If you received an email saying an account recovery was started but it wasn't you who started the process, or you entered the recovery screen by mistake, this article explains what to do.
How to recognize it
When a recovery process is started, Picnic sends an email notification and shows a warning inside the app/site indicating the recovery is in progress. It also starts a 7-day countdown.
If you still have access to the original passkey: cancel immediately
If you still have the original passkey working, follow these steps:
- Open the Picnic app or go to usepicnic.com.
- Sign in with your original passkey (the one that was working before the process was started).
- On the home screen or in settings, you'll see a banner/warning about the ongoing recovery.
- Tap Cancel recovery.
- Confirm the cancellation.
Done! The new passkey that was being created is invalidated and your original passkey keeps working.
Cases where this may happen by mistake
You entered the "Recover account" screen by mistake
Sometimes the user is on the sign-in screen, clicks "Recover account" thinking it's "sign in", and ends up authenticating with their biometrics — starting the process unintentionally. In that case, just cancel as shown above.
An app bug redirected you
In rare cases, the app can behave unexpectedly and redirect you to the recovery screen. If that happens, cancel the recovery and report it to support for investigation.
Someone may be trying to hack into your account
If you received an email about a recovery that you DID NOT start, it's possible someone is trying to recover access to your account. Cancel immediately using the original passkey. Then:
- Change the password of the email you use on Picnic.
- Enable two-factor authentication on your email.
- Check that your transactions are intact.
- Contact support and report the incident.
If you no longer have the original passkey
If the recovery was started and you really don't have the old passkey anymore (for example, because you wanted to recover it yourself), the process will continue normally through the 7 days. No fund movement is possible during that period, but after the 7 days, the new passkey will be activated.
During the 7 days, what happens to my funds?
Your funds remain safe. They are on the blockchain, in a smart wallet that belongs to you. Neither Picnic nor anyone else can access the funds during this period — that is exactly the purpose of the 7-day window.
Can I speed up the 7-day process?
No. The 7-day period is a security measure that cannot be bypassed and exists precisely to protect you. Not even Picnic support can reduce this window.