How to Recover Your Account

Step-by-step guide for restoring access to your Vauchi identity.

Self-custody is a marvellous thing right up until the afternoon you're locked out. Vauchi holds nothing on your behalf — there's no "forgot password" email, because there's no one on the other end who could honour it. So recovery isn't a single button; it's whichever of these you prepared for in advance. Pick the highest row in the table you can satisfy.

Choose Your Recovery Method

Backup Restore

If you have your encrypted backup and its password:

Step 1: Start Fresh

1. Install Vauchi on your new device
2. On the welcome screen, tap Restore from Backup

Step 2: Enter Backup

1. Paste your backup code (the long string of characters)
2. Tap Next

Step 3: Enter Password

1. Enter your backup password
2. Tap Restore

Step 4: Wait for Sync

1. Vauchi restores your identity, contacts, your own card, and your labels straight from the backup
2. Per-contact forward-secrecy state isn't in the file; it quietly re-establishes itself on the next sync with each contact
3. Within minutes, you should see your contacts

Device Link

If you have another device still logged in:

Step 1: On Your Working Device

1. Open Vauchi
2. Go to Settings > Devices
3. Tap Link New Device
4. A QR code appears

Step 2: On Your New Device

1. Install Vauchi
2. Tap Join Existing Identity
3. Scan the QR code

Step 3: Revoke Lost Device (Optional)

If your old device was lost or stolen:

1. On your working device, go to Settings > Devices
2. Find the lost device
3. Tap Revoke

Social Recovery

If you've lost all devices and don't have a backup:

Overview

Long before passwords, identity was vouched for by people who knew you — and that older system never forgot a face. Social recovery makes it cryptographic. A handful of contacts who once exchanged with your old identity, in person, confirm that you are still you.

Two things to understand before you start:

• The number of vouchers needed is a small, configurable threshold — a few by default, not a magic "exactly 3." Treat "round up a handful" as the plan.
• Social recovery rebuilds your relationships, not your old keys. It mints a new cryptographic identity; the old signing keys stay lost for good. Most things carry over, but some settings — visibility rules in particular — may want re-tuning afterwards.

Step 1: Create New Identity

1. Install Vauchi on a new device
2. Create a new identity (fresh start)
3. This gives you a new device to work from

Step 2: Start Recovery

1. Go to Settings > Recovery
2. Tap Recover Old Identity
3. Enter your old public ID (if you know it)
   • If you don't know it, ask a contact — they can find it in your contact details
4. A recovery claim is generated

Step 3: Collect Vouchers

For each voucher, you need to meet a contact in person:

1. Meet in person (physical presence required)
2. Show them your recovery claim
3. They open Settings > Recovery > Help Someone Recover
4. They paste your claim
5. They verify it's really you
6. They tap Create Voucher
7. They share the voucher with you

Repeat until you reach the threshold (a handful by default).

Step 4: Submit Recovery

1. Go to Settings > Recovery
2. Import each voucher you received
3. Once you've reached the threshold, tap Complete Recovery
4. Vauchi submits your recovery proof

Step 5: Wait for Verification

1. The relay verifies your vouchers
2. Other contacts may verify via mutual connections
3. Once verified, your identity transitions

Step 6: Re-Exchange (If Needed)

Some contacts may need to re-verify you:

1. They'll see your card update through recovery
2. Meet them in person to confirm
3. Your relationship continues

Helping Someone Else Recover

If a contact asks you to vouch for their recovery:

Step 1: Verify Their Identity

Before creating a voucher:

• Meet in person if possible
• Confirm they are who they claim to be
• Be suspicious of unusual requests

Step 2: Create Voucher

1. Go to Settings > Recovery
2. Tap Help Someone Recover
3. Paste their recovery claim
4. Tap Create Voucher

Step 3: Share Voucher

1. Copy the voucher
2. Send it to them (AirDrop, messaging, etc.)

Troubleshooting

Backup Restore: "Invalid Password"

• Check for typos
• Passwords are case-sensitive
• Try any variations you might have used

If you truly can't remember the password, there's no recovering the backup — that's the design, not a bug. Fall back to social recovery.

Backup Restore: "Invalid Backup Code"

• Make sure you copied the entire code
• Check for extra spaces or line breaks
• Try copying again from the original source

Social Recovery: "Not Enough Vouchers"

• You haven't reached the threshold yet (a handful by default)
• Round up more contacts who exchanged with your old identity
• Vouchers must come from different contacts

Social Recovery: "Voucher Rejected"

• The voucher may be for a different identity
• The voucher may have expired (vouchers go stale after about 90 days)
• Ask the contact to create a fresh one

Can't Remember Old Public ID

• Ask any contact who had your old card
• They can find your ID in your contact details
• Look through old screenshots or notes

Prevention Tips

A backup you make today is a favour to a future, locked-out version of yourself. The cheapest recovery is the one you never need.

1. Create a backup as soon as you set up
2. Store backup securely (password manager, safe)
3. Link multiple devices (phone + tablet/desktop)
4. Remember your password (use a passphrase — long beats cryptic)
5. Stay in touch with a handful of contacts who could vouch for you

Security Notes

• Social recovery requires in-person verification — presence is the proof
• Needing several independent vouchers prevents any single person from impersonating you
• Vouchers expire after about 90 days, so a stolen one doesn't stay useful
• A backup is yours alone: Argon2id + XChaCha20-Poly1305, no escrow, no back door
• The relay only ever forwards encrypted blobs, routed by daily-rotating mailbox tokens — it never sees your identity, your IP, or your data

For more on security, see Backup & Recovery Feature.