ZeroLatch
Early access — use test data only. Status

Digital dead man's switch

Prepare the information they may need if you stop checking in.

ZeroLatch holds an encrypted delivery for one trusted person. You keep it on hold with periodic check-ins; if a deadline and the full safety period pass, the recipient receives a secure access notice.

Create a test deliverySee the check-in sequence

Encrypted before upload · Email check-ins · A separate safety period · One intended recipient per delivery

The practical gap

A will records authority. A practical handoff helps someone find the next step.

Legal documents, provider procedures and professional advice still determine what another person may do. A digital dead man's switch can support that process by delivering selected instructions, contacts and encrypted files when you are no longer completing check-ins. It should be a tested information layer—not a claim that inactivity proves death.

What the service actually does

A controlled handoff, with clear recovery boundaries.

Scheduled email check-ins

Choose a supported 30, 60, 90 or 180-day interval. One account-level check-in keeps every active delivery protected.

  • A missed deadline starts the warning sequence
  • The recipient receives nothing during the safety period
  • Checking in resets the shared account clock

A separate safety period

Choose 7, 14, 21 or 30 days after the missed deadline. This buffer gives you time to respond before a release becomes eligible.

  • No immediate release after one missed check-in
  • The owner is warned before recipient delivery
  • The timing is visible before activation

Encrypted files and a private message

Files are encrypted in the browser before upload. The release email stays generic and does not expose filenames, the sender message or recovery material.

  • AES-256-GCM file encryption
  • Recipient details stay behind email verification
  • Ordinary email carries the access notice, not the files

Simple or Private recovery

Simple uses assisted recovery after authorised release checks. Private gives you the only recovery code and requires you to arrange how the recipient will obtain it.

  • Simple does not require a separate recipient code
  • Private is self-custody and the code cannot be recovered
  • Both modes encrypt files before upload

Important boundary: ZeroLatch is a delayed information-delivery service. It does not detect death, call emergency services, track location, publish data automatically, revoke accounts, or provide a minute-by-minute lone-worker alarm.

How it works

One deliberate delivery at a time.

  1. Step 1

    Prepare one delivery

    Add a clear message and only the files this person should receive.

  2. Step 2

    Choose one recipient

    Verify their email now, or accept the risk of waiting until delivery.

  3. Step 3

    Choose the timing

    Select the check-in interval and a separate safety period.

  4. Step 4

    Test, then activate

    Use harmless data first and confirm the recipient can complete the flow.

A useful fit for

  • ✓ Estate and adviser contact maps
  • ✓ Password-manager recovery instructions
  • ✓ Crypto wallet inventories and non-secret context
  • ✓ Owner or administrator continuity runbooks
  • ✓ Personal messages and care instructions

Use another service for

  • — Lone-worker safety, GPS monitoring or emergency dispatch
  • — Immediate duress, detention or publication triggers
  • — Automatic legal authority or asset transfer
  • — Everyday password sharing or privileged access management
  • — The only copy of a critical record or recovery secret

Go deeper

Make the plan usable before you trust it.

What is a dead man's switch?

Understand the meaning, spelling variants, examples and limits.

Read guide

How a digital switch works

Follow the states, encryption decisions and failure modes.

Read guide

Setup checklist

Choose a recipient, recovery mode, timing and safe test.

Read guide

Lone worker or bushwalker?

See why urgent safety apps, PLBs and delayed information delivery solve different problems.

Read guide

Questions before you start

Frequently asked questions

Does a dead man's switch know whether someone has died?

No. ZeroLatch observes whether an account has completed a scheduled check-in. Inactivity can have many causes, so the system warns the owner and waits through a separate safety period before release.

What happens after I miss a check-in?

The safety period begins and the owner receives a warning. The recipient receives nothing during that period. A new check-in resets the account clock and keeps active deliveries on hold.

Can I use a different schedule for every delivery?

No. The active account uses one shared check-in schedule. Supported check-in intervals are 30, 60, 90 or 180 days, followed by a 7, 14, 21 or 30-day safety period.

Is ZeroLatch a zero-knowledge service?

Private mode is self-custody: ZeroLatch does not store the recovery code. Simple mode provides assisted recovery and is not zero-knowledge. Both modes encrypt files in the browser before upload.

Is this a replacement for a will or power of attorney?

No. ZeroLatch can deliver information, but it does not create legal authority, change ownership or replace estate documents, corporate approvals or provider-specific procedures.

Prepare one useful handoff. Test it with harmless information.

Create a draft, review the recovery path, and activate only when the recipient, timing, and contents are right.

Create a test delivery