Three ways to start
When you first open KeyMe Pass, there are three paths:
| Option | When to use it | Network |
|---|---|---|
| This device only | No account; data stays on this device | No |
| Create an account | You plan to use several devices | Yes |
| Sign in | You already have an account | Yes |
Local-only use needs no email address and sends nothing to our servers. You can register later; existing data is kept.
The master password
The master password unlocks your vault. It is never uploaded — our servers hold neither it nor anything from which it could be reconstructed.
How it relates to your account password
They are the same password. KeyMe Pass enforces this by design; there is no state where the account password is one thing and the master password another.
So when sign-in reports a wrong password, the master password itself is wrong — there is no second password to have confused it with.
Choosing one
The master password is the only barrier protecting the vault:
- Make it long (past 12 characters, length beats symbol soup)
- Do not reuse it from another site
- Make it something you will remember — forgetting it is costly, see below
It is put through Argon2id with a 64 MiB memory cost, which raises the hardware cost of large-scale offline cracking considerably.
The recovery key
After setting the master password you are shown a recovery key, and must confirm you have stored it before continuing.
It is shown only once, and it is the only way back in if you forget the master password. Write it down and keep it offline.
See What the recovery key is, and what happens if you lose it.
Note: signing in with an existing account on a new device does not show it — that step belongs to account creation only.
PIN and biometrics (optional)
You can then set a 6-digit PIN for quicker day-to-day unlocking, and enable fingerprint or face unlock.
Understand what they are: a PIN and biometrics are conveniences, not a second lock. The master password is what actually protects the data.
Repeated wrong PIN entries trigger a cooldown that grows with each failure, up to 24 hours. Restarting the app does not bypass it.
Next steps
- Bring data over from another manager → Import guide
- Fill passwords on sign-in pages → Autofill
- Use it on a computer → Browser extension