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You're reading Help for the Yandex Start on Android. |
Password encryption
Hackers are trying to steal passwords in order to access your personal data or e-wallets. To prevent anyone from using stolen passwords, Yandex Start stores passwords in the manager in encrypted form. You can strengthen this protection with a master password.
Password encryption in the app
The password vault is encrypted using the AES-256-GCM algorithm, which uses a key. The AES-256 algorithm is considered reliable: the Department of Homeland Security in the USA recommends using it to protect Top Secret data.
However, even the most complex encryption algorithm will not protect your passwords if a hacker learns the encryption key. The master password allows you to securely protect the key.
The key is encrypted using the master password. If you forget the master password, you can reset it using a recovery key.
The master password is not stored on devices, so it can't be stolen. With a master password, you are protected from the following:
- Your password vault being stolen from your device.
- Losing passwords if your smartphone is lost or stolen.
- Synced data stored on Yandex servers (the encryption is set up so that even Yandex cannot decrypt your passwords).
This option is less reliable due to the following risks:
- Anyone who opens the Yandex Start app on your device can view your passwords in the manager.
- Your encryption key is protected by your operating system, rather than a master password. If hackers get access to your device, they can steal and decrypt your passwords.
- Yandex can access your passwords during syncing.
Master password
A master password provides an additional level of security for your passwords. The app will request it during an attempt to open password storage or enter a previously saved website password in a login form.
Instead of a huge number of passwords from different websites, you will have to remember only one master password. Passwords from websites will also be more secure. Access to the vault is locked by the master password, which cannot be stolen because it's not stored on devices.
Create a master password
Alert
Memorize the master password, do not write it down anywhere and do not show it to anyone. If you forget your master password, you can only restore your passwords if you have a backup encryption key.
- Tap (profile picture) → Passwords.
- Tap → Settings.
- Tap Create master password.
- Enter the master password. We recommend using complex passwords that at the same time are easy to remember.
- Tap Continue. To confirm the action, enter the master password again and tap Create master password.
- The app will suggest creating a recovery key. We strongly recommend doing this.
Alert
If you forget your master password, your only option would be to delete all the passwords. With a recovery key, you can restore access to them.
Now you will have to enter the master password to save a password for a site in Yandex Start or open the password manager. The master password is not saved on your device or the server. Only a key encrypted with it is saved.
Deleting a master password
- Tap (profile picture) → Passwords.
- Tap → Settings.
- Tap Delete master password.
- Enter the current master password and tap Confirm.
After that, Yandex Start will no longer request the master password to access passwords. At the next syncing, the master password is deleted from the other devices.
Time until the vault is locked
You can configure the time interval after which the app blocks your password vault and requests a master password when someone is trying to access it:
- Tap (profile picture) → Passwords.
- Tap → Settings.
- Tap Access control.
- In the Lock access section, set the switch to the position you need: After restart, After lock screen, or Never.
- Enter the master password to access the vault, if necessary.
If you forgot your master password
Note
If you reset the master password without a recovery key, saved passwords will be deleted.
If you have created a backup encryption key:
- In the master password input window, tap I forgot my password.
- Tap Reset master password.
- Enter your Yandex ID password.
- Create a new master password.
If you haven't created a backup encryption key, you can't restore access to your passwords.
Gesture, PIN, fingerprint
To avoid entering the master password every time you want to access your website passwords, use your smartphone lock method instead (PIN, gesture, or fingerprint). Your passwords in the storage will still be encrypted with the master password. Each time you unlock your device, Yandex Start will first restore your master password and then decrypt the vault.
If you delete your master password, the app will no longer ask for your PIN, gesture, or fingerprint.
Note
The lock method is linked to the device. That's why you can't use a PIN from one device to get access to passwords stored on another.
To change the password unlock method:
- Go to (profile picture) → App settings.
- Tap Personal data manager → → Access control.
- In the Unlock with section, select an option: master password, gesture, or PIN. The list varies by device.
Backup encryption key
The master password provides more secure password protection, but what do you do if you forget it? Yandex Start has a convenient and secure way to reset the master password.
The only function of the master password is to decrypt the encrypted key, so if you have a backup encryption key, you can extract it and encrypt it with a new master password.
Some password managers suggest that users store their backup encryption key (sometimes as a QR code) as a printout. This method isn't secure enough, because you may lose the printout or it may get stolen. This is why we store your backup encryption key on your device and encrypt it with another key stored on the server. You can access the key on the server only after entering the password from your Yandex ID. Hackers are unlikely to steal the backup encryption key from your device, the key from the server, and the password from your Yandex ID at the same time.
To prevent you from accidentally losing access to the password vault, Yandex Start suggests creating a recovery key immediately after creating the master password:
- When the Enable option to reset master password? window opens, tap Enable.
- Enter your Yandex ID password.
Since one of the keys is stored on the server, syncing is required. If syncing is not enabled, it will be enabled automatically after entering the Yandex ID password.