Encryption

Last updated 2026-10-10

A random master key locks the journal on this computer; your password opens the box holding it.

Encryption Your password Slow key making Master key Locked box Journal database Encryption Your password Slow key making Master key Locked box Journal database

Your password and the master key

  • Argon2id turns your password into a wrapping key; this slow step makes guessing expensive.
  • That wrapping key seals a random master key with AES-256-GCM.
  • The 24 recovery words open the same box by another lock, without Argon2id.
  • On a Mac, the keychain can hold another key, outside the journal folder.
  • A wrong password does not open the seal, and the journal stays locked.

What is encrypted on disk

  • Journal databaseEncrypted by SQLCipher. Without the key, it does not open.
  • Setup fileNot encrypted. Holds the sealed master key and salt, no entry text.
  • Photos and attachmentsNot encrypted. They open without your password.

On the web

In the Web companion, encryption keys live inside WebAssembly linear memory and are wiped as soon as you lock the vault or close the tab. So that a page refresh stays unlocked, the open tab also keeps a sealed copy of the master key, with the one-time key that opens it, in its session storage. The app uses it only to reload that tab, until you lock or the auto-lock time passes; the browser may keep it on disk after the tab closes, and anyone who copies it there could open the journal. The browser's IndexedDB stores only AES-256-GCM encrypted ciphertexts; unencrypted text is never written to disk or browser storage.

If you lose access

  • Forgot the password? The journal is not thrown away if you still have the recovery words or a keychain unlock you turned on. See Backup and recovery.
  • Lose the password, the words, and any keychain unlock, and the master key cannot be rebuilt.
  • No Memlore account can reset it.

Good to know

  • While unlocked, the app keeps the keys in memory; those raw keys are not written into the database.
  • A password someone else can guess is still easier to try.
  • Sync copies of entries and media are encrypted on this device before upload.
  • Locks check a password before showing entries; they add no encryption.