What your key actually looks like
When Opake sets up your identity, it shows you twenty-four ordinary English words. Those words are your key — write them down and you can bring your identity back on any device, at any time. Lose them and nothing in the world can help you.
What Is It? #
When you first set up Opake, the app picks 24 words at random from a fixed list of around 2000 common English words. Those 24 words carry enough randomness that no other person on earth will ever land on the same sequence. Your identity is unique by construction.
Type the same 24 words back in on a different device (a new phone, a fresh laptop, a rebuild after you reinstalled the OS) and Opake rebuilds the exact same keys from them. Same words in, same identity out.
How It Works #
Same words in, same keys out; every time, on every device.
Opake runs your 24 words through a fixed, slow-by-design process. "Fixed" means you get identical keys every time you type the phrase, which is how old files still decrypt on a new phone. "Slow-by-design" means it takes a computer more effort to turn the words into a key — fine for you (a second or two of wait on first setup) but very difficult for someone trying to guess your words.
When You First Set Up #
After signing in, Opake will display your 24 words in a numbered grid. You can:
- Copy them to your clipboard
- Download them as a
.txtfile (saved so only your user account can read it)
You'll then be asked to confirm 3 randomly chosen words to prove you've saved them.
On your first login, the CLI displays your 24 words in a numbered grid:
1. mimic 7. action 13. zebra 19. crawl
2. short 8. bundle 14. rain 20. pen
3. have 9. wagon 15. addict 21. flavor
4. picnic 10. wrong 16. legend 22. useful
5. neck 11. balance 17. swallow 23. caution
6. awful 12. palm 18. space 24. focus
You can save this to a file when prompted. You'll then confirm 3 words to verify you've recorded them.
After confirmation, Opake derives your keys and publishes the public half to your PDS. The words themselves are never stored and never shown again.
Recovering on a New Device #
If you get a new device (or reinstall), you can bring your identity back without needing the old device at all.
After signing in, choose "Use your recovery phrase" and enter your 24 words in the grid. You can also paste all 24 words at once — the app distributes them across the fields automatically.
opake recoverOr import from a saved .txt file:
opake recover --file ~/opake-seed-phrase.txtIf the key Opake rebuilds doesn't match the public half that's already published to your PDS, Opake will warn you. That usually means one of two things: a typo in the phrase, or an older account that was set up before 24-word phrases were the default.
24 Words vs. Device Pairing #
Both get your identity onto a new device. The difference:
| 24 Words | Device Pairing | |
|---|---|---|
| Requires old device? | No | Yes |
| Works offline? | Partially (need PDS for publishing) | No (PDS relay required) |
| Input method | Type or paste 24 words | Approve on existing device |
| Best for | Disaster recovery, first-time setup | Quick setup when you have both devices |
Device pairing is faster when you have both devices handy. The 24 words are your safety net when you don't.
Storing Your Words #
Some options, in rough order of paranoia:
- Paper in a safe — low-tech, survives digital disasters
- Password manager — convenient, but introduces a dependency
- Metal backup plate — survives fire and flood, if you're that kind of person
What you should not do:
- Store it in a cloud notes app (defeats the purpose)
- Take a screenshot (phone backups aren't end-to-end encrypted by default)
- Email it to yourself