AES key directly in your browser. Keys are never sent to any server — all generation happens locally using the WebCrypto API.
Key Size
Your AES-256 Key (64 hex characters)
…Compatible with the Locki encryption format
- Algorithm
- AES-256-GCM
- Key length
- 256 bits / 64 hex chars
- Crypto API
- WebCrypto (browser-native)
- Privacy
- Generated locally, never transmitted
What is an AES Encryption Key?
An AES key is a random secret value used to encrypt and decrypt data. The same key that locks your data is required to unlock it — without it, the content is permanently unreadable. Keys are represented as hexadecimal strings: 128-bit keys are 32 characters long, 256-bit keys are 64 characters.
128-bit vs 256-bit
AES-128
16 bytes · 32 hex characters
Fast and computationally secure for all practical purposes. Widely used in TLS, disk encryption, and consumer applications. A good choice when performance or compatibility is a priority.
AES-256
32 bytes · 64 hex characters
Larger security margin and required by government and high-compliance standards (NIST, FIPS). The format used by Locki. Recommended when handling sensitive business or regulated data.
What are AES keys used for?
AES keys power symmetric encryption — one key encrypts, the same key decrypts. Common use cases:
- 1Encrypt messages before sending over Slack, email, or Notion
- 2Protect API keys, passwords, and credentials shared across teams
- 3Secure file contents before uploading to cloud storage
- 4Gate sensitive data so only people with the correct key can read it