Who can do this?
Every signed-in user can turn on the shield on their own device. It applies only to this device and this browser, not to your account and not to other devices.
Client protection shield
The shield encrypts your local drafts and locks Illumentis after a pause with a PIN or password.
What is it for?
Illumentis also stores chapter drafts locally in your browser so that you can keep writing offline. On a device that others also use, this cache would be openly accessible. The client protection shield, also called shared-device mode, encrypts it with a PIN or a password that only you know.
It works like a roller shutter in front of a window. After a pause without input it comes down, and without your PIN nobody can see in. Optionally, it also hides the content as soon as you switch tabs.
Without the shield, access to the unlocked device is enough to read your local drafts. With it, your PIN or password is needed in addition.
The setting applies only to the device on which you turn it on, not to your whole account.
How it works
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In the account settings, under “Account & Security”, open the “Client-Schutzschirm” section (the client protection shield) and choose “Enable Shared-Device-Mode”.
What you see afterwards: The “Set up Client-Schutzschirm” dialog opens.
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Set a new PIN or a password with at least 4 characters and enter it again under “Repeat”.
What you see afterwards: A hint estimates how quickly this PIN could be guessed offline. A longer code is much safer.
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Set “Auto-lock after (minutes)”, between 1 and 30.
What you see afterwards: After this pause, the “Locked” lock screen appears.
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If you like, turn on “Visibility shield on tab switch”.
What you see afterwards: While the tab is not active, Illumentis shows only “Content hidden for privacy while this tab is inactive.”
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On the lock screen, enter your PIN or password and choose “Unlock”.
What you see afterwards: You continue where you left off.
Your data
The local cache with your chapter drafts is encrypted with AES-256. Your browser derives the key from your PIN or password, using a method that slows down guessing. Without the shield, the cache is stored unencrypted on the device.
Limits
After 5 wrong entries, Illumentis blocks input for 30 seconds first, and for longer after further errors, at most 5 minutes. The shield does not replace signing out on someone else’s computer. If you forget the PIN, you reset the local storage and lose the drafts of this device that have not been synced.
Frequently asked questions
I forgot my PIN. What now?
On the lock screen, choose “Reset local storage” and confirm with your cloud password, that is, the password of your account. Illumentis then deletes all locally cached chapter drafts of this device. What was already synced stays in the account.
How can I tell whether my changes are saved?
The lock screen shows “All changes saved · last synced …” or “Not synced yet.”
Can I change the PIN or turn the shield off?
Yes, with “Change PIN/password” and “Disable” in the same section. To change it, you need the current PIN.