Recovering an anonymous account
Anonymous accounts are tied to your browser. If you lose the cookie, you usually lose the account. Here is what you can try.
ToyControl anonymous accounts have one big trade-off compared to email accounts: they are tied to your browser cookie. If you lose the cookie (clear browsing data, switch to a private window, switch computers), the anonymous account is usually gone for good.
This article covers what you can try if you lost an anonymous account, and what to do to avoid losing one in the future.
What anonymous accounts are tied to
An anonymous account exists on our servers (under a random user ID), but the only way your browser knows which user ID is yours is a cookie. When you visit ToyControl, the browser sends that cookie, our server reads it, and you are signed in as that anonymous user.
If the cookie is gone:
- We do not know which account was yours.
- We have no email or password to verify you with.
- We cannot link you to your old account.
This is by design: anonymous accounts trade recoverability for privacy.
What you can try
A short list of things to attempt, in order:
1. Check the same browser, same profile
If you accidentally cleared browsing data but did not clear cookies, the account may still be there. Open ToyControl in the same browser profile and see if you are signed in.
2. Try a different device that uses the same browser sync
If you have Chrome or Edge sync enabled and visited ToyControl on another device, the cookie may have synced. Open ToyControl there and see if you are signed in.
3. Look in old browser sessions
Browsers sometimes keep cookies across "Clear browsing data" if you did not check the cookies checkbox. The cookie may still be in the browser. Open ToyControl and check.
4. Contact us (last resort)
If you had a Pro subscription on the anonymous account, we can sometimes restore it. We do this by matching the Stripe customer ID (from your card transaction) to the user record. Email us at the address in the footer with:
- The approximate date you created the account.
- The first few digits of the card you used to subscribe.
- Any other identifying info you remember (display name in rooms, specific toys you had paired).
If we find a match, we can transfer your subscription to a new account with an email attached. Settings (library, paired toys) may not survive the transfer.
For free-tier anonymous accounts, we cannot help. There is nothing on file to verify the account is yours.
How to avoid losing an anonymous account
The single best thing: upgrade to an email account before you lose the cookie.
- Open ToyControl.
- Click your account info or open the Account page.
- Find the "Identity" section.
- Enter your email.
- Click Add email.
- Check your inbox for a magic link.
Your anonymous user ID stays the same; the email is just attached. All your settings, library, and patterns continue working. Now if you lose the cookie, sign in with the email from anywhere.
See Saving your settings across devices.
A note on private browser windows
Private/incognito windows do not persist cookies. If you used ToyControl in a private window, the anonymous account vanished the moment you closed the window.
For privacy-conscious users, this is sometimes the goal. For users wanting to keep the account, do not use private mode.
A note on browser updates
Some browsers occasionally update or migrate cookie storage, which can lose old cookies. This is rare but real. If you suddenly find yourself signed out for no reason you can identify, your browser may have done a migration.
What about Pro features
If your anonymous account had Pro:
- The subscription stays on your Stripe customer record.
- If you can reach us with proof of the transaction, we can transfer it to a new account.
- If we cannot match, you may need to subscribe again on a new account.
This is the strongest argument for adding an email even if you do not plan to use it. It saves your subscription.
What if I just want to start over
If you cannot recover and want to start fresh:
- Sign in anonymously to a new account.
- Re-pair your toys.
- Re-import any scripts.
- (Consider adding an email this time.)
It takes a few minutes. No data is lost in the sense of being inaccessible to others, just inaccessible to you.