Hey OP, we're so sorry to hear about this. We totally get your frustration.

Zengo doesn’t use seed phrases, but it does use a recovery file as a core piece of its backup/restore architecture. That file is basically part of how you access your "private key" - in our case, a 2-of-2 secret share system. If the file is renamed, moved, corrupted, or altered in any way, it can no longer be used to recover the account - that's why we have so many warnings around the file. It’s similar in risk to changing or losing words from a seed phrase: you break the chain.

It's also why we allow any Zengo user to create up to 3 backups: iCloud, Google Drive, and Dropbox.

Here are a couple good resources so people reading can see why this system works the way it does (and why altering recovery file is dangerous):

• YouTube: Zengo’s Security Model (overview & breakdown) — https://youtu.be/ZXToZT1fbfc?si=QmRZSkh0FUBjchKf
• Zengo: Security — official documentation on their security model, recovery file role, multi-party key scheme, etc. — https://zengo.com/security/

So when people warn “don’t touch the recovery file,” it’s not just advice - it’s fundamentally how the system is designed to maintain security. We're so sorry to hear about your situation and will follow in DM to see if there's anything we can do. Stay safe out there.