---
title: Forgot your photo vault passcode? How to get your photos back
canonical: https://mavaul.com/guides/forgot-photo-vault-passcode/
description: In Mavaul, your 24-character recovery key opens the vault and lets you set a new passcode. Without it, nobody can open the photos, including us. Here's how to get back in.
format: text/markdown
generator: scripts/generate-llms.js
---
# Forgot your vault passcode?

_By [Diogo Ferreira](/about/), founder & engineer_

In Mavaul, your 24-character recovery key opens the vault and lets you set a new passcode. Your photos stay exactly as they were. Without the key, nobody can open the vault, including us. That's the trade for encryption only you can unlock.

## Get back in
1. On the lock screen, tap Forgot Passcode. On the calculator lock screen, long-press the display or the = button.
2. Type your 24-character recovery key.
3. Set a new passcode.

## Can't find the key?
- Search your email for "Mavaul Recovery Key", if you emailed it to yourself from Settings (Premium).
- Check where you saved it when you set the passcode: a password manager, a note on paper.
- If the vault is still open on a device, go to Settings → Recovery Key and save it now.

## Why nobody can reset it for you
Your photos are encrypted with a key that only your passcode or your recovery key can unlock. Mavaul never has either. If a company can reset your vault passcode, it can also open your vault.

## Before you need it
Save the recovery key somewhere outside the phone. With Premium, email recovery sends you a copy after you confirm your address with a code.

## Questions
### Can Mavaul reset my passcode?
No. We never have your key.

### Will I lose my photos if I use the recovery key?
No. The key opens the same vault, and you set a new passcode.

### How many passcode attempts do I get?
Five, then the vault locks for 15 minutes, then 1, 3 and 6 hours.

## Sources
- [NIST SP 800-132: Password-based key derivation](https://csrc.nist.gov/pubs/sp/800/132/final)
- [NIST SP 800-38D: Galois/Counter Mode (GCM)](https://csrc.nist.gov/pubs/sp/800/38/d/final)

## Read next
- [Email recovery](/features/email-recovery/)
- [Face ID & passcode](/features/face-id-passcode/)
- [Moving my vault to a new iPhone](/scenarios/new-iphone-move-private-photos/)

## Try Mavaul
[Download Mavaul on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/pt/app/mavaul-photo-video-vault/id6759567727?l=en-GB)