Your master password is the only one you'll memorize: it protects all the others. That's why it's worth spending five minutes to get it right from the start.

Why the master password matters so much

In Vault256 the master password isn't stored anywhere. The key that opens your vault is derived from it using the scrypt algorithm. Scrypt is deliberately slow, which makes trying millions of passwords by brute force very expensive. Since there are no backdoors, nobody, not even us, can recover your master password for you.

The passphrase method

The most practical way to create a strong master password is to use a passphrase: several unrelated words joined by a symbol and with at least one number. It's much easier to remember than a short password full of symbols, and much harder to guess.

  1. Pick four or five random words that don't form a well-known phrase.
  2. Join them with hyphens or dots and add a number and a symbol.
  3. Make sure it's at least 16 characters long.
  4. Type it several times over the first few days until you've memorized it.

Example of the format (don't use it as is): Turtle-Violin-Cloud7-Map!

Mistakes to avoid

  • Using names, birthdays or details that appear on your social media.
  • Reusing your master password on any other site or service.
  • Making small variations of a password you've used before.
  • Saving it in a phone note or an unencrypted file.

What if I forget it?

When you create your vault, Vault256 gives you a recovery code and backup codes. Any of them lets you get back in and set a new master password. Print them or write them down by hand and keep them somewhere safe, away from your computer.

For all your other accounts you don't need to memorize anything: Vault256's generator creates random passwords of 8 to 32 characters, and you copy and paste them in one click.