A device is secured against unauthorized use with a passcode based on a sensory association of a visual item with one or both of a sound clip and a tactile pattern. The sensory association passcode is encoded from one or more frames containing a user-selected combination of the visual item with the sound clip and/or the tactile pattern. The sensory association passcode can be further encoded with a sequence that indicates an order of the one or more frames of the passcode. Users can retrieve a portion of the sensory association passcode to facilitate recall of a forgotten passcode. The user-selected combination of the visual item with the sound clip and/or the tactile pattern facilitates easier recall of a passcode than might be possible with conventional passcode techniques.