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Legacy FAQ ​

Answers to common questions about the Legacy feature for digital inheritance and account recovery.

General ​

What is Legacy? ​

Legacy is Ente's digital inheritance system. It allows you to designate trusted contacts who can recover your account after a waiting period (7, 14, or 30 days). This ensures your encrypted data can be passed on to loved ones or recovered if you lose access to your account.

What happens after the waiting period? ​

After the waiting period passes without the account owner blocking the recovery:

  1. The trusted contact can set a new password for the account
  2. They gain full access to the account with the new password
  3. All data in the account (Photos, Auth, Locker) becomes accessible

Can I customize the waiting period? ​

Yes. You can choose from three waiting period options:

  • 7 days: Faster recovery
  • 14 days: Balanced protection
  • 30 days (default): Maximum protection

Configure this in Settings > Account > Legacy.

Can I have multiple trusted contacts? ​

Yes. You can add multiple trusted contacts. Each can independently initiate recovery, and any one of them can access your account after the waiting period if you don't block the recovery.

What data can trusted contacts access? ​

After successful recovery, trusted contacts have full access to your Ente account, including:

  • All Locker items (documents, notes, credentials, physical records)
  • All Ente Photos data
  • All Ente Auth data

They effectively become the account owner with the ability to view, edit, and delete content.

Setting Up Legacy ​

How do I add a trusted contact? ​

  1. Open Ente Locker
  2. Open Settings > Account > Legacy
  3. Tap Add Trusted Contact
  4. Enter their Ente email address
  5. Wait for them to accept the invite

The contact must have an Ente account to be added.

Do trusted contacts need an Ente account? ​

Yes. Trusted contacts must have their own Ente account. They don't need an active subscription, but they must have an account to participate in the Legacy system.

Why do trusted contacts need to accept the invite? ​

Accepting the invite confirms that the trusted contact understands their responsibility and agrees to participate. They can decline if they don't want the responsibility.

Recovery Process ​

How does a trusted contact initiate recovery? ​

  1. Open Ente Locker (or any Ente app)
  2. Open Settings > Account > Legacy
  3. Find the account under Legacy accounts
  4. Tap the email address
  5. Confirm to initiate recovery

The account owner is immediately notified.

Can I block a recovery attempt? ​

Yes. During the waiting period:

  1. Open Settings > Account > Legacy
  2. You'll see a notification about the recovery attempt
  3. Tap to block the recovery

Blocking is immediate and stops the recovery process.

What notifications are sent during recovery? ​

When recovery is initiated:

  • The account owner receives an email notification immediately
  • The account owner sees an alert in the app
  • The trusted contact can see the recovery status

Can I initiate recovery if the account owner is alive? ​

Technically yes, but the account owner will be notified and can block the recovery. Only initiate recovery when appropriate (the owner is incapacitated, deceased, or has requested help).

Managing Legacy ​

How do I remove a trusted contact? ​

  1. Open Settings > Account > Legacy
  2. Tap on the trusted contact
  3. Select Remove

They immediately lose the ability to initiate recovery.

Can I change who my trusted contacts are? ​

Yes. You can add and remove trusted contacts at any time. There's no limit to how many trusted contacts you can have.

What happens if I remove a trusted contact during recovery? ​

Removing a trusted contact who has initiated recovery will block that recovery attempt. They lose the ability to complete the recovery.

Security ​

Is Legacy secure? ​

Yes. The waiting period provides protection against unauthorized recovery:

  • Account owners are immediately notified of recovery attempts
  • Recovery can be blocked at any time during the waiting period
  • Trusted contacts must have verified Ente accounts

What if someone tries to recover my account without permission? ​

You'll be notified immediately when recovery is initiated. Log in to your account and block the recovery through Settings > Account > Legacy. Consider removing the trusted contact if the attempt was unauthorized.

Does Legacy work across all Ente apps? ​

Legacy can be configured in any Ente app and applies to your entire Ente account. If recovered, the trusted contact gains access to:

  • Ente Photos
  • Ente Auth
  • Ente Locker