Forgotten your master password: what can you still do?

Bitwarden and KeePassXC don't know your master password and can't reset it. WebOké can't either. Still, there are a few things to try first. If none of them work, your vault is lost.

With Bitwarden (and Vaultwarden)

1. Check the region. Your account only exists in the region where you created it: bitwarden.eu or bitwarden.com. In the wrong region, your password will seem to be wrong.
2. Check whether you're still logged in somewhere. Can you still open your vault on your phone or computer with your PIN or fingerprint? Then use that device to secure your passwords. Bitwarden itself recommends moving your items to a new account in that case.
3. Request your hint. On the login page, choose Request password hint. If you set a hint, you'll receive it by email.
4. Emergency access. If you set this up in advance with Takeover, your contact can set a new master password for you (see Arranging emergency access in case something happens to you).
5. Your organisation. If your employer uses Bitwarden with account recovery by the administrator, ask the administrator.
6. Log in with a device or passkey. If you set this up earlier, you can still get in this way.
7. Last resort: start over. Delete your account and create a new one. All your own items will be gone. If you have a backup with its own password (see Making a backup or export of your vault), import it into your new account.

With KeePassXC

• There's no hint, no recovery and no account. Without the correct password (and key file or hardware key, if you used one), your database won't open.
• Calmly try the passwords you may have used. Pay attention to capital letters, your keyboard layout and Caps Lock.
• Did you use a key file? Check that you're choosing the right file and that it hasn't been changed. A modified key file no longer works.
• Do you have an older copy of your database with a password you do remember? Open that one.

Afterwards: start again from scratch

If your vault really is lost, restore your accounts one by one using each website's forgotten password feature. Start with your email, as that's where the recovery emails arrive. For WebOké: see Setting, changing or forgetting your password for My WebOké and Changing or forgetting your password for Nextcloud.

Please note: Prevent this from happening. Write your master password down on paper, keep your recovery code, set up emergency access and make a backup. It takes about fifteen minutes (see Your master password: create it, store it and never lose it).