Why your vault password matters
Your vault password is the single key that unlocks your entire vault—including all the important information you're preserving for your family. It's the only password you'll ever need to remember, but it's also what your loved ones will need when the time comes.
Because Local Legacy Vault stores everything offline with zero-knowledge encryption, we never see or store your vault password. This means:
- We can't recover it if you forget it
- No one can reset it for you
- Your family will need it to access your vault
Critical: If you forget your vault password and haven't stored it somewhere safe, your vault data is permanently inaccessible. More importantly, your family won't be able to access the information you've prepared for them.
What makes a strong vault password
A good vault password is both strong (hard to guess or crack) and memorable (you won't forget it). Here's how to create one:
Use a Passphrase
Instead of a complex string of random characters, use a passphrase—a series of random words strung together. Passphrases are:
- Easier to remember than random characters
- Much longer, making them harder to crack
- Easy to type accurately
- Easy to write down for your family
Example Passphrases
Four random words connected with dashes. Easy to remember, extremely hard to crack.
Another Example
Words that mean something to you, with symbols and a year. Personal but not guessable.
Password hint (optional)
When you first create your vault or change your vault password in Local Legacy Vault, the app includes an optional Password Hint field. The in-app guidance is straightforward: choose something that helps you remember your password. You can leave the field blank if you do not want a hint.
How a hint supports the process:
- Memory, not recovery. A hint is a private nudge for future you (for example, a theme, place, or phrase that brings your password to mind). It is not a substitute for writing the full password down for your family or keeping your Vault Recovery File.
- Same moment as the password. You set or update the hint alongside your vault password, so the reminder stays aligned when you rotate the password later.
- Stays on your device. Like the rest of your vault, your hint is part of your local data. It is not sent to our servers.
- Safety checks. If you enter a hint, the app blocks hints that would give away your password (for example, the hint cannot contain your actual password). Follow on-screen messages if you need to adjust length or wording.
Example hint ideas (not your real password)
Concrete enough for you to reconnect with how you built the password, vague enough that the line alone does not reveal the secret.
Tip: Pair a thoughtful hint with a written copy of the full vault password for your executor or a sealed note with your will. The hint helps you day to day; your family still needs the real password and recovery materials if you are not there to unlock the vault.
Do's and Don'ts
Do This
- Use 4+ random, unrelated words
- Add numbers or symbols between words
- Make it at least 16 characters
- Write it down and store it with your will
- Tell a trusted family member where it's stored
- Practice typing it until it's muscle memory
Don't Do This
- Use your name, birthday, or pet's name
- Use common phrases like "iloveyou"
- Reuse a password from another account
- Keep it only in your head
- Share it casually or store it insecurely
- Forget to tell family where to find it
Where to store your vault password
Your vault password needs to be accessible to your family after you're gone. Here are safe options:
- With your will – Store it in a sealed envelope with your attorney or in your safe with your will
- Safety deposit box – Put it there alongside other important documents
- Trusted family member – Give a sealed envelope to someone you trust completely
- Split storage – Write half in your will, half in a letter to your spouse
Important: Make sure at least one trusted person knows that this password exists and where to find it. The best-prepared vault is useless if no one can open it.
Telling Your Family
You don't need to share your password now, but your family should know:
- That Local Legacy Vault exists on your device
- What kind of information it contains
- Where to find the vault password when needed
- That they should NOT try to guess—they only get a few attempts
Never store your vault password: In a text file on your computer, in your email, in cloud notes, or anywhere that could be hacked or lost with your computer.