Recovering from an unknown OmniFocus encryption passphrase

Your OmniFocus database is encrypted to protect your confidential information from unauthorized access as it makes its way to and from the server. To accomplish this, OmniFocus uses an encryption passphrase that only you should know, and which is never shared with The Omni Group. (For a general overview of OmniFocus encryption, see our OmniFocus Encryption FAQ.)

There are two key terms to understand while reading this help document:

• Encryption Passphrase — the key used to encrypt and decrypt your OmniFocus database while in transit and at rest on the server.

• Account Password — your login credentials for signing in to the sync server, either in an app or your account management page.

Resetting your account password or deleting the app can make it more difficult or impossible to regain access to your data. Now that you better understand what these prompts are asking for, let’s walk through some methods for recovering the passphrase.

Is my data lost?

You have only lost access to your data if all of the following are true:

• You have no local OmniFocus data on any device
  Even if the device can’t currently sync, as long as you have a copy of OmniFocus that contains your data, you can use that device to reset the encryption passphrase and start syncing that data again.

• You don’t know and can’t guess the existing passphrase
  There is no limit to the number of times you can try guessing the encryption passphrase.

Try syncing a device that isn’t asking for the passphrase

For most people the encryption passphrase will be linked with and the same as your account password. However if you’ve just reset or updated your account password, you may be in a transitory state where the encryption passphrase has not yet been updated to match the new account password.

If you have OmniFocus syncing on another device, then simply prompt a sync on that device. When you do that, OmniFocus on that device will ask you for the new account password. Once you provide the new password and OmniFocus syncs, that device will update the encryption passphrase to match. Now try syncing the copy of OmniFocus that had been asking for an encryption passphrase, and you should be able to sync without seeing that prompt.

Replace the server database with a good local database

OmniFocus needs your encryption passphrase to decrypt and download data from the server. Since the local data isn’t encrypted on your Mac or iOS device, you can move that data up to the server and overwrite the old encryption info.

1. Pick the device with the most up-to-date copy of your OmniFocus data.

2. Follow the instructions for your version of OmniFocus to replace the data on the server:

   • OmniFocus 4 for Mac, iPhone, and iPad
     1. Tap Cancel to dismiss the encryption passphrase prompt.
     2. Go to Settings > Sync.
     3. Choose Replace Sync Database.
     4. Select Replace when prompted for confirmation.
     5. Tap Cancel when prompted again for the encryption passphrase.
     6. Choose Replace without backing up, and wait for the sync to finish.
        
        
   • OmniFocus 3 for Mac
     1. Click Cancel to dismiss the encryption passphrase prompt.
     2. Choose File > Replace Server Database in the menu bar.
     3. Click Replace in the confirmation prompt.
     4. Click Cancel when prompted again for the encryption passphrase.
     5. Click Replace without backing up, and wait for the sync to finish.
        
        
   • OmniFocus 3 for iPhone and iPad
     1. Tap Cancel to dismiss the encryption passphrase prompt.
     2. Go to Settings > Sync > Replace Sync Database.
     3. Tap Replace Database.
     4. Tap Cancel when prompted again for the encryption passphrase.
     5. Tap Replace without backing up, and wait for the sync to finish.

3. Your current account password and encryption passphrase should now be linked again.

4. Now sync your other copies of OmniFocus.

   You may get a prompt asking “Replace your database and start syncing?” or
   “Keep data from [device] or sync server?” If so, click Sync, or tap Keep Sync Server Data, respectively.

Try other passwords

There’s no harm in guessing! There’s no limit to the number of times you can enter an incorrect passphrase, so try any other prior passwords you might have used.

Let us help!

Even if you’re pretty sure your data is unrecoverable, please contact us! Our Support Humans are resourceful and knowledgeable. We’ve helped more than a few customers who were sure there was no hope left. Include your Omni Account name or email address to help speed things along.