Hi Varley,

You can use the instructions here to help with the issue you are experiencing: Set up and authenticate your mSecure account

@Varely I did read your message. The thing is, most people who are dealing with what you are dealing are able to fix it with the instructions from the article I sent. If that didn't help, no big deal, and we figure it out. The problem is most likely that you have an outdated QR code. A new code is sent out when you change the password for your account, so I suspect that is what's happening here. If it's no, then the problem is more data than just encrypted account key getting copied to the clipboard. If the key stored on the clipboard is correct, you will be authenticated as the owner of the account.

To make sure you have the correct account key, I'm going to have you re-send it from the Account Settings of a different device if you are currently signed in to the account on one. Do you have mSecure 5 running on any other devices?

If you don't, then we have to go about this a different way. First, what brought you to this place where you are trying to sign in and the QR code is not being accepted? Typically, there is always one device signed in to the account, so if this is the only device you have running mSecure, I would imagine something may have gone wrong, or you are trying to upgrade to mSecure from mSecure 3. Please provide some context on the situation, and I should be able to help.

@Varley Unfortunately, we don't offer telephone support at this time, and things are so backed up that I'm not able to schedule meetings using Zoom, Skype or Google Meet either. However, I'm happy to help with any confusion via email.

I understand what you are trying to do here, and it shouldn't be long before this is resolved. We have run into people who experience the exact thing you are running into here, and it's usually due to two issues: 1) The customer has the wrong QR code, because their account has been reset or the password has been changed; 2) More than just the encrypted account key data is copied to the clipboard when the customer selects that data from the email.

Just to clarify, we don't send out the QR code, mSecure does that. That may not sound like a needed clarification, but sometimes customers think we are able to simply press a button to send it again, and we can't do that. The QR code is an integral part of the security in the app, and because of that, we don't have any of the information needed to send it to you. That's why I pointed you to the Account Settings in mSecure on a different device, because that's the only way it can be re-sent.

When did you receive the QR code email you are trying to use? Is it something you have had in your email for a long time? I would check the account in our system, but since I don't know your wife's email, I can't do that. If you would like to supply it here, I can check the account in our system, which could help. If not, I understand.

If you think you have the right QR code, did you change the password for the account in the past? When the password is changed, the account is also changed, and a new QR code is sent out. At that point, the old QR code is no longer useful, because it's data is no longer relevant.

@Varley If you would like more information on how the QR code makes the app much, much more secure than previous versions, I can give you that information. It certainly was not instituted simply to make our customer's experience more difficult. We would never do such a thing, as that would be really bad for business. The only reason to add a specific feature to an already simple system is because the simpler system would have had security issues had the feature not been added. When dealing security, it is notoriously difficult and complex to make things be secure as possible, and that's why the QR code does add some complexity. We believe that the complexity added is most definitely worth it when it comes to the security gain that is also added.

Thank you for the email address for your wife's account. I can see on the account that a password change was made on June 11th. That means that you should have received another QR code or Authentication Email. As mentioned before, when a password is changed, the previous QR code is now out of date, so it cannot work to authenticate you as the owner of the account. Do you know if the code you are using is from the first Authentication Email you received, or is it from the 2nd one? It will need to be from the 2nd one in order for the authentication to work. 

I'm not sure why you only have the first QR code, but that shouldn't be a problem. You simply need to re-send the QR code from one of the devices on which you can open and unlock the app. However, can only provide those instructions if I know which device you are using where you able to open and unlock the app. Do you have mSecure 5 running on any other devices, and if so, what type of devices are they?

@Varley For clarification, the only thing you have experienced so far that has changed in mSecure 5 from mSecure 3/4 is the account system / QR code. mSecure 5 has the option to sync via Wi-Fi, just like the old app. You can sync manually, or for those who like automatic syncing, you can also check a box where it will sync automatically when both apps are open and unlocked. If you don't check the automatic syncing, it works exactly like mSecure 3/4. It's even a little better, because now, not only can you sync mobile devices with a desktop computer, you can also sync via Wi-Fi between mSecure running on two desktop computers. If you're using manual syncing, that's the only change. You have no less control in mSecure 5 than you did in mSecure 3/4.

We know that the account system has caused some troubles for a handful of our customers, and we don't like that, but it's a much, much better system on so many levels, that it had to be implemented. We are always doing everything we can to make the system as simple as possible, but when it comes to making things as secure as possible, which is the main purpose of mSecure, there is always some level of complexity added to the mix. As a support person, I really wish this was not the case.

Now onto the remaining problems. I believe you are saying that you now have everything up and running on all your devices. Is that correct? In order to get the syncing to work, I need to make sure I know which devices you are trying to sync. I believe your wife has an iPad, iPhone and PC. Is that correct? And just so we're sure, because it's of the utmost importance, if you check the Username / Email in the Account settings of all three of her mSecure apps, it's the same email, correct?

@Varley The Wi-Fi sync architecture is the same as it was in v3/4. But it works differently than how you are describing. When using Wi-Fi syncing, and this was true in the old app as well, mobile devices could not sync with one another. A desktop computer was required, and it worked as a server (referred to as the "Main Computer" in mSecure's Sync Settings). All mobile devices then sync with mSecure on the desktop computer. For example, if you have two iOS devices and one PC, and you make a change to your data in mSecure on iOS1, then that change would be synced to mSecure on the PC. Then when iOS2 synced with mSecure on the PC, the changes that were made in iOS1 would be synced in to iOS2's mSecure app. All data changes were and are routed through the desktop mSecure app. In v5, the only difference is now a desktop computer can work as a client, or like an iOS device. So an mSecure app on PC2 can now sync with mSecure on PC1, which was not possible in the older app. It should be noted that all client apps will only ever sync with the desktop computer that's marked as the "Main Computer" in mSecure's Sync Settings.

In order to get the syncing to work, you can use the information in a couple of Wi-Fi sync articles on our support site. For general information: WiFi Syncing. For troubleshooting: WiFi Syncing Issues and WiFi syncing issues - Windows Specific