Questions
FAQ
Common questions about Nötkey, Device Owner, setup, and what the product does and does not protect against.
Who is Nötkey for?
Nötkey is for people who want more control over what their phone reveals. That can include travelers, journalists, founders, operators, or anyone who wants a clearer boundary between what is visible and what remains private. It is also for ordinary users who want stronger separation between public and private parts of their digital life. Nötkey is not built around fear. It is built around control, separation, and user choice.
Do I need to be in a high-risk profession to use Nötkey?
No. Some users may have higher-risk scenarios, but many simply want better separation and more deliberate control over what their device reveals. Nötkey can be useful for travel, work-related visibility, shared-device moments, or everyday situations where one phone environment is not enough.
Is Nötkey only for travel?
No. Travel is one use case, but Nötkey is useful anywhere you want a clearer boundary between what is visible and what remains private. That can include work settings, shared visibility, or simply maintaining stronger separation on your own device.
Why not just hide apps or carry a second phone?
Hiding apps changes appearance, not architecture. A second phone adds cost, inconvenience, and its own operational problems. Nötkey creates two separate environments on one device, with separate apps, accounts, and data. The goal is stronger separation without requiring you to manage multiple phones.
What is Device Owner?
Device Owner is a standard Android management capability, the same system used by organizations to manage work phones. When enabled, Android allows the Device Owner app to apply system-level restrictions and enforce protections more consistently than a normal app. In Nötkey’s case, this allows more reliable separation between your Public and Private environments. Device Owner does not give Nötkey access to your passwords, photos, or private messages.
Why does my phone show a security warning or app protection suggestion?
Some Android devices may show a security prompt, warning, or app protection suggestion for Nötkey. This can happen because Nötkey uses Device Owner, a high-control Android management capability that applies system-level restrictions more deeply than a normal app. That warning does not mean Nötkey is malware. It means Android recognizes that the app has unusually powerful control over device behavior. In Nötkey’s case, that control is what enables reliable separation between Public and Private environments. If you see this, it is expected behavior for a system-level management app.
Why is a factory reset required?
Android only allows Device Owner to be assigned during the initial setup of a freshly reset device. This prevents apps from gaining system-level control after setup is complete. There is no way to enable this mode without performing a factory reset.
What happens if I cancel my subscription?
If your subscription expires or is cancelled, your account reverts to the Free tier. Features exclusive to your previous tier will no longer be accessible. The data in your Private environment is not deleted by the tier change alone. Device Owner remains active. You can re-subscribe at any time to restore your previous tier’s features.
Does Free include a Private environment?
No. The Free tier provides access to the Nötkey application without system-level separation. Private environment, profile switching, Emergency wipe, and Border mode are only available on Guardian and above. Free is intended for evaluating the app before committing to setup.
What happens if I lose internet connectivity?
If your device cannot verify your subscription due to connectivity loss, paid-tier features remain available for up to 14 days. After that, higher-tier features may become restricted until connectivity is restored and the subscription is confirmed. This is designed for situations where connectivity may be intermittent.
What happens if I forget a PIN?
If you forget your Private Profile PIN, you will lose access to that environment and its data permanently. There is no recovery mechanism. If you forget your Public Profile PIN, standard Android recovery may not function correctly under Device Owner. The likely resolution is another factory reset. It is important to store both PINs securely before relying on the system.
Is Nötkey a guarantee of safety?
No. Nötkey reduces certain risks related to device exposure and accidental data access, but it does not guarantee protection in every situation. It does not protect against legal compulsion, does not make data unrecoverable by professional forensic tools, and does not protect accounts outside the device. The level of protection depends on how the system is used and the surrounding circumstances.
Where do I get the provisioning QR code?
The provisioning QR code is available at notkey.app/provisioning. You need it during Android’s initial setup after a factory reset. Open the page on another device, then scan the QR code while your phone is in setup mode.
How long does setup take?
Set aside at least 45–60 minutes. The factory reset takes 5–15 minutes depending on your device. Completing the checklist, provisioning, and setting up both environments adds additional time. Do not start if you might be interrupted.
What does Border mode do?
Border mode applies temporary restrictions to reduce the risk of Private Profile exposure in higher-risk environments. It is available on Guardian and above. Specific behaviors are described in the in-app documentation.
Can I remove Device Owner later?
In most cases, removing Device Owner requires another factory reset. This is how Android is designed to handle system-level management. If you are unsure, start with the Free tier before committing to setup.
What is Emergency wipe?
Emergency wipe initiates a full device erasure across all environments. This action is irreversible once started. Nötkey requires confirmation before executing it. It does not erase data already backed up to cloud services.
Does Nötkey work on all Android phones?
Most Android devices support Device Owner mode, but some manufacturers modify Android in ways that affect behavior. Some devices may not be fully supported. Testing on your specific device before committing to setup is recommended.
What is Private Access?
Private Access allows the Nötkey app to be hidden from the app drawer, with access available through an alternate entry method. It can also be used to trigger Emergency wipe from that hidden entry point. It is available on Guardian and above.
Need help? Use the in-app support option from within the Nötkey app.