Zentlock documentation

Zentlock is a free, zero-knowledge password and credential manager. It keeps your logins, payment cards, identities, secure notes, SSH keys and two-factor codes encrypted on your own device, and lets you share collections with people you trust — end to end. This guide walks through creating your vault, using it day to day, sharing safely, and the security that protects it all.

How it keeps you private

Zentlock is zero-knowledge: everything is encrypted on your device before it is stored or synced, using a chain of keys built from your master passphrase. No readable data is ever kept on any server, and the keys exist only in memory while the app is unlocked.

Because every layer is encrypted, an exposed database — including the copy in your Google Drive — reveals only unreadable ciphertext. Zentlock uses AES-256-GCM to encrypt your data and the memory-hard Argon2id algorithm to derive keys from your passphrase, with public-key encryption for sharing.

Where it runs

Zentlock gives you one vault across all your devices. Use whichever fits the moment — they all share the same encrypted data and stay in sync through your own Google Drive.

Browsers: Zentlock works in modern browsers including Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Brave and Safari. The browser extension can autofill your logins and 2FA codes and offer to save new ones.

Create your vault

The first time you open Zentlock, you set up your vault in a few steps:

1. Enter your email and a master passphrase. The passphrase encrypts everything and should be long and unique — aim for at least 10 characters. Zentlock shows a live strength meter as you type.
2. Save your recovery key. Zentlock can generate a one-time recovery key that restores access if you ever forget your passphrase. Store it somewhere safe — it is shown only once.
3. Open your vault and add items. Create logins, cards, notes and more. Optionally connect Google Drive from Settings to sync across devices.

Items & types

Zentlock stores every kind of secret in one vault, organized by type:

• Logins — username, password, one or more website addresses, and an optional two-factor code.
• Cards — cardholder name, number, brand, expiry, and security code.
• Identities — name, email, phone, company, address, and other personal details you reuse on forms.
• Secure notes — encrypted free-form text for anything private.
• SSH keys — public key, private key, and fingerprint.

Sensitive values like passwords, card numbers and private keys are hidden by default — reveal them when you need to, or copy them straight to your clipboard without showing them on screen. Every item can also carry custom fields (text, hidden, or URL), tags, and a notes field. Logins with a website show the site's icon so they're easy to spot.

Organize & search

Keep a growing vault tidy and find anything in seconds:

• Collections group related items and are the unit you share with others. Give each a name and color.
• Favorites keep your most-used items one tap away.
• Archive tucks away items you want to keep but not see day to day; Trash holds deleted items so you can restore them.
• Search matches names, usernames, websites, identity emails, notes and tags as you type.
• Browse by type to focus on just logins, cards, notes, and so on.

Password generator

Zentlock includes a built-in generator for strong credentials — available on its own and while creating a login.

• Passwords — adjust the length and choose uppercase, lowercase, numbers and symbols. Optionally exclude ambiguous characters (like O and 0) so the result is easy to read and type.
• Passphrases — generate several memorable words, capitalized and joined with a number, when you'd rather type something you can remember.
• Strength meter — every result shows a strength rating and estimated bits of entropy, so you know how strong it is.

Tip: regenerate until you get one you like, then copy it with a single tap.

Authenticator (2FA)

Zentlock has a built-in authenticator that generates time-based one-time codes (TOTP), so it can fully replace a separate authenticator app.

1. Open Authenticator and choose Add code.
2. Paste an otpauth:// link or the secret a site shows you — or scan its QR code on devices with a camera.
3. Zentlock shows a live code with a countdown; copy it at sign-in. You can also attach a code directly to a login so the password and its 2FA live together.

Import & export

Your data is always yours to take with you.

• Import a JSON file to bring items in from another manager or restore a backup. Items are added to collections matching their names.
• Export your vault as plain JSON, or as encrypted JSON protected by a separate key you choose (independent of your master passphrase).

Share a collection

Sharing in Zentlock works on whole collections and is end-to-end encrypted — only the people you choose can decrypt what you share, and no server in between can read it.

1. Open Collections and pick the collection you own that you want to share.
2. Enter the recipient's email and choose a permission level — read-only (use the credentials, no edits) or read & write (add and edit, with changes synced back).
3. If they already use Zentlock, the collection is shared to them directly. If they're new, Zentlock gives you a one-time invite code to get them started.

Accept an invite

If someone shared a collection with you using a one-time code:

1. Open Zentlock, go to Collections, and choose Accept an invite.
2. Enter the one-time invite code the sender gave you.
3. The shared collection is added to your vault and re-secured under your own keys. The one-time code is then used up and useless.

Safety tip: the sender should give you the code through a separate channel (a text or a call), not alongside the invite itself. That separation is what keeps the share secure.

Revoke access

As the owner, you can remove someone from a shared collection at any time. When you do, Zentlock generates a brand-new key for the collection, re-encrypts its contents, and re-shares it only with the remaining members.

The result: the removed person can no longer decrypt any future changes. This key rotation is what makes revocation in Zentlock reliable. For high-trust shares, you can also compare a short security number with the other person to confirm you're sharing with exactly who you think.

Unlock methods

Zentlock locks your vault and offers a few ways to unlock it again:

• Master passphrase — your primary key, available everywhere.
• PIN — a 4–8 digit code for fast unlock on a trusted device.
• Biometrics — fingerprint or face, where your device supports it.

Recovery key

At setup, Zentlock can generate a one-time recovery key that restores access if you forget your master passphrase. It's shown only once, so store it somewhere safe.

Because Zentlock is zero-knowledge, your passphrase and recovery key are the only ways in — there is no back door, and we cannot reset your vault for you. That's exactly what keeps your data private. You can choose not to use a recovery key, accepting that a forgotten passphrase would mean the data can't be recovered.

Auto-lock & devices

• Auto-lock — Zentlock can lock after a period of inactivity you choose, clearing your keys from memory.
• Lock on restart — by default, Zentlock asks for your master passphrase again after the app restarts or the device reboots. You can opt to let a PIN or biometrics persist for more convenience.
• Change your passphrase anytime from Settings, after entering your current one.
• De-enroll a device to erase its local vault and stored keys — your data stays safe in Drive and on your other devices.

Privacy & data storage

Zentlock keeps your encrypted vault on your own device and can optionally sync it to your own Google Drive so it's available everywhere. In both places, only encrypted data is stored — no readable passwords or keys live on any server.

• Encrypted before storage — every item is sealed with AES-256-GCM on your device.
• Your keys stay with you — passphrase and keys live in memory only and are cleared on lock.
• Ciphertext only in the cloud — your Google Drive copy can't be read by Google or by us.
• No telemetry — Zentlock collects no usage data or analytics.

For the full details, see the Privacy Policy.

FAQ

Quick answers to the questions people ask most about Zentlock.