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Recovery reference

PathNeeds normal firmwareNeeds fingerprintRewrites firmwareErases state
tinytouch updateYesYesOTA application onlyNo
Factory browser flashNoNoBootloader, partitions, app, OTA stateNormally no
tinytouch factory-resetYesYesNoYes
Recovery browser flashNoNoRecovery image and one-time markerYes

Normal factory reset

sh
tinytouch factory-reset

Use this when serial communication and fingerprint approval work. It also removes local HID credentials and PIV pairing.

Factory browser flash

Factory flashing installs release firmware without erasing valid NVS state.

Recovery browser flash

Recovery writes a one-time marker at 0x212000. On boot, it:

  1. deletes and verifies sensor templates;
  2. erases ESP32 NVS;
  3. erases the request marker.

If sensor cleanup fails, recovery preserves device state.

Recovery removes:

  • fingerprint templates from the sensor;
  • PIV private keys and certificates;
  • HID host pairing keys;
  • mode and timing settings;
  • OTA and configuration state stored in NVS.

Recovery can't remove macOS Keychain items or smart-card pairing. Run setup again and manage stale pairing with sc_auth.

To run recovery, follow Recover tinyTouch.