What happens to encrypted mail after a password reset
Why a backup of your private key matters.
Your private key is locked with your account password.
- If you change your password in Settings, the key is re-locked with the new one automatically. Nothing is lost.
- If you reset a forgotten password, we cannot re-lock the key, because we never know your old password. Encrypted mail stays unreadable until you restore the key.
To be safe:
- Open Settings, Security.
- Under End-to-end encryption, choose Back up private key and store the file somewhere safe.
After a reset, import that backup with Import an existing key. If you have no backup, you can remove the old key and set up a new one, but older encrypted messages cannot be recovered.
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