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Legacy ​

Life is unpredictable. Legacy ensures your family can access important documents and information if something happens to you—while protecting against unauthorized access.

Use Legacy to ensure your encrypted data can be passed on to loved ones, or as an account recovery option if you forget your password and recovery key.

How Legacy works ​

Legacy uses a time-delayed recovery process that protects against unauthorized access while ensuring your data can be recovered when needed.

The recovery process ​

  1. You designate one or more trusted contacts (must be Ente users)
  2. If needed, a trusted contact initiates account recovery
  3. You receive a notice during the waiting period to block unauthorized recovery attempts
  4. If not blocked, the trusted contact can reset your password and access the account

The waiting period protects you if someone attempts unauthorized recovery while still allowing legitimate access when needed.

Waiting period options ​

You can customize how long the waiting period lasts:

  • 7 days
  • 14 days
  • 30 days (default)

Choose a shorter period if you want faster recovery, or keep the default 30 days for maximum protection against unauthorized access.

Adding trusted contacts ​

Add trusted contacts in the Locker app:

  1. Open Settings > Account > Legacy
  2. Tap Add Trusted Contact
  3. Enter the email address of the person you want to add
  4. The contact must be an existing Ente user

After you add someone, they must accept your request:

  1. They receive an email notification
  2. They open Settings > Account > Legacy in their Ente app
  3. They tap on your email address under Legacy accounts
  4. They accept the invite

Once accepted, they can initiate recovery if needed.

Configuring the waiting period ​

To change your waiting period:

  1. Open Settings > Account > Legacy
  2. Tap on Waiting period or the settings icon
  3. Select 7, 14, or 30 days
  4. Confirm your choice

The new waiting period applies to future recovery attempts.

Managing Legacy accounts ​

Your Legacy section shows two categories:

  • Trusted contacts: People who can recover your account
  • Legacy accounts: Accounts where you are a trusted contact

As a trusted contact ​

If someone has added you as their trusted contact, you have the ability to recover their account. This responsibility should be taken seriously:

  • Only initiate recovery when appropriate (account owner is incapacitated, deceased, or has requested help)
  • The account owner will be notified immediately when you initiate recovery
  • Unauthorized recovery attempts are blocked during the waiting period

Removing trusted contacts ​

To remove a trusted contact:

  1. Open Settings > Account > Legacy
  2. Tap on the contact you want to remove
  3. Select Remove

Recovery process ​

Initiating recovery (as trusted contact) ​

  1. Open Settings > Account > Legacy in the Ente Locker app
  2. Find the account under Legacy accounts
  3. Tap the email address
  4. Initiate recovery

The account owner receives immediate notification and has the full waiting period to block the recovery.

Completing recovery ​

After the waiting period passes without blocking:

  1. Return to Settings > Account > Legacy
  2. Tap on the account
  3. Set a new password for the account
  4. Access the recovered account with the new password

Blocking unauthorized recovery ​

If a trusted contact initiates recovery without your permission:

  1. Open Settings > Account > Legacy
  2. You'll see a message that recovery was initiated
  3. Tap to block the recovery

This stops the recovery immediately. Consider removing the trusted contact if the attempt was unauthorized.

Important considerations ​

  • Trusted contacts must be Ente users with their own accounts
  • Waiting period is configurable: Choose 7, 14, or 30 days
  • Account owner is notified immediately when recovery begins
  • Recovery can be blocked at any time during the waiting period
  • Legacy applies to your entire Ente account, including Locker, Photos, and Auth data

Use cases ​

  • Digital inheritance: Ensure family members can access your data after death
  • Account recovery: Recover access if you lose both password and recovery key
  • Shared access planning: Plan for situations where you may be incapacitated
  • Business continuity: Ensure business-critical information remains accessible