Help center

34 articles across 8 categories. Current as of 2026-10-10.

Every article here is titled as the question somebody asked, and opens with a short answer before the detail. If what you need is a walkthrough rather than an answer, the guides are longer and go step by step.

Getting started 4 articles

Adding your first codes and deciding whether you need an account.

• How do I add a 2FA code to KeyNesta?There are four ways in: scan the QR code with your camera, upload a QR image, paste the otpauth:// link the service shows behind its QR, or type the secret by hand.
• Do I need an account to use KeyNesta?No.
• How do I create my first vault?Open the web app, give the vault a name, and choose a passphrase of at least 12 characters.
• What makes a good vault passphrase?Twelve characters is the minimum the app enforces, and four unrelated words beat a short dense password every time.

Organising 6 articles

Vaults, spaces, groups and tags, and finding one code among hundreds.

• When should I use a separate vault instead of a space?Use a space for almost everything: it costs nothing to create and nothing to change your mind about.
• How do I find one code among hundreds?Search is ranked and covers the entry name, issuer, account name, tags and the full group path at once, so typing two partial words from different fields finds the entry.
• How do I create a space or a group?In the sidebar, the plus beside Spaces creates a space and the plus beside Groups creates a group in the space you are currently looking at.
• How do I move a lot of codes at once?Turn on selection mode, tick the entries you want or use Select all, then choose "Move to" and pick the destination.
• When should I use tags instead of groups?Use a group when a code has one obvious home, and a tag when the thing you want to express cuts across the tree.
• Should I archive a code or delete it?Archive when you are fairly sure you are finished with an account but would rather not find out the hard way; the entry stays in the vault and stops appearing in your lists.

Sync & devices 6 articles

What sync uploads, what it costs, and how a second device gets your vault.

• What does KeyNesta sync actually upload?Ciphertext, and nothing else.
• Is KeyNesta sync free?Sync is free during launch.
• How do I turn sync on?Open Settings, then Sync, and either create an account with an email and password or sign in with Google; the lock screen also offers Apple.
• How do I get my vault onto a second device?Sign in to the same sync account on the new device.
• What does revoking a device actually do?It stops that device syncing with your account: its session is finished and it can no longer push or pull.
• How can I tell whether sync actually worked?The Sync panel in Settings names the account, says when it last synced, and turns the indicator red with the reason if the last attempt failed.

Backup & export 4 articles

Encrypted backup files, restoring them, and taking your data elsewhere.

• How do I make an encrypted backup?Encrypted backup files are created and restored in the web app.
• Can I export my codes out of KeyNesta?Yes, whenever you want, with no paid tier and no waiting period.
• Which passphrase opens a vault I have restored?The file itself is opened with the backup password you chose when you made it, which may be different from any vault passphrase.
• How often should I make a new backup?After every batch of changes worth not repeating, and before anything risky such as changing devices or deleting entries in bulk.

Migration 4 articles

Moving in from Google Authenticator, Authy, Aegis, 2FAS and others.

• Which apps can I import my codes from?Google Authenticator transfer QR codes, unencrypted Aegis and 2FAS exports, and generic JSON or CSV files.
• Can I import from Microsoft Authenticator?No, and not because of anything missing in KeyNesta: Microsoft Authenticator does not export the secrets behind its one-time codes, and its cloud backup can only be restored back into Microsoft Authenticator.
• Can I import 2FA codes from a password manager?Usually yes, as long as the manager will export the codes.
• What does a CSV import need to contain?A header row and a column called secret.

Security 5 articles

What the encryption protects, what it cannot, and what has not been audited.

• Can KeyNesta recover my vault if I forget the passphrase?No, and not through support, not with proof of identity, not by any route.
• Has KeyNesta had an independent security audit?No.
• How do I change my vault passphrase?In Settings, under Security, give the current passphrase and a new one of at least 12 characters.
• How do I lock the vault when I step away?Lock it by hand from the lock button in the sidebar, which takes the key out of memory immediately.
• Can I unlock KeyNesta with Face ID?Yes on the phone apps, where the vault key is stored in the device keychain and released only by Face ID, Touch ID or an Android biometric.

Troubleshooting 3 articles

Codes being rejected, clock drift, and imports that will not read.

• My codes are being rejected. What should I check?Almost always the device clock.
• Why were some rows rejected when I imported?The preview labels every row before anything is written: new, duplicate, similar, or invalid.
• Why is my Google sign-in refused when I already have an account?Because an account created with an email and a password has never proved that it owns that mailbox, and linking a Google or Apple identity to it on the strength of a matching address would be unsafe.

Account 2 articles

What an account is for and what the servers hold against it.

• What does KeyNesta store on its servers?With sync switched on: your encrypted vault as ciphertext, an account record with your email address, and ordinary web server logs kept for at most 15 days.
• What happens when I delete my sync account?Everything the server holds for that account is removed: your encrypted objects, the wrapped key and every registered device.