How do I protect my account with a hardware security key?

Adding a hardware security key is a great way to further enhance the security of your account. By doing so, you will be required to use a physical device (such as a YubiKey) in addition to your password to access your account. This adds an extra layer of protection, making it much harder for someone to gain unauthorized access to your account. To set up a hardware security key:

Step 1: Ensure that you have a Professional Subscription

The option to add a hardware security key is only available to users with an active Professional Subscription on their account. To purchase the subscription, please visit our pricing page, or click on the Unlock Features button on the lower left of the app.

For Productivity Plan holders, you may upgrade to the Professional Plan by visiting your subscription management dashboard.

Step 2: Get a hardware security device

While there are a number of options available, YubiKeys are a popular choice for hardware security, and are widely available. You can purchase a YubiKey directly from the Yubico website, or from any other online retailers.

Step 3: Add your hardware security device in Standard Notes

Once you have your hardware key, you can proceed to add it to your account:

1. Log in to your Standard Notes account on the desktop application or the web application
2. Click on the account icon in the bottom left corner of the screen, and select Account settings from the menu.
3. Click on the Security tab on the left, and find the Hardware Security Key Authentication section.
4. Click on the Add Device button, and follow the prompts to enable two-factor authentication.
   • You can add multiple devices to your account, so if you have more than one hardware key, you can add them all.

NOTE: Please remember to save your account recovery key. This key is used to recover your account if you lose your hardware security device. If you lose your hardware security device, and you don't have your account recovery key, you will not be able to access your account.

Step 4: Use your hardware security device to authenticate

Once you've added your hardware security device, you can use it to authenticate when logging in to Standard Notes. When prompted for your two-factor authentication code, simply insert your hardware security device into your computer's USB port or use NFC with your phone to authenticate with the device.