> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.burakov.net/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Lastward

> A zero-knowledge digital dead man's switch — deliver what matters if you ever stop checking in.

Lastward is a **digital dead man's switch**. You set up what should happen if something
happens to you — a farewell message, an encrypted file for your family, account credentials,
or a private page — and keep a simple periodic **check-in** to prove you're still around.
Miss it, and only after repeated warnings and a generous grace period, your switch fires
exactly as you set it.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="How it works" icon="heart-pulse" href="/lastward/how-it-works">
    Check-ins, the grace window, warnings, and how a switch fires.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Zero-knowledge" icon="lock" href="/lastward/zero-knowledge">
    Your files and secrets are encrypted on your device — we can never read them.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Self-hosting" icon="server" href="/lastward/self-hosting">
    Run the open-source core yourself — it outlives any single company.
  </Card>

  <Card title="FAQ" icon="circle-question" href="/lastward/faq">
    Recovery, false-fire safety, pricing, and the honest limits.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## The idea in one minute

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create a switch">
    Give it a title, choose a safety preset (how often you check in and how long the grace
    period is), add the people who should receive it, and compose your actions.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check in">
    Open the app and confirm you're here. Each check-in resets the deadline. You choose the
    rhythm — weekly, monthly, or every few months.
  </Step>

  <Step title="If you ever stop">
    After the deadline passes you get repeated warnings across push, email (and SMS on Pro).
    Only if you still don't check in — after the full grace period — does the switch fire.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Your people receive it">
    Recipients get a link. Encrypted items open only with the passphrase you shared with them
    ahead of time. Plain messages arrive as normal email.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Lastward is designed so it **fires when it should and never when it shouldn't**. Generous
  grace periods, multi-channel warnings, and a one-tap "I'm here" in every warning protect you
  from an accidental trigger.
</Note>