You open the vault after weeks of using Face ID, and the master-password prompt stops you. First, preserve what you have. Do not delete the app or reset the vault while checking your recovery options. Zen Passwords cannot be unlocked by emailing the studio. It is available on the App Store.
If you have already forgotten it
- Do not delete or reinstall the app, erase the vault or remove a working copy on another device.
- Look for the recovery key you saved during setup. If you prepared social recovery, contact the trusted people who hold the required shares. Follow the recovery flow in the app.
- If another device still opens the vault, preserve an encrypted backup or export if the app permits it. Some actions may require authentication again; an unlocked screen is not a guarantee that every operation is available.
- Check for an existing backup and the credentials required to restore it. A backup preserves data; it does not remove its encryption.
- If no prepared recovery method or usable copy is available, use each service’s own account-recovery process, starting with accounts that recover other accounts.
For help identifying the next step, visit Zen Passwords support. Never send your master password, Secret Key, recovery key, recovery shares or an unencrypted vault to support.
What each recovery tool does
Scroll sideways to compare every column.
Preparation matters: these methods must be available before you rely on them.
| What you have | What it helps with | What it does not mean |
|---|---|---|
| A saved recovery key | Use the app’s recovery flow for a forgotten master password. | Zen Products has a copy of your key. |
| Social recovery already configured | Bring together the required shares held by trusted people. | Any one contact can unlock the vault by themselves. |
| An encrypted backup | Restore a preserved copy using the required credentials. | The file opens without its decryption material. |
| Biometric unlock on a working device | Access where biometric unlock is still accepted. | You can forget the master password permanently. |
Set up recovery while you still have access
Follow the recovery-key setup guide while you can open the vault. Store the key somewhere protected that you can access without opening that same vault. For social recovery, make sure the required contacts know how to find their shares.
Then make an encrypted backup and record where it is stored. Review auto-lock and biometric settings so you understand when the app will ask for the master password again.
Why support cannot reset access
The vault is encrypted and Zen Products does not hold the secrets needed to decrypt it. Recovery is a path you prepare, not a support-side override. For the current cryptographic design, including the separate Secret Key, read the two-key vault explanation.
A vault recovery key is not an account recovery code
A website may give you backup codes for that website. Those do not unlock Zen Passwords. Similarly, the Zen Passwords recovery key does not reset your email or bank account. Keep the purpose of each recovery item clear, and avoid making the vault your only route to the account you need to recover it.
See the Zen Passwords product page or download on the App Store and prepare recovery before relying on the vault.
