Getting Started
Passwords & Account Recovery
Forgetting your password does not cost you your vault. Here's what actually happens — and the one action on Killswitch that really can't be undone.
Forgot your password? Nothing is lost.
Killswitch replaced the old recovery-code system with ordinary email-based password reset. There's no separate recovery key to keep track of, and no risk of losing your files because you lost a password:
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On the sign-in page, click "Forgot your password?" and enter your account email.
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We email a reset link if an account exists for that address. It expires in 3 days, and we show the same "check your inbox" message either way so the form can't be used to guess who has an account.
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Click the link and choose a new password. As soon as it's set, every existing sign-in session is signed out — if someone else had your old password, a reset locks them out too.
Your documents, notes, and messages stay encrypted at rest and in transit the whole time. A password reset never touches your files — it's a differentiator worth saying plainly: forgetting your password does not cost you your vault.
Changing your password (when you know it)
If you're signed in and just want a new password, go to Settings > Security and enter your current password plus a new one. It takes effect immediately — there's no re-encryption step and no waiting, because your files aren't locked to your password. Changing it doesn't affect anything you've already stored, shared, or set up on a deadman switch.
If you're signed in but don't remember your current password, you can't use the Settings form — sign out and use "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in page instead.
What actually is irreversible: account deletion
Password resets, sign-outs, even a lapsed subscription — none of these delete your data. The one action that does is deleting your account, and Killswitch makes that hard to do by accident.
Deleting it yourself
In Settings, deleting your account requires your current password and typing DELETE to confirm. It permanently removes every encrypted file, every note, all your deadman switches and beneficiaries, and every share and access link. Once it's done, that data cannot be recovered — not by you, not by us.
Automatic deletion for undeliverable email
Killswitch can also automatically delete an account, but only if two things are both true: we can no longer deliver email to your account address (repeated hard bounces), and no healthy deadman switch (one configured with both items and beneficiaries). A cancelled or free subscription never triggers this by itself — as long as your email works, we keep the account around. If you have an active switch, your account is retained indefinitely regardless of billing status or email deliverability, so the switch can still do its job. Before any automatic deletion, we send several warning emails to the address on file giving you the chance to fix it, resubscribe, set up a switch, or export your data.
Keep your account email current
Password reset links, deletion warning emails, and check-in reminders all go to your account email. If you lose access to that inbox, you lose the fastest way to prove it's you — so if your email ever changes, update it in Settings right away.
Frequently asked
What happens if I lose my password?
You can reset it. Request a password reset link from the sign-in page and we'll email it to you — no recovery codes to keep track of. Your files stay encrypted at rest and in transit the whole time.
Does resetting my password sign out my other devices?
Yes. Completing a reset immediately revokes every existing session, on every device, as a precaution — the same way a credential compromise would be handled.
Can I undo an account deletion?
No. Whether you delete your account yourself or it's removed automatically because your email became undeliverable, the deletion is permanent once it completes. That's why self-service deletion requires your password and a typed confirmation, and why automatic deletion only happens after several warning emails.
Need to reset your password?
Head to the sign-in page and click "Forgot your password?" — a reset link is in your inbox within moments.
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