mSecure Accounts Explained

Important clarifications:

• mSecure 6 is the first and only version of mSecure to use an account system
• mSecure 4 and below use a device-specific login password with no account system. This version is no longer available
• If you have not used mSecure 6 before or have not purchased an mSecure 5 Pro license, you do not have an mSecure account in our system

Previous mSecure versions

Many of our loyal customers who have used mSecure over the years have run into some confusion in regard to accounts in mSecure 6. This article provides specific information regarding how the new account system works and how it affects you if you are moving to mSecure 6 from previous versions of the app.

Before mSecure 5 (now mSecure 6), user accounts did not exist. In order for an account system to exist, there has to be a centralized online system, sometimes referred to as a "Cloud Service," in place so a user can sign up to establish a presence on that server. These types of services can be used in many ways, but many apps utilize them as a way to simplify purchasing and licensing. With a centralized account system, one user can be licensed to use the app on many or all of their devices. This is what allows you, the user to sign in on multiple devices with the same account. For older versions of mSecure, this type of online, centralized account system did not exist.

If you are someone who used older versions of mSecure on different types of devices, like on a Mac and iPhone, a Windows PC and Android phone, or all of the above, you may remember the surprise, and possibly even frustration, when you found out you had to purchase the app again for each device. It may have seemed like a way for us to acquire more money from our customers, but the real reason multiple purchases were required is that there was no account system in those versions of mSecure. Since we had not yet built an online system able to store our customer's licensing information, there was no way for us to know if the user had previously purchased the app on a different device. Whether or not you were licensed to use mSecure on each device was entirely handled by the app store from where you purchased it.

mSecure 6

With the release of mSecure 5 (now mSecure 6), we now use our own servers and with it, for the first time in the history of the app, user accounts now exist. One of the great benefits of this account system is that licensing is now handled in this centralized system, so you no longer have to purchase multiple licenses for each type of device they use. All that is needed is to set up your own personal mSecure account, then purchase a subscription plan either from within the app or on our website, and the purchase is then associated with your account. From that point on, if you sign in to that same account in mSecure 6 on any of your iOS, Mac, Android or Windows devices, the mSecure plan will be recognized, and you will have access to the features in the app you have paid for.

To recap, earlier versions of mSecure cannot make use of an mSecure account. This includes mSecure 3 (for Desktop) and mSecure 4 (for mobile devices). Those versions of the app do not know that an mSecure account exists, and licensing was handled by the respective app stores.

If you are moving to mSecure 6 from an older version of the app, you must create an mSecure account. You can learn how to migrate to mSecure 6 here. Due to older versions having no knowledge of any type of account system, if you have not created an account from within the mSecure 6 app, you do not have an mSecure account at this time. Even if you have used mSecure for years, an account must be created in order to make use of mSecure 6.

Syncing

A major benefit of the mSecure account system is that it simplifies the retrieval of information and the syncing of information between mSecure 6 on your devices. If mSecure Cloud syncing is chosen as the sync method in the app's settings, your information is stored securely in the cloud, and after signing in to a new device, that data is synced in immediately. And syncing is easier than ever. Each mSecure 6 app signed in to your account sees the changes you make to your information on a day-to-day basis, and those changes are kept in sync automatically.

Of course, if you do not want to use "mSecure Cloud" for storing and syncing your information, there are other options. You can choose Dropbox or iCloud (Mac and iOS only) syncing, or if you would like your data to only be stored locally on your devices so that it is never transferred to any type of cloud service, you can choose WiFi syncing as well.

After you have created an account and have chosen a sync feature - or no sync feature at all - mSecure 6 functions similarly to the old app. When it is locked, you'll need to use some type of biometric authentication feature or manually enter your password to unlock the app and gain access to your information. After you are signed in to your account for the first time, there is no need to enter your username, which is the email address used to identify your mSecure account, when using the app in the future. 

Need help?

Already have an mSecure account? Please use this article to troubleshoot your password issues.

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