KeysWalletWatch · How-to guides
Recovery key: set it up, replace it, and use it if you forget your master password
The recovery key is the only way into a vault without the master password. Where to find it, how to print a new one, and how to unlock with it.
Short answer: Nobody — including Beckham Enterprises — can reset a KeysWalletWatch master password. The recovery key (KWWRK-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX) is the only other way in: on the unlock screen click "Forgot password? Use Recovery Key", type it and click Unlock with Recovery Key. You get one during setup; make or replace one in Settings → Security.
Steps
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Check whether you have one
Settings → Security. The Recovery Key row says "Recovery key configured" or "No recovery key".
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No key yet? Generate one
Click Generate Recovery Key. The print window opens with the new key on it — print it straight away. This is your only chance to see it.
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Lost the printout? Replace it
Click Replace & Print New Key. The app warns that this replaces your current key on every device and the printed one stops working, and offers Back up first. Click Continue and print the new sheet. Destroy the old one.
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Forgot the master password? Use the key
On the unlock screen click "Forgot password? Use Recovery Key", type the key exactly as printed (dashes included) into the Recovery Key box, and click Unlock with Recovery Key.
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Read the message after unlocking
The vault opens with the note "Unlocked with recovery key — change your master password in Settings". Everything in the vault is available as normal.
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Make a backup while you are in
Before anything else, Settings → Security → Backup Vault. Then, when you are sure of your old password again or have set a new one, print a fresh recovery key if you are not sure where the old sheet is.
Worth knowing
- From version 1.6.3, after a recovery-key unlock Settings → Security → Change Master Password asks only for the new password (twice) — there is no current one to type. On 1.6.2 that form still asked for the current password; update to 1.6.3, or contact us and we will help.
- Revoke removes recovery access entirely (on every synced device). Only do it if you think someone else has seen the key.
- Changing the master password does not change the recovery key: the printed key keeps working.
- Printing is the safest way to keep it. See the printable recovery sheet.
Questions
- I forgot my KeysWalletWatch master password. Can you reset it?
- No — nobody can, because the password is never sent anywhere. If you saved the recovery key, use "Forgot password? Use Recovery Key" on the unlock screen. Without the password or the recovery key the vault cannot be opened.
- Can I see my recovery key again?
- No. It is shown once. If you have lost it, Settings → Security → Replace & Print New Key makes a new one and the old one stops working.
- Does a new recovery key work on my other synced PCs?
- Yes. The recovery key belongs to the vault, so replacing it on one PC replaces it everywhere after the next sync.