---
title: "Protect a project with a password"
description: "Add, use, change, or remove password protection for a Bearly project."
canonical: "https://bearly.ai/docs/projects/encryption/"
markdown: "https://bearly.ai/docs/projects/encryption.md"
---

# Protect a project with a password

HTML: [https://bearly.ai/docs/projects/encryption/](https://bearly.ai/docs/projects/encryption/)

> Add, use, change, or remove password protection for a Bearly project.

Password protection adds a separate lock to a project's files and settings, and makes its chats read-only while the project is locked. Only project owners can manage it.

> **Danger**
> Bearly cannot recover a protected project if you forget its password. Store the password somewhere secure before you continue.


## Protect an existing project



1. Expand the project in the chat sidebar and select **Settings**.
2. In **Encryption**, select **Protect**.
3. Enter a **Password (min 8 characters)**, then enter it again in **Confirm password**.
4. Select **Protect**. The status changes from **Not Protected** to **Protected**.



You can also protect a project while creating it: turn on **Enable password encryption?** in **Create New Project**, then enter and confirm a password of at least eight characters.

Some managed accounts require a password for every project. In that case, protection is already enabled in the creation form and cannot be removed later.

## Lock and unlock the project

While a protected project is unlocked, open its **Settings** page and select **Lock** under **Encryption**. Project chats become read-only, and opening **Settings** or **Docs & Data** shows the password screen.

Open **Settings** or **Docs & Data**, enter the password, and select **Unlock**. If you reuse the same password for several protected rooms, turn on **Unlock all rooms that use this password?** before unlocking to try that password on the others as well.

If Bearly reports **Incorrect password. Please try again.**, re-enter the password carefully. There is no password-reset or recovery path.

## Change the password



1. Open the unlocked project's **Settings** page.
2. Under **Encryption**, select **Change**.
3. Enter the **Current password**.
4. Enter a **New password (min 8 characters)** and **Confirm new password**.
5. Select **Change Password**.



Anyone else who uses the protected project will need the new password after the project is locked again.

## Remove password protection



1. Open the unlocked project's **Settings** page.
2. Under **Encryption**, select **Remove**.
3. Read the warning, then select **Remove Protection**.



Removing protection is permanent until you add a new password. People who already have project access—and anyone using your signed-in account—will no longer be asked for the project password.

If **Remove** is unavailable, your organization's policy may require project passwords. If the status reads **Device Encrypted**, the project uses a device-based account policy rather than a password you can change here; contact your account administrator or Bearly support if you cannot open it.

Related: [Share a project with your team](https://bearly.ai/docs/projects/collaboration.md)

## Continue through the documentation

- [Documentation index](https://bearly.ai/docs.md): Browse every Bearly guide.
- [Previous: Organize chats with projects](https://bearly.ai/docs/projects/overview.md)
- [Next: Set project-wide chat defaults](https://bearly.ai/docs/projects/settings.md)
- [Related: Share a project with your team](https://bearly.ai/docs/projects/collaboration.md)