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Learn · resetting

Resetting a key, safely

A reset gives you a clean slate — and is irreversible. Here's what each applet's reset actually erases, and the checklist to run first.

What a reset does

Each applet resets independently — wiping the FIDO function doesn't touch OATH, and so on. In every case the point is the same: keys and credentials are destroyed, not recoverable. Because the secrets only ever lived on the device, there is no backup to restore from unless you made one.

Before you reset — the checklist

  1. Have another way in. A second registered key, or current recovery codes, for every account this key unlocks. Verify it works before wiping.
  2. Re-derive what you'll re-add. Make sure you can re-enroll OATH seeds and regenerate or re-import OpenPGP/PIV keys.
  3. Decryption keys are special. Data encrypted to an OpenPGP encryption key or PIV key-management slot can't be read after the key is gone — decrypt or re-key it first.
  4. Then reset, set a fresh PIN, and re-register before relying on it.
There is no undo

A reset can't be reversed and the destroyed keys can't be regenerated from the device. When in doubt, stop and confirm your recovery path first.

How keyroost treats resets

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Destructive operations always resolve to an explicit target, never a default device — so a reset can't land on the wrong key by accident. Reset support spans the FIDO, OATH, OpenPGP, PIV, and Molto2 applets; read-only inspection (list, fido-info, piv status) never changes anything and never needs a PIN.

Authoritative resources