Sign in, unlock encryption and restore your data

Updated 25 Oct 2026 · Source-reviewed; deployed availability varies

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Feature availability: These steps describe the latest merged application implementation, but some controls are private-gated, require administrator approval or await verification on the deployed web/iPhone/iPad versions. Do not assume a missing option is already live.

Before you begin

Keep your recovery secret in a separate secure location. If you already have a working device, save a full backup before making major account changes.

Unlock encrypted dataInsert a genuine, sanitized app screenshot after device verification.

Use the email verification code or an available Google/Apple sign-in method. Sign-in verifies identity; it does not give the Cashflow Pilot server access to encrypted financial contents. For registered accounts, protected local financial views require the correct signed-in account.

2. Enable Cloud Sync only if you want it

Using an account and enabling Cloud Sync are separate choices. Where access approval is required, request it first and wait until Cloud Sync is granted, then opt in. Financial records are encrypted locally before upload. Do not disable encryption to troubleshoot a registration problem.

3. Unlock an existing encrypted account

After signing in on a new browser or device, enter the same 43-character recovery secret used for the account.
Let the single encrypted restore finish. Personal, Portfolio and Business financial records, applicable histories and saved settings should reappear without separate historical restore buttons.
If the account already has Business records, first-run Business setup should not appear again. If Business genuinely has never been configured, its setup remains a separate choice.
Check known balances, imported statements, Portfolio history, Business journals and invoice totals before changing devices.

4. If you lose the secret

Neither email support nor Cashflow Pilot can decrypt the old ciphertext without your original secret. Do not delete your last unlocked local copy. Export and check a full backup first. A guarded cloud reset, when available for your account, is destructive to the encrypted cloud data; it does not magically decrypt the old records. A new secret and fresh sync can only rebuild from another complete usable copy.

5. Keep an independent backup

Cloud Sync is not your only backup strategy. A downloaded full backup may contain readable financial or payroll information: store it in encrypted storage. Business original documents and optional encrypted document storage may require separate export or verification.

Troubleshooting

If an unfamiliar empty dashboard or onboarding flow appears, confirm your sign-in identity and encrypted sync unlock status before importing again. Do not clear browser storage, overwrite local data or start a new account as a troubleshooting shortcut. See recovery secrets and sync diagnostics.

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