DeadSwitch

How DeadSwitch Works

The Problem

When someone dies, their family is often left scrambling for passwords, account credentials, crypto keys, and important documents. Bank accounts get locked. Subscriptions keep charging. Bitcoin wallets become permanently inaccessible. The digital part of someone’s life effectively vanishes.

Traditional solutions — writing passwords on paper, sharing them with a lawyer, or using a password manager’s legacy feature — all have critical flaws. Paper lists go stale. Lawyers don’t understand seed phrases. Password manager emergency access is an afterthought, not a core feature.

How DeadSwitch Solves This

DeadSwitch is a portable encrypted USB vault paired with an automated dead man’s switch. Here’s how it works:

Step 1: Create Your Vault

Plug the DeadSwitch USB into any computer (Windows, macOS, or Linux). The app runs directly from the USB — no installation needed. Create a master password and choose your security mode.

Step 2: Add Your Items

Store everything that matters across 8 categories: passwords, financial accounts, crypto wallets, documents, insurance policies, medical information, legal documents, and personal messages. You can also record video and audio goodbye messages.

Step 3: Set Up Beneficiaries

Add the people who should receive your information. Assign specific items to specific people. Your spouse gets the financial passwords. Your children get the personal messages. Each beneficiary receives a printable emergency card with their unique secret code.

Step 4: Configure the Switch

Choose your check-in interval: every 7, 14, or 30 days. DeadSwitch sends you a simple “Are you there?” message via email or SMS. Click the link to confirm you’re alive. That’s all you need to do.

Step 5: What Happens When the Switch Triggers

If you stop checking in, the system escalates gradually:

  1. First missed check-in: Reminders sent on all channels (email + SMS)
  2. Second miss: Urgent warning with clear language about what will happen
  3. Third miss: Grace period begins (48-72 hours). Final warning sent.
  4. Grace period expires: The switch triggers. Each beneficiary receives a compassionate email with their decryption key and step-by-step instructions.

You can cancel at any stage during the escalation. The system is designed to avoid false triggers.

Step 6: Beneficiary Access

Your beneficiaries plug in the USB, enter the code from their email (plus the secret from their emergency card), and see only the items you assigned to them. The interface is simplified for non-technical, grieving users — clear labels, no jargon, warm amber tones instead of harsh UI.

What Makes DeadSwitch Different

  • Offline-first: Your vault lives on a USB drive, not in the cloud
  • One-time purchase: No recurring subscription for the core product
  • True dead man’s switch: Automated detection and delivery, not a manual “share after death” feature
  • Per-beneficiary access control: Different people get different information
  • Video messages: Record goodbye messages for your loved ones
  • Zero-knowledge: Our servers never see your vault contents