# Backup and recovery

> Two ways back into your wallets, and a file for the day you need it.

Source: https://ravenwallet.pro/docs/backup

### Your ways back in

*Your 12 words, your password, a backup file*

Any one of these opens your wallets again. Keep at least two of them somewhere safe.

| | |
|---|---|
| Your 12 words | Open everything, set a new password |
| Your password | Opens the vault on any device |
| The backup file | Your vault as a file, opened by your password |
| Raven, without these | Cannot open anything |

## Your 12 words

Your account’s 12 words open your wallets on any browser and let you set a new password. Raven shows them when you sign up, and again in **Settings, Safety** after your password.

## The backup file

**Settings, Backup file** downloads your vault as one file, locked exactly as it is kept. It is for the day Raven is gone: the file and your password are all you need.

> **Note:** Raven reminds you while a key is in no backup yet.

## If you forget your password

1. **Press Forgot password? when Raven asks for your password.**
2. **Enter your 12 words.** They open the vault in your browser.
3. **Set a new password.** Your wallets are all there.

## Under the hood

- **The file is the vault**: The backup file is your locked vault with a label: AES-256-GCM, with the same locks as on Raven’s server. Raven’s own code opens it with your password, and nothing else can.
- **Why the words work**: Your 12 words are stretched into a key the same way as your password, and that key opens its own lock on the vault. See [How your keys are kept](https://ravenwallet.pro/docs/keys).
- **Changing your password**: Only the password’s lock is made again. The vault and your 12 words stay as they are.