Core Concepts
Check-ins
A check-in tells Killswitch you're still around, which resets the countdown on any deadman switch set to a check-in schedule. Here's every way to do one, and what happens if you miss the deadline.
What a check-in is
Switches on a check-in schedule (as opposed to a fixed-date schedule — see the Deadman Switches guide for the difference) count down from your check-in frequency — say, every 14 days. Checking in resets that countdown to zero. Miss the deadline, and the switch enters a grace period with escalating reminders before it fires.
Every check-in is logged with a timestamp and how it happened, so you always have a record of your own activity.
Ways to check in
Manual, from the dashboard or your switches
Click Check In All on your Switches page or dashboard to reset every active check-in switch at once, or check in to a single switch from its own page.
Quick check-in link (email or SMS)
Every reminder email and text includes a one-click check-in link. Tapping it checks you in immediately — no sign-in needed. The link is a signed, single-purpose token that expires after 24 hours and can only perform a check-in, nothing else on your account.
Automatic, on login
An opt-in setting: turn on auto check-in in your notification preferences and every active check-in switch resets automatically each time you sign in. Handy if you use Killswitch often and don't want to think about it — off by default.
Reminders before a switch fires
Killswitch never fires a switch without warning. Before your check-in deadline, and again throughout any grace period you've configured, you'll get reminder emails (and texts, if you've opted in) with a quick check-in link:
- A friendly reminder roughly a day before your check-in deadline.
- If you miss it, one reminder per day of your grace period, with escalating urgency as the deadline approaches — a switch with no grace period skips straight to the deadline instead.
- A final notice a few hours before the switch actually fires — the last chance to check in.
Any check-in — manual, quick-link, or automatic — resets this entire ladder back to the start.
Email and SMS reminders
Email reminders go out automatically to your account email — nothing to opt into. SMS reminders are opt-in: add your phone number and enable deadman-switch SMS alerts under Settings → Notifications. Typical volume is 1–5 messages a month, only when action is needed, and you can reply STOP or turn the toggle off at any time.
See the exact SMS consent language and opt-out details →Set your check-in schedule
Configure how often you need to check in, grace periods, and reminders on the Deadman Switches guide.
Go to Your Switches