What do I do if I forgot my master password?
When you first setup Codebook on your computer or mobile device and set a master password it is used to create a key that we then use to encrypt your local data. We don’t store this key anywhere (e.g. outside your app or on some cloud service) and we cannot retrieve it if you forget the master password. Adding a backdoor to Codebook or keeping a copy of your key would seriously compromise the application’s security, so it’s important to set a master password you’ll remember. If you do forget your password, we cannot help you recover it, and your application data must be reset (all data will be lost). However, before you start over, there are a few things to try:
Check the keyboard, check your input
If you are using Codebook for Windows or macOS, check that the caps lock or num lock key is not enabled.
There is a “Mask” switch on the login screen—setting this to the off position will reveal each of the characters you are tapping/typing into the device to be sure you’re entering your password correctly.
Do you have Codebook setup on another device that uses Biometric authentication?
If you use the same Master Password on your devices, you can retrieve your password from this device.
To Retrieve your Master Password, open Codebook on your other device.
For Android:
- Navigate into Settings -> Preferences
- Tap “Retrieve Password”
For iOS:
- Navigate into Settings -> Login Settings
- Tap “Retrieve Password”
For macOS:
- Navigate into File -> Preferences -> Locking
- Click “Retrieve Password”
Do you have a Sync Key Backup Code or Word List and have previously synced?
With the introduction of the Sync Key in Codebook 4.0, your synced data is is encrypted with your Sync Key so you can restore your Codebook data using the Sync Key Backup. If you have a printed Backup Code, you should have written your master password at the bottom of the page. This was your your master password when the backup code was printed and may be your current master password. Try entering that on the device where you are trying to open Codebook. If that is not the correct master password, there is still a way to use that Backup Code or a Backup Word List to retrieve your encrypted data as long as you synced your data with another copy of Codebook, a local folder or a cloud service. You will need to reset this copy of Codebook and reinstall Codebook as if this is a new device and perform a sync to retrieve your data.
- Reset Codebook - Detailed instructions here.
- Setup Codebook - Create a new Master Password during setup and import the Sync Key using the Backup Code or Word List. Detailed instructions here.
- Sync to the device*, file or cloud service you used previously to retrieve your last synced data.
*If your data is on another copy of Codebook that cannot directly sync with this new installation of Codebook, sync that copy with Google Drive or Dropbox and then sync the new installation with the same cloud service.
Did you recently change your Codebook password?
If you recently changed your Codebook password and you remember the old one, you may be able to restore from a backup taken before the change. We have instructions for restoring from backup, but if you are in this position we encourage you to get in touch with us directly at support@zetetic.net so we can help assess what needs to be done depending on your version of Codebook (as this would likely require resetting the app first, then attempting the restore).
Did you recently upgrade iOS or switch to a new iOS device?
When you upgrade iOS or move to a new iOS device, you are usually given the option to Restore your data from before the upgrade by iTunes. This restore takes a long time, the device reboots several times, and it can appear to be done before it’s completed copying over all your app data—keep an eye on iTunes’ heads-up display before disconnecting the device in order to avoid ending this prematurely. If you cannot login after this iTunes Restore, it often helps to run it again yourself by right-clicking on the device and selecting the Restore option. If you have your Codebook data backed up to Codebook on the desktop, or to Dropbox or Google Drive, you can use the Restore option of our sync service to restore your data, instead of iTunes.
Resetting Codebook
If you do not remember your master password and do not have the option to restore to a dataset with a known password, you must reset Codebook and start over. We have instructions for that here.