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Access Keys & Safe Access

Overview

UnoLock is cloud-based, so your Safe is not tied to a single device. Your encrypted Safe data can be accessed from different devices, but access is controlled by your registered access keys.

That means the real question is not "Can UnoLock work on multiple devices?" It can. The important question is:

Which access keys are allowed to open this Safe?

What an Access Key Means in UnoLock

In UnoLock, an access key is the authentication credential a person uses to unlock a Safe. An access key can be:

  • a passkey stored by your device platform,
  • a hardware security key such as a YubiKey,
  • a mobile phone acting as a passkey authenticator,
  • or another supported FIDO2 / WebAuthn authenticator.

Each user can have their own access key. A Safe can have multiple access keys registered to it.

How Access Keys & Safe Access Actually Works

  • Your Safe data is stored in UnoLock's cloud architecture.
  • You open that Safe from a device by using a registered access key on that device.
  • If you want access from another device, you register another access key for the same Safe.
  • That second access key can belong to:
  • you, on another device,
  • or another person who needs access to the same Safe.

So this feature is really multi-access-key access to the same cloud-based Safe.

What This Looks Like for Users

Examples:

  • You use a passkey on your laptop and another passkey on your phone to open the same Safe.
  • You use a YubiKey as one access key and a phone-based passkey as another.
  • A second user gets their own access key to the same Safe, with either:
  • limited access to selected Spaces,
  • or full administrative rights to the Safe.

Why This Matters

This makes the system clearer:

  • The Safe is cloud-based: your data is available wherever you securely authenticate.
  • The access key controls entry: a device alone is not what matters.
  • Multiple devices work because multiple access keys can be registered.
  • Multiple users can share the same Safe if each has their own registered access key.

Security Implications

  • No shared password model: access is based on registered authenticators, not a reusable password.
  • Per-user accountability: each person can have their own access key.
  • Granular control: access keys can be limited to selected Spaces or elevated to full Safe administration.
  • Phishing-resistant authentication: WebAuthn / FIDO2 access keys provide stronger protection than traditional passwords.

Use Cases

  • Personal multi-device use: use your Safe from a phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop with your own registered access keys.
  • Backup access: register more than one access key so you are not dependent on a single authenticator.
  • Family or team access: allow multiple users to access the same Safe, each with their own access key and permission level.

Relationship to Shared Spaces

Access-key based Safe access is not the same as Shared Spaces.

  • Multi-device / multi-user access keys: multiple users can access the same Safe.
  • Shared Spaces: multiple separate Safes collaborate in the same Space.

See UnoLock Spaces and Shared Spaces.

FAQs

Can I access my Safe from more than one device?

Yes. UnoLock is cloud-based, so you can access the same Safe from multiple devices as long as you have a registered access key available on those devices.

Is a device the same thing as an access key?

No. The important thing is the access key, not the device itself. A device may hold a passkey, use a phone-based authenticator, or work with a hardware key such as a YubiKey.

Can more than one person access the same Safe?

Yes. Multiple users can share one Safe if each person has their own registered access key. Those keys can be limited to selected Spaces or granted full administrative access.

What if I want collaboration without sharing the same Safe?

Use Shared Spaces instead. Shared Spaces are for collaboration between separate Safes.

Integration with Other Features

  • FIDO2 & Biometric Access: access keys are based on passkeys, WebAuthn, and compatible hardware authenticators.
  • Spaces: access keys can be limited to selected Spaces or granted full Safe administration.
  • Shared Spaces: use Shared Spaces when the goal is collaboration between separate Safes rather than shared access to one Safe.