Intro To Keybase: Keeping Account Access

Keybase

In some ways, keybase is similar to any group chat system like Slack or Discord.

But, unlike those, it’s end-to-end encrypted. Which makes it different in some confusing ways for people new to encryption. For example, you can’t just get an email to reset your password and get all the info in your account. If you lose access, you lose access and the people in charge of Keybase can’t fix it for you.

So here’s the most basic intro which still covers what you need to keep your access.

tl;dr: Just tell me what I should do.

If you don’t have the time to read the full explanation, just follow these tips.

Do as many of the following as possible, to ensure you keep access:

• Log in and authorize multiple trusted devices (like a personal phone and computer).
• Make and save a couple paper keys, in secure locations. Always keep at least two.
• If you lose any authorized devices, be sure to revoke their access. Same for any paper keys you think have been seen/stolen/lost/copied.

Account Access

Your access to your account is handled by three things: devices, passwords, and paper keys.

Devices

A device is something that has already been authorized to access your account using the keybase app. It is something like a phone or computer. As long as you have access to your account on at least one device, you can add more devices and maintain that access. If you lose or get rid of a device, it is good security practice to revoke that device’s access to your account.

Note: Being logged into the website does NOT grant you the same control.

Passwords

Having a password is not enough to log into a new device. However, you CAN use a password to log in and out of the same device. This might be useful if you wish to switch between accounts, or if you have a shared device.

Paper Keys

You can generate new paper keys under the devices menu. These are backups which allow you to retake your account access even if you lose access to all devices you have previously authorized. As long as you have access to a paper key, or an authorized device, you will retain access to your information.

What can I do if I lose access?

If you lose access entirely, you have lost all your data within Keybase, but you can ask the Keybase team to reset your account. If you do this, you’ll essentially be able to make a new account with the same username, but all the information stored within your Keybase account will be lost.

Further resources

I tried to distill the most important bits the Account chapter of the keybase book, without overloading with too many technical details. But all of the information there is good further reading for anyone curious.