FC21

Account recovery

Restore without an email trap

FC21 has no “forgot password → email link”. Instead, a high-entropy recovery credential — shown once, stored digest-only (ADR-0015).

The recovery credential

FC21-RCV-••••••••••••••••••••••••

Format: a high-entropy secret with an FC21 prefix. Treat it like account-takeover material — the same way you would treat a master key.

ADR-0015 — Recovery: digest-only, no email reset

Flow

01

Create the account

Creation generates a recovery credential (FC21-RCV-…) and shows it exactly once.

02

Store it safely

Offline, separate from the device. The server stores only a SHA-256 digest — never the raw secret.

03

Rotate the password

A valid recovery credential can rotate the password — there is no email channel.

04

Terminal loss

Losing every device, the password, and the recovery credential can make the account unrecoverable. Security is not weakened to avoid that.

What recovery is not

  • Not a self-service reset by email or SMS
  • Not an admin backdoor for personal accounts without a process
  • Not cryptographic device recovery in this milestone (device-authorized recovery remains future design, under the crypto freeze)
  • Not a guarantee — loss can be terminal

21-word vision (planned)

A longer recovery story with a mnemonic phrase (a 21-word concept) is documented as a product vision, and is not implemented in this milestone. If it ships, it must respect ADR-0010 (crypto freeze) and stay externally reviewable.

ASSUMPTION: this page describes the concept at a high level; shipped behavior follows the current ADR and the iOS app.

Human factor — before the credential

Operator limit

Before you store the recovery credential, understand this: people remain the weakest link. An unlocked phone or a shared recovery credential sits outside what this product can stop. That is not a cryptographic claim — it is honest product language.

Account restore in the app

FC21 Mobile offers “Restore account” in the onboarding flow. You need the recovery credential and a new password. After a successful restore, sessions on other devices are revoked.