KeePassXC Not Working? Common Errors & Fixes

Usually the wrong browser is enabled in KeePassXC, the database is locked, a stale connection exists in the extension, or a sandboxed install (Flatpak, Snap, AppImage) blocks native messaging. Re-select the browser, unlock, and reconnect.

Sandboxes block the native messaging link between browser and KeePassXC. On Snap, 2.7.9 and later use a desktop portal and may need one permission; on Flatpak, only community workarounds exist.

Before KeePassXC 2.8.0, Auto-Type only worked on X11, not Wayland. Update to 2.8.0 or later, which adds Wayland support through XDG portals, or run KeePassXC under XWayland.

Global Auto-Type on macOS needs both Accessibility and Screen Recording permission. Grant both, fully restart KeePassXC and make sure the shortcut is not conflicting with another binding.

KeePassXC has no built-in cloud sync. Keep the database in a synced folder (Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, Nextcloud) or use Syncthing, and open it from a KeePass-compatible mobile app.

A conflicted copy appears when two devices edit the database offline. Open the main file and use Database > Merge From Database with the conflicted copy, then delete the copy.

The error is generic: wrong master password, wrong or changed key file, or a YubiKey slot or secret that no longer matches. Verify each factor; a saved challenge-response secret enables recovery.

KeePassXC has no mobile app. Use KeePassDX or KeePass2Android on Android, or Strongbox or KeePassium on iOS, with the database in a synced folder.

Quick unlock is not remembered after the database or the app closes, by design. On Linux and Mac, 2.8.0 adds Polkit quick unlock on Linux and quick unlock with password on macOS.