# Killswitch

> Encrypted document storage with automatic deadman switch functionality.

Killswitch is a privacy-first digital estate planning service that lets users store documents, notes, video messages, and journals in one unified Library, then automatically transfer them to designated beneficiaries when they miss scheduled check-ins. It is also a legacy journal: unlike ordinary journal apps that only help you write, Killswitch guarantees your journal is actually delivered to the people you chose. Everything is encrypted at rest (AES-256) and in transit, a forgotten password can always be reset by email, and every share is yours to revoke at any time.

Learn how it works: https://killswitch.app/under-the-hood

## Core Features

### Documents

Upload any file type (PDFs, images, documents, spreadsheets). Files are encrypted at rest with AES-256 and in transit with TLS.

- Upload any file type (PDFs, images, documents, spreadsheets)
- AES-256 encryption at rest, TLS in transit
- Files stored encrypted in S3-compatible object storage
- Metadata (filenames, descriptions) also encrypted at rest in the database
- Instant previews and full-content search

### Secure Notes

Write and store sensitive notes — account credentials, instructions, last wishes — encrypted at rest like everything else.

- Rich text formatting (bold, lists, links)
- Attach related documents to notes
- Tag system for organization

### Video Messages

Record personal video messages for your loved ones — stored encrypted like everything else.

- Attach video messages to notes or send them standalone
- Delivered automatically to specific beneficiaries if you stop checking in

### Legacy Journal (Notebooks)

Write encrypted journals, leave detailed instructions, or capture memories with rich text and inline video. A journal with delivery built in — the entries you write reach your family even after you stop writing. Details: https://killswitch.app/journal

- Daily journal flow: continue today's entry, writing streaks, previous/next entry navigation
- Rich text entries with inline photos, audio, video, and per-entry attachments (mobile camera capture supported)
- Optional streak-aware email reminders on your own cadence (daily, every few days, weekly)
- Multiple journals per account; search and sort entries within a journal
- Share an entire journal with beneficiaries via a secure link, or preview exactly what recipients will see
- Recipients get a dedicated reading experience: searchable, sortable, with photos and recordings playable inline and a full download to keep
- Attach a journal to a deadman switch for automatic delivery

### Deadman Switch

Set a check-in schedule. If you miss it, Killswitch automatically delivers your files to your designated beneficiaries.

- Customizable check-in schedules (weekly, monthly, custom intervals)
- Email reminders before deadlines (SMS available for US/Canada numbers)
- Grace period with escalating reminders
- Automatic file transfer to beneficiaries when check-ins are missed
- Test mode to verify your setup before going live
- Always-fires guarantee: once a switch is set up with items and beneficiaries, it triggers on schedule regardless of subscription status

### Beneficiaries

- Add multiple beneficiaries (family members, lawyers, business partners)
- Assign specific files to specific people
- Beneficiaries receive secure download links — no Killswitch account required
- Per-beneficiary keys: each person gets their own unique access link
- Instant revocation if you change your mind — revoke any single share without affecting others

## Security Architecture

Killswitch encrypts everything at rest and in transit:

1. Files and content are encrypted at rest with AES-256
2. Metadata (filenames, descriptions) is encrypted at rest in the database
3. All traffic is TLS-encrypted in transit
4. A forgotten password is reset by email — your data is never one lost password away from being gone
5. Share access is logged with IP and location, and every share is independently revocable

Key properties:

- **Encrypted at Rest**: AES-256 for file content and metadata
- **Encrypted in Transit**: TLS everywhere
- **Recoverable by Design**: password reset by email; no unrecoverable-loss cliff
- **Revocable Sharing**: each beneficiary/share link has its own revocable access
- **Access Logging**: all share access logged with IP and location

Why not zero-knowledge? Killswitch used client-side zero-knowledge encryption in the past and deliberately moved away from it: for a service whose entire promise is that your things REACH your people, "forget your password, lose everything forever" was the biggest real-world risk in the system. The full reasoning: https://killswitch.app/blog

Full technical details: https://killswitch.app/under-the-hood

## Target Users

- **Families**: Share insurance documents, wills, property records with spouse/children if something happens
- **Business Owners**: Ensure partners and successors can access critical business documents, credentials, and continuity plans
- **Journalists**: Protect source materials and evidence with automatic release if silenced
- **Whistleblowers**: Secure evidence with a deadman switch to lawyers or journalists
- **Privacy-Conscious Individuals**: Store sensitive documents encrypted at rest, with revocable, logged sharing

## Pricing

View full plans and pricing: https://killswitch.app/#pricing

- **Starter** — $7.99/month or $79/year: 5GB storage, 3 deadman switches, 1 beneficiary per switch
- **Pro** — $19.99/month or $199/year: 50GB storage, 10 deadman switches, 5 beneficiaries per switch
- **Legacy** — $39.99/month or $399/year: 100GB storage, unlimited deadman switches, unlimited beneficiaries per switch

All plans include:
- 200MB max file size
- AES-256 encryption at rest and in transit
- Email check-in reminders (SMS for US/Canada numbers)

Trial:
- **Every plan** comes with a 30-day free trial — no card is charged until day 31, and you can cancel anytime before the trial ends
- Monthly plans cancel at the end of the current period — you're never on the hook for more than one month at a time

Multi-year discounts (yearly billing): 10% off for 2-year, 15% off for 3-year commitments.

## Common Questions

**What happens if I forget my password?**
Request a password reset from the sign-in page and a reset link is emailed to you. Your files stay encrypted at rest throughout — nothing is lost.

**Can Killswitch read my files?**
Your files are encrypted at rest and in transit; the service holds the encryption keys so it can deliver your files to your beneficiaries when a switch fires, power search and previews, and recover your account if you forget your password. We never sell or mine your data, sharing is always explicit and revocable, and all share access is logged.

**What happens when a deadman switch triggers?**
Beneficiaries receive a secure email with a download link for their assigned files. They do not need a Killswitch account to access the files.

**What is the "always-fires" guarantee?**
Once you've set up a switch with documents and beneficiaries, it triggers on schedule regardless of subscription status. If your subscription lapses, your account becomes read-only — you can still log in, view, download, and check in via email/SMS reminders, but you can't upload new files or modify switches until you resubscribe. Your existing files and switches stay protected indefinitely.

**How is this different from a will or trust?**
A will or trust transfers legal ownership of assets — it requires courts and lawyers. Killswitch transfers digital files automatically and immediately when a check-in is missed. It's not a legal instrument; it's a secure file delivery mechanism. Use it alongside traditional estate planning for digital assets.

**Is this legal?**
Killswitch is a secure file storage and delivery service. It is your responsibility to ensure compliance with local laws regarding digital estate planning and document disclosure. Consult a lawyer for legal estate planning advice.

**What file types are supported?**
All file types. Common uses include PDFs, images (JPEG, PNG), Word documents, spreadsheets, and text files.

**What happens if Killswitch shuts down?**
You can download all your files at any time as a plain, readable export. Our Continuity Commitment guarantees 6 months' notice and a guaranteed export window: https://killswitch.app/continuity

**Can I have multiple beneficiaries?**
Yes. You can add multiple beneficiaries and assign different files to different people. For example, your spouse might receive personal documents while your business partner receives company credentials.

**What happens if I cancel my subscription?**
After cancellation, your account enters read-only mode at the end of your billing period. You can still log in, download files, and check in to your deadman switches — you just can't upload new files or edit existing switches. If you have an active deadman switch with items and beneficiaries, your account stays alive indefinitely so the switch can still fire on schedule. Accounts with no active switches may be removed after an extended period of inactivity, with several warning emails beforehand. You can resubscribe anytime to restore full access.

## Additional Pages

- [Claude Connector](https://killswitch.app/claude) — manage your deadman switch with Claude via Killswitch's MCP connector
- [Dead Man's Switch Email](https://killswitch.app/deadman-switch-email) — auto-send letters, files, and video messages if you miss a check-in
- [Legacy Journal](https://killswitch.app/journal) — a journal app that delivers your entries to family if you stop checking in
- [StoryWorth Alternative](https://killswitch.app/storyworth-alternative) — honest comparison: a journal that's delivered, not printed
- [Day One Alternative](https://killswitch.app/day-one-alternative) — honest comparison: the journal that outlives your phone
- [Crypto Inheritance](https://killswitch.app/crypto-inheritance) — pass on seed phrases and wallet access safely
- [Founders & Small Business Continuity](https://killswitch.app/founders) — hand off domains, Stripe, hosting, and payroll access
- [Military Deployment Prep](https://killswitch.app/military) — check-in schedules and video messages for deployment

## Docs

Plain-language guides at [killswitch.app/docs](https://killswitch.app/docs), covering every feature and setting plus what to do if you receive a delivery. Each guide below is added by its own task as it ships:

- [Docs index](https://killswitch.app/docs) — full list of guides, grouped by topic
- [Beneficiaries](https://killswitch.app/docs/beneficiaries) — adding beneficiaries, attaching them to a switch as a Recipient or notify-only Witness, and revoking access
- [Check-ins](https://killswitch.app/docs/check-ins) — what a check-in is, every way to check in, and the reminder ladder before a switch fires
- [Using Killswitch with Claude](https://killswitch.app/docs/claude-connector) — connecting Claude Desktop or claude.ai, approving scopes, the time-boxed "Unlock for Claude" session, and what Claude can and can't do
- [Dashboard Walkthrough](https://killswitch.app/docs/dashboard) — quick actions, recent items, switch status, storage, and the banners you might see
- [Deadman Switches](https://killswitch.app/docs/deadman-switches) — check-in and fixed-date schedules, grace periods, reminder ladder, test fires
- [Documents](https://killswitch.app/docs/documents) — uploading, previewing, organizing, and sharing files
- [Folders & Library](https://killswitch.app/docs/library-and-folders) — the unified Library, folders and notebooks, tree vs. filtered browsing, and sharing or attaching a whole folder to a switch
- [Notebooks & Journal](https://killswitch.app/docs/notebooks-journal) — creating a notebook, daily entries, entry dates, streaks, the calendar view, tags, print-ready export, and sharing
- [Notes](https://killswitch.app/docs/notes) — rich-text notes, inserting images, attaching documents, tagging
- [Passwords & Account Recovery](https://killswitch.app/docs/passwords-and-recovery) — forgot-password reset by email (nothing lost), changing your password, and account deletion
- [What You'll Receive](https://killswitch.app/docs/receiving-files) — what a delivery email/text looks like, how to verify it's legitimate, and how to claim and download what was shared with you
- [Account, Security & Notifications](https://killswitch.app/docs/settings-account-and-security) — display name, password, two-factor authentication, active sessions, and every notification toggle in Settings
- [Storage, Billing & Connector Sessions](https://killswitch.app/docs/settings-storage-and-billing) — storage quotas per plan, trial and billing terms, managing payment via Stripe, cancellation, and Claude connector session controls
- [Tags](https://killswitch.app/docs/tags) — applying tags to items, folders, and notebooks, filtering by tag, and managing tags from one page
- [Video & Audio Messages](https://killswitch.app/docs/video-audio-messages) — recording a personal video or audio message from your browser, reviewing it, and attaching it to notes or a deadman switch

## Company

- Website: https://killswitch.app
- Blog: https://killswitch.app/blog
- Security Architecture: https://killswitch.app/under-the-hood
- Changelog: https://killswitch.app/changelog
- Partner Program: https://killswitch.app/partners
- Press: https://killswitch.app/press

## Legal & Security

- Terms of Service: https://killswitch.app/legal/terms
- Privacy Policy: https://killswitch.app/legal/privacy
- Acceptable Use Policy: https://killswitch.app/legal/acceptable-use