Applies to Personal Sync, part of the Professional plan.
Why there is no recovery
The keys that unlock your synced Brains and chats are created on your computer and shared only with computers you approve. Elephas never receives a copy. Your Elephas account proves who you are to the sync service, but it does not hold the keys. In the app’s words: “Your Elephas account alone cannot unlock it.” That design means Elephas cannot be made to open your data. It also means Elephas cannot restore it for you. There is no hidden recovery key, no email reset, and no copy of your keys on the server.Stay safe
1
Keep Sync on at least two computers
As long as one approved computer survives, it can approve a replacement and your synced data is intact. Add a second computer soon after you turn on Sync. See Add a computer.
2
Keep your original files
Elephas keeps its own copies of the files you add, but your PDFs, Word files and notes should also live somewhere you control and back up, such as your Documents folder with Time Machine or File History. If everything else fails, these are what you add again.
3
Replace a computer before you retire it
When you get a new computer, add it to Sync and let it reach Up to date before you wipe or sell the old one. See Move to a new computer.
4
Don't delete the keys by hand
Deleting the “Elephas Next” entries from Keychain or Credential Manager on a computer makes its local data unreadable. See Where your data is stored.
How it works
Elephas also blocks the one action that would cause this by mistake: you cannot revoke your last synced computer.
If you lost every synced computer
- Install Elephas on your new computer and sign in.
- Contact support. Your account still has Sync turned on, so a new computer cannot start Sync as a first device, and it cannot be approved because no approved computer is left.
- Add your documents again from your own copies.
Troubleshooting
Elephas says something synced here could not be opened
Elephas says something synced here could not be opened
“Something synced here could not be opened with this computer’s keys. Nothing local was altered.” Your local data is fine. See Sync troubleshooting.
This computer has not been given the encryption keys yet
This computer has not been given the encryption keys yet
Approve it from one of your other synced computers. See Add a computer.
