Backup and recovery

Why a backup matters

Your X1 Pay keys come from the signature your wallet gives when you unlock. Different wallet apps can sign the same message differently, which gives different keys. Your backup brings back the exact keys you set up with, on any device, with no wallet signature needed.

Making a backup

When you turn on X1 Pay you choose a recovery password (12 characters or more, typed twice), and a locked backup file is saved to your downloads. Its text starts with x1pp-backup1. and the file is named after your key fingerprint.

You can save another copy any time: More, then Back up your keys.

Nobody can reset your recovery password, FortiBlox included. Keep the file and the password somewhere safe, and apart from each other.

Restoring

Choose I already have a backup (or Use a backup instead), open your backup file or paste its text, and enter the recovery password. Opening it takes a few seconds on purpose, to protect the password.

A backup is tied to the wallet you made it with. Restore it with that wallet connected and X1 Pay works as before.

If you lost the wallet: recovery-only restore

Connect any wallet and restore the backup. X1 Pay tells you the backup belongs to another wallet and offers to open it only to move the money out: to the wallet you're connected with, or to an address you choose. You confirm with "This is my backup, and I'm moving its money out."

In this recovery mode X1 Pay:

doesn't publish anything for your @name;
doesn't remember the keys on the device;
doesn't make a new backup of them.

To use X1 Pay with the new wallet afterwards, turn it on again with that wallet.

The fingerprint check

Every unlock compares your keys' fingerprint with the one your @name publishes. If they don't match, X1 Pay won't show balances and tells you why:

Your wallet produced different keys than last time. That usually means a different wallet app, which signs differently. Your money isn't lost: it's held by the keys you set up. Use the wallet app you set up with, or your backup.
The backup you opened holds different keys than the ones set up for this wallet on this device. If it isn't your own backup, don't use it: payments to your @name could go to whoever made it.

You can see your fingerprint any time under More, Your X1 Pay.