1. Your nickname is part of your unique identity
When you create a ChAPPover account you choose a unique nickname, for example @example. The nickname is the name other users can recognise and search you by, according to your visibility settings. It is linked to the account identity and its technical identifier, called the Track ID.
The nickname is chosen at creation and cannot be freely changed. The Recovery Kit lets you take back the same identity, the same Track ID and the same nickname on a new device, without creating another account.
2. The phone number is optional
The number is an optional profile field and is not verified in the current feature. It does not replace the Recovery Kit, it is not the key to your identity and it is not used to authenticate you or recover the account. Knowing the nickname alone does not allow the identity to be restored either.
3. Prepare and keep your Recovery Kit safe
- Once your identity is set up, open the Identity recovery section in the app.
- If it is not configured yet, tap Create Recovery Kit.
- Save the code or the QR code in a private and safe place, preferably also offline and separate from the phone. Make sure you can find it if your phone is lost.
- If the Kit is already active, you can use Show Kit / Hide Kit and Update backup. The latter updates the encrypted copy needed for restoring; it does not create a new Kit.
The recovery copy is encrypted: the server can return the encrypted backup, but decryption happens on the device that holds the Kit.
4. Recover your identity on another phone
- Install ChAPPover on the new device.
- On the start screen choose Recover identity with QR code or Use Recovery Kit from clipboard, depending on the format you kept.
- Follow the instructions to verify the Kit and restore the encrypted backup.
- When finished, you get back your ChAPPover identity, including your Track ID and unique nickname; the new phone has its own device identifier.
Emergency restore is different from the ordinary pairing of several devices. For security it may revoke previous authorisations. An old phone might still show a local copy of the profile without being authorised by the server any more.
5. Treat the Kit as a secret
The Recovery Kit is not a universal file synchronisation system: messages, attachments, photos, recordings or downloads kept only locally may not be recoverable. Make separate copies of the personal content you want to keep.
6. Frequently asked questions
Can I use ChAPPover without a linked phone number?
Yes. Adding a phone number to your profile is optional.
Can I recover my account knowing only the nickname or the phone number?
No. A valid Recovery Kit is required to recover your identity.
Does the Recovery Kit give me a new nickname?
No. The purpose of recovery is to restore the same identity and keep the unique nickname you already chose.
Does «Update backup» change my Recovery Kit?
No. It updates the encrypted backup of the identity linked to the existing Kit.
For help see the Support page. Never attach your Recovery Kit to the request.