> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.inheribase.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Recover Your Vault After Losing a Device

> Step-by-step guide to regaining vault access after losing your phone or laptop using one-time recovery codes — no password reset or support ticket required.

If you have lost the phone, laptop, or hardware key that holds your Inheribase Passkey, your encrypted data is safe. It remains permanently archived on the Arweave network and cannot be accessed by anyone who finds your device — your biometric unlock (Face ID, Touch ID, or Windows Hello) is required to use the Passkey stored on that hardware.

To regain access, you will use the emergency **Recovery Codes** generated during your initial onboarding. Because Inheribase uses a strict zero-knowledge architecture, the support team cannot reset your account, bypass your Passkey, or recover your files on your behalf. Recovery codes are the only path back in.

<Warning>
  Each recovery code can only be used **once**. After you enter a code and verify successfully, it is permanently burned. Cross it off your list immediately and generate a new batch from Settings if you are running low.
</Warning>

<Steps>
  <Step title="Locate your recovery codes">
    When you first created your Inheribase vault, the dashboard required you to save a set of one-time-use emergency Recovery Codes before proceeding.

    1. Retrieve the physical paper, secure note, or password manager entry where you stored these codes.
    2. A valid Recovery Code looks like a 16-character alphanumeric sequence — for example, `ABCD-1234-EFGH-5678`.
    3. Identify a code you have not yet used. Each code can only be used exactly once.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Initiate recovery in the UI">
    On your new or backup device, open a browser and start the recovery flow:

    1. Navigate to the login page at `app.inheribase.com/login`.
    2. Enter your registered email address.
    3. The browser will prompt you for a Passkey. Click **Cancel** or **Try another way** to dismiss this prompt — the new device does not have your Passkey yet.
    4. In the Inheribase UI, click **Use a Recovery Code** (located below the main Passkey button).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Authenticate the backup">
    1. Enter one of your unused Recovery Codes into the secure input field.
    2. Click **Verify and Recover**.
    3. If the code is valid, your identity is verified on-chain through your smart account infrastructure.
    4. The dashboard unlocks and routes you directly to your Vault.

    The code you just used is now permanently burned. Cross it off your list before continuing.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Register your new device">
    You are now logged in, but this new device has no active Passkey bound to your account. You must register a new Passkey immediately — without it, you will need another recovery code every time you log in on this device.

    1. Navigate to **Settings → Security** in the dashboard.
    2. Click **Register New Passkey**.
    3. Follow the browser prompt to scan your biometrics (Face ID, Touch ID, or Windows Hello) on your current device.
    4. Once registered, label the Passkey clearly — for example, "New iPhone Pro" or "Work Laptop 2026".
  </Step>

  <Step title="Revoke the lost device">
    Your old device is technically still authorized as a valid signer on your account, even though it is locked behind your biometrics. For complete security, remove it.

    1. Remain in **Settings → Security**.
    2. Locate your lost device in the **Active Passkeys** list.
    3. Click **Revoke** next to that entry.
    4. Confirm the revocation. This permanently severs the lost device from your smart account — it can never be used to log in again.
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## What if I lost my recovery codes too?

<Accordion title="I lost both my device and my recovery codes — what are my options?">
  If you have lost both your Passkey device and all of your Recovery Codes, Inheribase cannot unlock your account. This is a deliberate security property of the zero-knowledge architecture — no back door exists, including for the support team.

  However, your data is not necessarily irrecoverable if you previously designated Guardians and Heirs:

  1. Allow your **Dead Man's Switch** timer to expire naturally, or — if you configured a Guardian Claim trigger — contact your Guardians directly and ask them to initiate the release.
  2. The Guardians will receive notifications to approve the release request.
  3. Once the Guardian threshold is met, your decrypted vault will be delivered to your designated Heirs.
  4. Coordinate with your Heirs to retrieve your vital files from the vault they now have access to.

  This path requires patience and coordination, but it is the only route available when both primary and backup credentials are lost. Going forward, store your Recovery Codes in at least two separate physical locations.
</Accordion>