Steganography is a way to hide information inside another file so the file does not draw attention to the data it carries. Image steganography stores a payload in an image using an encoding method chosen for that format.
The name comes from the Greek words "steganos" (covered) and "graphein" (to write). Historical examples include messages written on a shaved head and hidden under regrown hair, or text concealed beneath a layer of wax. Digital files offer different carriers, including images, audio, and video.
A steganographic image can still open in an ordinary image viewer. That alone does not prove that the hidden data is safe or even intact. Editing, resizing, or recompressing the image may damage the encoded payload, depending on the method used.
Pyxelze combines PNG steganography with AES-256-GCM encryption and Zstandard compression. It prepares the files, encrypts them, then stores the archive in an image. Encryption protects the contents; steganography is intended to make the archive less conspicuous.
These techniques solve different problems. Encryption makes data unreadable without the key, but the encrypted file is visible. Steganography can conceal that a payload is present, but it does not encrypt the payload by itself. Using both provides two separate layers of protection.
Keep the original image and test recovery with Pyxelze before relying on a copy. Services that modify uploaded images can remove hidden data, and the image appearance is not a substitute for a secure password or a verified backup.
