Account security

Why the recovery key matters, and where to keep it

When files are encrypted with a key that comes from your password, a forgotten password cannot be fixed by support. The recovery key is the one way back in, so it deserves five minutes of care.

Updated 5 October 2026 · 6 min read

With most online services, a forgotten password is a small problem: you click a link in an email and choose a new one. With storage that is encrypted in your browser, that link cannot exist. The key that opens your files comes from your password, and we never have it. If the password is gone, the only way back to your files is a recovery key you saved in advance. This guide explains what it is, how to create it and where to keep it.

What the recovery key is

At LifetimeCloud, files uploaded from the website are encrypted in your browser with AES-256-GCM, using a key derived from your password. The recovery key is a second, independent way to unlock that same key. It looks like this: 64 characters (digits and the letters A to F) in 8 groups of 8, separated by hyphens, for example A3F9BC2E-D84F1C7A-….

For the recovery key, our server keeps only a copy of your file key locked with it, plus a hash used to check it. It never stores the recovery key itself. That is why we can't send it to you again, and why the key on your screen is the only copy until you save it. The general idea behind this design is covered in what end-to-end encryption is.

When you are asked to create it

You are not asked at registration. The key is offered after your first upload, in a short window titled “Now protect your access.” The upload is not blocked if you choose to wait. Until you have a key, the vault shows a line that reads “You don't have a recovery key yet. If you lose your password, you lose your files.”, with a “Generate it now” button.

How to create, save and confirm it

From the window after your first upload:

1. Click “Generate the key”. The key appears on screen.
2. Click “Copy the key”, or “or download it as a file” to save a .txt file.
3. Click “I've saved the key”. The button only becomes active after you have copied or downloaded the key, so it means something.
4. If you clicked “Later”, use “Generate it now” in the vault: the screen that opens offers “Copy the key and continue” or “Download as a file and continue”.

From your profile, at any time:

1. Open “Profile” in the bottom bar, then “Full profile & settings”.
2. Find the “Recovery Key” box. It shows “Set up” or “Not set up”.
3. Click “Generate recovery key”. The page warns: “Save this key right now. It won't be shown again.”
4. Use “Copy” or “Download .txt file”, store the key (see below), then click “I've saved the key”.

Where to keep it

The profile page itself suggests two places, a password manager and paper, and using both is the safest choice:

• On paper. Write or print it and keep it with other important papers. Paper does not need a password to read.
• In a password manager, as a note attached to your LifetimeCloud entry.
• Not only inside the same cloud. A copy stored in your own LifetimeCloud vault is encrypted with the very key you are trying to recover: if you lose the password, you cannot open that copy either.
• Not only in a Downloads folder. The .txt file sits on one computer, which can break or be replaced. Move it somewhere you will find it in five years.

The same thinking applies to other documents you can't afford to lose; see how to protect important documents.

What happens with it, and without it

With the recovery key, you can reset a forgotten password and keep your files readable:

1. On the sign-in page, click “Lost your password? Recover account →”.
2. Enter your “Email or username” and your “Recovery token” (the recovery key), then click “Continue →”.
3. Type a “New password” (at least 8 characters) and “Confirm password”, then click “Reset password”.
4. Your browser checks the key against your real files and locks your file key with the new password. A new recovery key is shown at the end: save it like the first one.

Without the recovery key and without your password, the encrypted files can no longer be opened. There is no reset by email, and neither our support nor anyone else can restore them, because no copy of the key exists on our side. If you still know your password, you don't need the recovery key to change it: “Change password” in your profile keeps your files readable, because only the lock around the key changes.

Generating a new key cancels the old one

If you think your key was exposed, or you can't find it, create a new one from the profile (the button then reads “Regenerate key”). Before doing it, the site asks you to confirm: “If you generate a new one, the old key stops working immediately, even if you do not save the new one.” So have paper or your password manager ready before you click, then destroy the old copies.

Two-factor authentication is separate

Two-factor authentication (2FA) protects sign-in, not the encryption. You turn it on in the profile under “Two-Factor Authentication” → “Enable 2FA”, scan the QR code with an authenticator app and enter the 6-digit code. Two points to keep in mind:

• The recovery key is about your password; it is not a replacement for your authenticator.
• There are no backup codes for 2FA. Treat the authenticator app with the same care as the recovery key, and check how your app handles moving to a new phone before you need to.

A five-minute checklist

1. The “Recovery Key” box in your profile says “Set up”.
2. There is a paper copy, kept with your important documents.
3. There is a copy in your password manager.
4. No copy exists only inside the vault it protects.
5. If you use 2FA, you know what you would do if your phone broke.
6. After any password reset, you saved the new recovery key.

Where LifetimeCloud fits

The recovery key is the price of a design where the content of your files is encrypted on your device before it leaves. You can create one as soon as you upload your first file, even on the free 1 GB. If you later need more space, the paid plans are a one-time payment with no subscription; current prices are on /plans.