Who should use a dead man’s switch?

Anyone whose silence would create a real problem. Common use cases include digital estate planning, crypto recovery, business continuity, private messages for family, and emergency instructions for trusted contacts.

What should I put in a dead man’s switch?

Only information your contacts would actually need if you could not respond yourself. Good examples include recovery instructions, where to find important documents, account handover steps, and personal messages. Keep it focused and review it regularly.

Can I choose different contacts for different information?

Yes. You can add as many trusted contacts as you want, and each contact can receive different information.

Can my contacts see anything before the switch triggers?

No. Your messages stay encrypted and are only delivered after the switch triggers.

Can I change my check-in schedule?

Yes. Change your check-in frequency, grace period, and contacts whenever you want.

How secure is my information?

Your information is encrypted at rest and in transit. We built the product to be privacy-first, and we do not read your stored messages.

Can I test the system?

Yes. You can send test deliveries to your contacts before you rely on the live switch.

How much does it cost?

List price is $4.99/month, $49/year, or $490 lifetime. During our launch window, use code EARLY60 at checkout for $2/month, $20/year, or $200 lifetime. 30-day money-back guarantee on your first payment if it is not a fit. Subscriptions can be paused or cancelled anytime.

Use case · Journalists & advocates

If you stop checking in

Reporting and advocacy often mean sensitive notes, sources to protect, and workflows only you fully know. A dead man's switch does not replace newsroom protocol or legal counsel. It is a timed, encrypted handoff if prolonged silence means something is wrong.

Launch pricing · Limited time

$1.67 /month

$4.08/mo · code EARLY60

Anonymous account
Encrypted storage & delivery
Automated check-ins
Unlimited trusted contacts
Multi-channel reminders

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In plain terms

You pick how often you check in. You write or upload what should go out if you do not respond through the grace period. You name who receives it. While you keep checking in, nothing is delivered. If you go quiet long enough, the system sends what you configured. That is the whole pattern, whether the payload is a letter to family, vault instructions, or material for an editor or lawyer.

We walk through more examples in practical uses for a dead man's switch.

Continuity, not drama

Most real uses are quiet. A fixed contact at your outlet gets a sealed package of notes: where raw interviews live, how to reach your lawyer, which accounts to freeze, who was looped in on a story. A colleague learns which encrypted channel to monitor, or that they should call a human-rights hotline. You split recipients the same way you split risk: legal versus editorial, family versus org, so no single person has to carry everything upfront.

The "insurance file" idea

You will hear this framed as deterrence: if material might surface on its own, someone weighing violence or arrest could think twice. That story shows up around major leaks. It is not a promise. There is rarely a single opponent, and incentives can point in ugly directions too, so treat this as something to stress-test with counsel and colleagues, not a catchphrase that replaces judgment.

What to put in

Favor instructions and pointers your recipients can act on. Redact what does not need to travel. Use separate deliveries per contact when it helps.

Contact trees: editors, lawyers, union reps, family, fixers
Where backups live, how they are encrypted, and how to verify them
Publication or legal next steps you already agreed on
Travel or detention context someone should know if you vanish
A short "first 72 hours" list: who to call, what not to touch on your devices until counsel says otherwise

One piece of a larger picture

A hosted switch does not replace threat modeling, source-protection training, SecureDrop-style submission channels, or advice from qualified counsel. Anyone who can force you to check in can temporarily defeat a check-in trigger. Use this as one structured handoff alongside the practices your situation already demands.

How it works

What is a Dead Man's Switch?

The short version.

Your digital life is vulnerable

Wallets, password vaults, legal docs, business credentials: all locked behind what only you know. If something happens to you, your people can lose access for good.

Check-ins keep the switch armed

You pick a schedule: daily, weekly, or monthly. Check in on time and nothing happens. Miss one and we remind you on every channel you set before we do anything.

Grace periods prevent false alarms

Miss a check-in and you get a grace period with stronger reminders over time. Lost your phone or offline? You have time to respond. The switch only fires when you really do not.

Automatic delivery when needed

If the grace period runs out with no response, your encrypted messages and files go to your chosen contacts. Whatever you configured (recovery phrases, credentials, instructions) gets delivered.

Included

Features

Flexible check-in schedules

Daily, weekly, or monthly. Change it whenever you want.

Encrypted storage

Messages and files encrypted at rest and in transit. Only your contacts see them after delivery.

Multi-channel reminders

Reminders via email, Signal, and Telegram.

Escalating grace periods

Several reminder stages so a missed check-in does not trigger delivery by mistake.

Unlimited trusted contacts

As many contacts as you want. Each can get different information.

File attachments

Encrypted documents, recovery phrases, passwords. Any file you want to pass on.

Test mode

Send test deliveries to your contacts before you go live.

Privacy-first design

We do not read your messages or files. End-to-end encrypted until delivery.

Cancel anytime

No lock-in. Pause or cancel when you want.

Questions

FAQ

Common questions below. If yours is not here, let us know!

You get reminders on every channel you configured. Nothing is released until the full grace period passes with no response, which helps avoid false alarms when you are traveling, offline, or just busy.