Changing your passphrase

If you need to change your Private.Ki PGP encryption passphrase, you can do so from your account settings.

The passphrase in Private.Ki is the secret phrase that encrypts your private keys which encrypt your emails. Your PGP private key is encrypted in itself with your passphrase. That means you can easily change the passphrase - just the "outer layer" (the encryption of the key) changes, not the key itself.

Here’s how to change your passphrase - first, go to Settings:

Click on Security and Privacy:

Enter your current passphrase and a new passphrase (twice):

Think of a strong new passphrase. A passphrase is often longer than a typical password – it could be a sequence of words or a complex string of characters. Make sure it’s something secure and not easily guessable, but also something you will remember. Unlike passwords, passphrases allow spaces, so you might use a sentence or a combination of random words. For example, “Moonlight 7 paper zigzag” is a passphrase (don’t use that example; create your own unique one). The strength of a passphrase comes from its length and unpredictability.

Then click Save.

That's it - you have successfully changed your encryption passphrase.

Important: Changing your passphrase does not change your login password – they are separate credentials serving different purposes. Also, be absolutely sure you remember the new passphrase you set. If you forget this passphrase, Private.Ki cannot help you recover it in the traditional sense, because we do not have access to your private encryption key.