Recovery Phrase: Getting Back In Without an Account

What is the recovery phrase?

Encryption has a hard rule: if nobody holds the key, nobody can open the data. A password reset link does not exist here, because no server knows your keys. The recovery phrase is the spare key you keep yourself. It is a grammatical 9-word sentence, not a list from a cryptocurrency wallet standard. You can also choose your own phrase of at least 6 words, if it passes a strength check.

How it works, step by step

1. At creation

   After you draw your pattern twice, the app shows the phrase large in a monospaced font. There is a Print button and no copy button, on purpose, because the clipboard leaks. You confirm it by picking the words that are missing.

2. Behind the scenes

   The phrase is normalized, then run through PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA512 for 800,000 rounds. The result opens an encrypted recovery envelope that contains your vault key.

3. When you need it

   On the lock screen choose "Use recovery phrase", type the words in order, and the vault opens. Word suggestions come from the word list.

4. After recovery

   You set a new pattern. Changing the pattern generates a replacement phrase, and you must save it before leaving that screen.

You can view the phrase later in Vault Settings. The app asks you to draw your pattern again first.

Getting it right

• Write it on paper. Do not keep it in Notes, Messages, email or a screenshot.
• Store it away from the Mac. A drawer at home or a safe is better than the laptop bag.
• Do not share it. The phrase opens the vault by itself, without the pattern.
• A custom phrase must be long. Six words that people can guess from your life are weak, even if they pass a basic check.

What the recovery phrase does not protect against

• Losing it. If you forget the pattern and lose the phrase, the vault cannot be opened by anyone.
• Someone who finds the phrase. They can open your vault without the pattern.
• Someone watching you type it.