App lock
The app lock is a hard gate. Forgotten credentials can’t be recovered, and several destructive commands ask for them again even after you’ve unlocked.
I forgot my PIN or password
You can’t unlock the app.
There is no recovery path. The lock blob is hashed with Argon2id and stored in the OS credential store; Loach cannot read or decrypt it back. Your options are:
- Try the optional hint shown on the lock screen (if you set one).
- Factory reset the install — this wipes every chat, Space, snippet, and setting. Close Loach, then delete the app data directory and reinstall:
- Windows:
%APPDATA%\dev.loach.app\ - Linux:
~/.local/share/dev.loach.app/
- Windows:
Set a hint when you create a lock — it’s stored alongside in plain text for exactly this case.
“Too many attempts” — the unlock button is greyed out
After several wrong PINs, the unlock command refuses to run.
After 5 consecutive failed attempts, Loach starts an escalating cool-down (30 s → 60 s → 2 min … up to 2 h). Wait for the window to expire, or restart the app — the counter resets on restart and on a successful unlock.
Changing or removing the lock asks for my current password
Even though the app is unlocked, changing the lock or running a destructive command prompts for the current credentials.
This is intentional. Re-authentication is required for changing or removing the lock, importing data, wiping user data, and factory resetting, so that a compromised UI process can’t quietly disable the gate.