Recovery key
The recovery key
If you forget your passphrase, your recovery key is the only way back into your vault. It's 24 words, it's optional, and it's yours alone to keep.
What it is
When you create your vault, Sealed offers to make a recovery key: 24 words from a standard list of 2,048, chosen at random on your phone. Together they work as a second key to your vault, as strong as a 256-bit key.
Sealed shows the words once and never stores them. It keeps only an encrypted copy of your vault key that those words can open.
How to use it
- On the Sealed lock screen, tap Use recovery key instead.
- Type your 24 words, separated by spaces. Capitals, numbers and punctuation don't matter.
- Your vault opens. Change your passphrase in Settings if you need to.
It works on this iPhone only
Like your passphrase, the recovery key is combined with a secret in this iPhone's Keychain that never leaves the phone. That keeps copied vault files safe from guessing, but it means the recovery key opens the vault only on the iPhone that made it. It isn't a backup, and it can't move your vault to a new phone.
Keeping it safe
- Write it down or print it. Sealed can print it for you. Screenshots are blocked while the words are on screen.
- Keep it offline, away from your phone: not in your notes, photos, email or cloud storage.
- Store it somewhere safe, like with your passport or important papers.
- Anyone with the words and your unlocked iPhone could open your vault, so treat them like a key to your house.
Making a new one
In Settings → Recovery key you can make a new recovery key or remove it. You'll confirm with your passphrase first. Your old words keep working until you save the new ones, and then stop working for good.
No recovery key and no passphrase means no way in. We can't reset it or unlock it for you. There's no back door, which is exactly what keeps your files private.