Tutorials

Welcome to SecretBox, your secure password manager for macOS. This tutorial will guide you through the basics of using SecretBox to keep your passwords and secrets safe.

 

1. Getting Started

When you first launch SecretBox, you will see a welcome screen. This setup process only happens once.

Step 1: Create Your Master Password

- Enter a strong master password in the Master Password field

- Confirm it by entering the same password again

- Optionally add a password hint to help you remember it

- Click Continue when ready

Important: Your master password is the key to all your secrets. Make it strong and memorable. If you forget it, you will not be able to access your encrypted secrets.

Step 2: Import Existing Secrets (Optional)

- If you have secrets from SecretBox 3, you can import them now

- Select "Import existing secrets" and choose your SecretBox 3 export file

- Or choose "Do it later" to import from Preferences later

- Click Finish Setup to complete

After setup, SecretBox will appear in your menu bar (top-right area of your screen). Look for the SecretBox icon.

 

2. Understanding the Menu Bar Interface

SecretBox runs entirely from the menu bar. There is no dock icon. To access SecretBox:

1. Click the SecretBox icon in your menu bar

2. A menu will appear with these options:

   - Secrets: Opens the main window to view and manage all your secrets

   - Preferences: Opens settings where you can customize SecretBox

   - About: Shows information about SecretBox

   - Quit: Closes SecretBox
 

3. Adding Your First Secret

To add a new secret:

1. Click the SecretBox icon in the menu bar

2. Select Secrets from the menu

3. In the main window, click the Add Secret button (usually a plus icon)

4. Choose a category for your secret:

   - Website passwords: For website login credentials

   - Software licenses: For software license keys

   - Credit cards: For credit card information

   - Computers: For computer login credentials

   - Servers: For server access information

   - Contacts: For contact information

   - Other secrets: For anything else

5. Fill in the information:

   - The Name field changes based on category (Website Name, App Name, etc.)

   - Enter your username or email

   - Enter your password (or use the password generator)

   - Optionally add a URL or website address

   - Add notes if needed

   - Some categories have custom fields you can configure

6. Click Add Secret to save

Your secret is now encrypted and stored securely on your Mac.

 

4. Viewing and Editing Secrets

To view your secrets:

1. Open the main Secrets window from the menu bar

2. You will see a list of all your secrets

3. Click on any secret to view its details

To edit a secret:

1. Click on a secret to view its details

2. Click the Edit button (pencil icon)

3. Make your changes

4. Click Save when done, or Cancel to discard changes

To delete a secret:

1. View the secret details

2. Click the Delete button (trash icon)

3. Confirm the deletion

To copy a password:

1. View the secret details

2. Click the eye icon to reveal the password

3. Click the copy icon next to the password to copy it to your clipboard

 

5. Using the Password Generator

SecretBox includes a built-in password generator to create strong, unique passwords:

1. When adding or editing a secret, look for the key icon next to the password field

2. Click the key icon to open the Password Generator

3. Adjust the settings:

   - Length: Use the slider to set password length (8 to 32 characters)

   - Include uppercase letters (A-Z)

   - Include lowercase letters (a-z)

   - Include numbers (0-9)

   - Include symbols (!@#$%^&*)

4. Click Generate to create a new password

5. Click Use Password to insert it into your secret

6. You can also click the copy icon to copy the password without using it

Tip: Longer passwords with all character types are more secure.

 

6. Searching Your Secrets

As you add more secrets, you can quickly find them using the search feature:

1. Open the main Secrets window

2. Use the search box at the top

3. Type any part of the secret name, username, or URL

4. The list will filter to show matching secrets

5. Clear the search box to see all secrets again

 

7. Managing Categories

Categories help organize your secrets. Each category has specific field labels:

- Website passwords: Website Name, Email, Password, Website URL

- Software licenses: App Name, Email, License, App Website

- Credit cards: Card Name, Card Number, Security Code, Expiration

- Computers: Computer Name, Login, Password, IP Address

- Servers: Server Name, Username, Password, Server IP

- Contacts: Contact Name, Type, Secret, Phone Number

- Other secrets: Flexible fields you can customize

You can also customize field names in Preferences under the Custom Fields tab.

 

8. Preferences and Settings

Access Preferences from the menu bar to customize SecretBox:

General Tab:

- Auto-lock after: Set how long SecretBox waits before locking (1 minute to 1 hour, or Never)

- Always lock secrets when accessing from menu bar: Require password each time you open from menu bar

- Require master password to access preferences: Add extra security to preferences

- Launch SecretBox at login: Start SecretBox automatically when you log in to your Mac

Master Password:

- Change Master Password: Update your master password (you will need to re-enter your current password)

- Note: Changing your master password does not automatically re-encrypt existing secrets

Data Management:

- Backup Secrets: Create a backup of all your secrets (saves as JSON file)

- Restore Backup: Restore secrets from a previously created backup

- Import Secrets from SecretBox 3: Import data from SecretBox version 3

- Import data from another App: Import generic CSV files

- Export data to CSV: Export your secrets to a CSV file (unencrypted)

- Clear All Data: Permanently delete all secrets (use with caution)

Custom Fields Tab:

- Configure custom field names for each category

- Leave a field empty to hide it from that category

 

9. Backup and Restore

Regular backups are important to protect your data:

Creating a Backup:

1. Open Preferences from the menu bar

2. Go to the General tab

3. Click Backup Secrets

4. Choose where to save your backup file

5. Your backup is saved as a JSON file

Restoring a Backup:

1. Open Preferences

2. Go to the General tab

3. Click Restore Backup

4. Select your backup JSON file

5. Confirm that you want to replace current data

6. Your secrets will be restored

Warning: Restoring a backup will replace all current secrets. Make sure you have a recent backup if needed.

Exporting to CSV:

1. Open Preferences

2. Go to the General tab

3. Under Export data to CSV, choose a category (or All)

4. Click Export

5. Choose where to save the CSV file

Note: CSV exports are unencrypted. Keep exported files secure.

 

10. Conclusion

SecretBox makes it easy to securely store and manage all your passwords and secrets. With strong encryption and a simple interface, your data stays safe on your Mac.

Remember:

- Your data is encrypted and stored locally on your Mac

- No data is sent to external servers

- You control your master password and access

- Regular backups protect against data loss