---
id: backups.what-makes-a-good-backup-passphrase
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/backups/what-makes-a-good-backup-passphrase
category: "Backups & restore points"
subcategory: "Encryption and passphrases"
question: "What makes a good backup passphrase?"
alt_questions:
  - "strong passphrase tips"
  - "how to choose backup password"
  - "Should I use a password manager for my backup passphrase?"
  - "secure passphrase example ideas"
short_answer: "Make it long and unique — a short sentence of unrelated words works well — never reused, and store it in a password manager or on paper away from the Mac. There's no reset if it's lost."
tags: ["passphrase", "security", "tips"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/backups/how-do-i-set-a-backup-passphrase", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/backups/what-happens-if-i-lose-my-backup-passphrase"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

# What makes a good backup passphrase?

Long, unique and written down somewhere safe. Storage Studio needs at least 8 characters, but longer is much better — a short sentence of unrelated words is easy to remember and hard to guess.

Good habits:
- Don't reuse a password from any other account.
- Store it in a password manager, or on paper kept away from the Mac.
- Avoid anything you might type slightly differently later, like varying capitals or punctuation.

Remember there is no reset: a lost passphrase means that cloud backup can't be opened.