Recover an Account

This guide outlines how to users can regain access to their account using their pre-set security questions in the event that they forget their original PIN code.

Users should be aware that the answers to their security questions are their responsibility to remember. No additional parties can help users regain access to a user-controlled wallet if their PIN code is lost and they cannot remember the answers to their security questions.

🚧
Caution: If a user loses both their PIN code and the answers to their Security Questions, they will be permanently locked out of their account, losing access to all of their wallets and assets.

1. Run Sample App

Once you have the iOS or Android sample app setup locally you will then

Run the simulator
Acquire an App ID from the developer console wallet configurator
Add the App ID to the sample app

2. Acquire Session Token

Next, you will need to acquire a session token. To do this, you will make a request to thePOST /users/token using the previously created userId in Step 1. The userToken is a 60-minute session token used to initiate requests requiring a user challenge (PIN code entry). After 60 minutes, the session expires, and a new userToken must be generated via the same endpoint.

From this response, you will acquire the encryptionKey and userToken which you should provide in the respective sample app fields. Additionally, you will use the userToken in Step 2.

curl --request POST \
     --url 'https://api.circle.com/v1/w3s/users/token' \
     --header 'accept: application/json' \
     --header 'content-type: application/json' \
     --header 'authorization: Bearer <API_KEY>' \
     --data '
{
  "userId": "2f1dcb5e-312a-4b15-8240-abeffc0e3463"
}
'

{
  "data": {
    "userToken": "eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCC9.eyJkZXZlbG9wZXJFbnRpdHlFbnZpcm9ubWVudCI6IlRFU1QiLCJlbnRpdHlJZCI6IjRlMDdhOGM5LTIxOTAtNDVlNC1hNjc0LWQyMGFkNjg4MWI3YyIsImV4cCI6MTY5MDU1MjcwNywiaWF0IjoxNjkwNTQ5MTA3LCJpbnRlcm5hbFVzZXJJZCI6ImQ2ZjkzODliLWQ5MzUtNWFlYy1iOTVhLWNjNTk1NjA2YWM5NiIsImlzcyI6Imh0dHBzOi8vcHJvZ3JhbW1hYmxlLXdhbGxldC5jaXJjbGUuY29tIiwianRpIjoiMmE0YmJlMzAtZTdkZi00YmM2LThiODMtNTk0NGUyMzE2ODlkIiwic3ViIjoiZXh0X3VzZXJfaWRfOSJ9.dhfByhxZFbJx0XWlzxneadT4RQWdnxLu3FSN9ln65hCDOfavaTL1sc4h-jUR8i4zMmfdURw3FFcQIdSbm-BUg6M7FP_fp-cs9xBbNmRZa31gMd1aKdcajJ9SvlVrfUowYfGXM3VcNF8rtTFtW-gk1-KzU4u10U35XXbbMcW1moxE0Rqx_fKotDgk2VdITuuds5d5TiQzAXECqeCOCtNoDKktMkglltbnLxOaRl2ReZjGt-ctD2V0DbYNO4T_ndPSUDI6qD7dXQRed5uDcezJYoha3Qj3tFGBglEnox2Y6DWTbllqjwmfTGrU8Pr0yz4jQz7suGwmiCzHPxcpYxMzYQ",
    "encryptionKey": "Tlcyxz7Ts9ztRLQq5+pic0MIETblYimOo2d7idV/UFM="
  }
}

3. Initialize Account Recovery and Acquire a Challenge ID

Make a request to POST /user/pin/restore using the userToken returned from Step 1. This call returns a challengeId, which is used with the Circle Programmable Wallet SDK to have the user reset their PIN code.

curl --request POST \
     --url 'https://api.circle.com/v1/w3s/user/pin/restore' \
     --header 'accept: application/json' \
     --header 'content-type: application/json' \
     --header 'authorization: Bearer <API_KEY>' \
     --header 'X-User-Token: <USER_TOKEN>' \
     --data '
{
  "idempotencyKey": "bb3d64d9-d421-41c7-aae2-84fc4732be2f"
}
'

{
  "data": {
    "challengeId": "c4d1da72-111e-4d52-bdbf-2e74a2d803d5"
  }
}

4. Recover Account in the Sample App

Using the sample application, enter the userToken and secretKey returned from Step 1. Enter the challengeId returned from Step 2.

At this point, you should be ready to execute the account recovery workflow through the Circle Programmable Wallet SDK. Once you’ve entered the required fields indicated in Step 3, click Execute to continue.

The sample application takes you through the account recovery process by answering your Security Questions. If answered correctly, the sample application prompts you to enter a new PIN code.

5. Check the Challenge Status

Make a request to to GET /user/challenges/{id} using the challengeId received from Step 2 to retrieve the status of the challenge. Additionally, Circle sends a notification to a subscribed endpoint once the account recovery process is complete. For a full list of possible statuses, see the Asynchronous States and Statuses guide
For a full list of possible statuses, see the Asynchronous States and Statuses guide.

curl --request GET \
     --url 'https://api.circle.com/v1/w3s//user/challenges/{id}' \
     --header 'accept: application/json' \
     --header 'authorization: Bearer <API_KEY>' \
     --header 'X-User-Token: <USER_TOKEN>'

{
  "data": {
    "challenge": {
      "id": "c4d1da72-111e-4d52-bdbf-2e74a2d803d5",
      "correlationIds": [
        "54399e5a-1bf6-4921-9559-10c1115678cd"
      ],
      "status": "COMPLETED",
      "type": "RESTORE_PIN"
    }
  }
}

curl --request GET \
     --url 'https://api.circle.com/v1/w3s//user/challenges/{id}' \
     --header 'accept: application/json' \
     --header 'authorization: Bearer <API_KEY>' \
     --header 'X-User-Token: <USER_TOKEN>'

{
  "data": {
    "challenge": {
      "id": "c4d1da72-111e-4d52-bdbf-2e74a2d803d5",
      "correlationIds": [
        "54399e5a-1bf6-4921-9559-10c1115678cd"
      ],
      "status": "COMPLETED",
      "type": "RESTORE_PIN"
    }
  }
}