Alive Check - Help & Frequently Asked Questions

This document provides answers to common questions about using Alive Check.

Table of Contents

1. Getting Started
2. Account Management
3. Emergency Contacts
4. Liveness Checks
5. File Sharing
6. Security & Privacy
7. Troubleshooting

Getting Started

What is Alive Check?

Alive Check is a "dead man's switch" service that monitors your well-being and automatically notifies your emergency contacts and shares encrypted files with them if you become unresponsive. It helps ensure your loved ones are informed and have access to important information if something happens to you.

How does it work?

1. You set up your account and add emergency contacts
2. You upload encrypted files you want shared after you're gone
3. The system periodically sends you liveness checks
4. If you don't respond to multiple checks, your status escalates
5. Your emergency contacts are notified at each escalation level
6. If you're confirmed dead, your encrypted files are automatically shared

Do I need to download an app?

Alive Check works both as a web application and a mobile app. The mobile app provides additional features like passive liveness detection through device unlocking.

Account Management

How do I create an account?

Option 1: Email/Password

1. Visit the registration page
2. Provide email, password, phone number, and PIN
3. Verify your email address
4. Set up your preferences

Option 2: Social Login (Google/Apple)

1. Click "Sign in with Google" or "Sign in with Apple"
2. Authorize access
3. Complete profile setup

What is a PIN and why do I need one?

Your PIN is a 4-digit code used to confirm you're alive when you respond to checks. It adds a layer of security to prevent automated responses or someone else responding on your behalf.

What is a duress PIN?

A duress PIN is a special PIN you can enter if you're being coerced to respond to a check. When entered:

• The check appears to complete successfully (to the coercer)
• A silent alert is logged in the system
• Future enhancement: Will notify designated contacts

Important: Never tell anyone your duress PIN.

How do I change my password/PIN?

• Password: Use the "Reset Password" flow from the login screen
• PIN/Duress PIN: Go to Settings > Security > Update PIN

Can I export my data?

Yes! Go to Settings > Privacy > Export Data. You'll receive a comprehensive JSON file containing all your account data, contacts, file metadata, and activity history. This is GDPR-compliant and free of charge.

How do I delete my account?

Settings > Account > Delete Account. Warning: This is permanent and cannot be undone. All your files and data will be deleted.

What happens if my account is marked "dead" by mistake?

You can recover your account! Go to the login page and click "Account marked as dead? Recover it here". You'll need to:

1. Enter your email and password
2. Wait for one of your high-trust emergency contacts to approve (72-hour window)
3. Once approved, your account is restored

After recovery: File access is revoked from contacts, and they're notified it was a false alarm.

What happens to my account after I'm confirmed dead?

Accounts in "dead" state are automatically terminated after 90 days:

• Day 45: Warning sent to your contacts
• Day 75: Final warning
• Day 90: Account terminated (files deleted, data anonymized)

Your high-trust contacts can extend termination by 6 months if they believe you may recover (e.g., you're in a coma).

Can my contacts manage my account if I'm dead?

Yes. High-trust contacts (those with "can confirm dead" permission) can:

• Extend termination - Keep the account open for 6 more months
• Request early termination - Close the account sooner (7-day grace period)
• Cancel billing - Stop recurring subscription charges

They receive links to manage your account in the notification emails.

Emergency Contacts

What is an emergency contact?

An emergency contact is someone who will be notified if you become unresponsive and may receive access to your shared files if you're confirmed dead.

How do I add emergency contacts?

1. Go to Contacts tab
2. Click "Add Contact"
3. Provide name, email, and phone number
4. Set priority (1 = highest priority)
5. Choose whether they can confirm your death
6. Send invitation

What does "can confirm dead" mean?

Contacts with this permission can manually mark you as dead after receiving notifications that you're unresponsive. This immediately shares your files with authorized contacts. Only grant this to highly trusted individuals.

What if my contact doesn't accept the invitation?

They have 7 days to accept or decline. You can resend the invitation or add a different contact.

Can contacts see my files before I'm dead?

No. Contacts can only access files shared with them after your status transitions to "dead."

How does contact verification work?

You can request verification that a contact's email still works:

1. Click "Verify" next to a contact
2. System sends verification email
3. Contact clicks link in email (48-hour window)
4. Verification status updated

This helps ensure contacts will receive critical notifications.

What if a contact changes their email?

You'll need to update their contact information manually or remove and re-add them with the new email.

Liveness Checks

What are liveness checks?

Liveness checks are periodic notifications asking you to confirm you're alive by entering your PIN.

How often will I be checked?

Default: Every 24 hours. You can adjust this in Settings > Preferences > Check Frequency (minimum 1 hour).

What happens if I miss a check?

Escalation Timeline:

1. Miss 3 checks (default): Status → "Unresponsive"
   • Emergency contacts notified
2. Unresponsive for 48 hours: Status → "Missing"
   • Escalated notifications sent
3. Unresponsive for 7 days: Status → "Dead"
   • Files shared, final notifications sent

All thresholds are configurable in Settings.

How do I respond to a check?

Mobile App:

• Tap the push notification
• Enter your 4-digit PIN
• Optionally allow location sharing

Web:

• Click the link in the email
• Enter your 4-digit PIN

What if I forget my PIN?

Currently, there's no PIN recovery - you'll need to wait for checks to fail and transition to unresponsive, then contact support. Write down your PIN securely.

Do I have to respond every time?

Mobile app (Android only): Passive liveness detection tracks device unlocking, reducing manual check frequency.

iOS/Web: Manual responses required for each check.

What notification channels are available?

Beyond push notifications and email, you can receive checks via:

• Telegram: Link your account in Settings → Notifications
• Signal: Link your phone number via code exchange
• Messenger: Connect your Facebook Messenger account
• Instagram: Connect your Instagram account

You can also set email as a backup (always sent, or only when primary fails).

What if I'm traveling or unavailable?

Options:

1. Pause checks temporarily (future feature)
2. Adjust check frequency to give more time
3. Increase max failed checks before escalation

File Sharing

What files can I share?

Any file type. Common uses:

• Wills and estate documents
• Password vault exports
• Insurance policies
• Personal letters
• Photos and videos
• Financial account information

Are files encrypted?

Yes. Files are encrypted client-side (on your device) before upload using AES-GCM encryption. The server never sees unencrypted content.

Who controls the encryption keys?

You do. Encryption keys are generated on your device and encrypted with your public key. Never share your private key or seed phrase.

What is a seed phrase?

A 12-word recovery phrase (like cryptocurrency wallets) that allows you to recover your private encryption keys if you lose your device. Store this phrase securely offline.

What if I lose my seed phrase?

You cannot recover your private keys or decrypt your files. You'll need to:

1. Delete all files (Settings > Files > Delete All)
2. Reset your encryption keys
3. Re-upload files with new encryption

Can I share different files with different contacts?

Yes. When uploading a file, select which contacts should receive access when you're dead.

What happens to files when I'm marked dead?

1. System generates temporary access tokens for authorized contacts
2. Contacts receive email with download links
3. Links expire after 5 minutes (for security)
4. Contacts can decrypt files using provided keys

How large can files be?

Current limit: Determined by your storage backend configuration. Check with your instance administrator.

Can I delete files after uploading?

Yes. Go to Files tab > Select file > Delete. Deleted files cannot be recovered.

Security & Privacy

How is my data secured?

• Encryption: Files encrypted client-side with AES-GCM
• Authentication: JWT tokens with 30-minute expiration
• Rate Limiting: Prevents brute force attacks
• Audit Logging: All security-sensitive actions logged
• No plaintext secrets: Passwords, PINs, keys hashed/encrypted

Can Alive Check employees see my files?

No. Files are encrypted before upload. We cannot decrypt them.

What data do you collect?

• Account info: Email, name, phone (provided by you)
• Preferences: Check frequency, thresholds
• Activity logs: Status changes, check responses, audit events
• File metadata: Filenames, sizes (not contents)
• Location: If you choose to share during check responses

See Privacy Policy for complete details.

Can I use Alive Check anonymously?

Not recommended. Emergency services may need to verify your identity. Use your real information for emergency contacts.

What happens to my data if Alive Check shuts down?

1. Export your data (Settings > Export Data)
2. Download your encrypted files
3. Save your seed phrase
4. You'll own a complete backup

Is Alive Check GDPR compliant?

Yes. Features:

• Right to Access: Export data anytime
• Right to Erasure: Delete account
• Right to Portability: JSON export format
• Data Minimization: Only collect necessary data

How do I report a security vulnerability?

Email: security@alivecheck.example.com (or see GitHub security policy)

Troubleshooting

I'm not receiving check notifications

Check:

1. Email in spam folder?
2. Email address verified? (Settings > Account)
3. Push notifications enabled? (Mobile app settings)
4. Device registered? (Settings > Devices)
5. Notification channel connected? (Settings > Notifications)

Fix:

• Whitelist noreply@alivecheck.example.com
• Re-verify email address
• Re-register device for push
• Enable "Email backup: Always" to ensure delivery via multiple channels
• Try a different primary channel (Telegram, Signal, etc.)

I entered the wrong PIN and got locked out

After 3 failed PIN attempts, the check fails. This contributes to your escalation counter. Wait for the next check and enter the correct PIN.

My contact says they didn't receive the invitation

Possible causes:

• Email in spam folder
• Typo in email address
• Email provider blocking messages

Fix:

• Verify email address spelling
• Ask contact to whitelist sender
• Resend invitation
• Try phone number for SMS (if configured)

Verification emails aren't being delivered

Troubleshooting:

1. Check contact's spam folder
2. Verify email address is correct
3. Ask contact to whitelist sender
4. Wait 48 hours, then re-request verification

I accidentally marked myself as dead

Contact support immediately. If done via emergency contact, they should not have had this permission. This may require manual database intervention.

The mobile app won't connect

Check:

• Internet connection active?
• Server URL correct? (Settings > Advanced)
• API version compatible?

Fix:

• Restart app
• Clear app cache
• Re-login
• Contact support if persistent

I lost my device, how do I secure my account?

1. Login from another device
2. Go to Settings > Security > Reset Keys
3. Change password
4. This will:
   • Delete all files (encrypted with old keys)
   • Invalidate old sessions
   • Generate new encryption keys

Additional Resources

• User Guide: Full step-by-step instructions
• API Documentation: For developers integrating with Alive Check
• Privacy Policy: Complete data handling disclosure
• Terms of Service: Legal agreement

Contact Support

Email: support@alivecheck.example.com

Response Time: 24-48 hours

Include:

• Account email (don't send password!)
• Description of issue
• Steps you've tried
• Error messages (if any)

Emergency: If you believe there's a critical security issue, email security@alivecheck.example.com immediately.

Glossary

• AES-GCM: Advanced Encryption Standard in Galois/Counter Mode
• BIP39: Bitcoin Improvement Proposal 39 (seed phrase standard)
• Duress PIN: Secondary PIN that silently signals coercion
• JWT: JSON Web Token (authentication token)
• Liveness Check: Periodic verification you're alive
• PIN: Personal Identification Number (4 digits)
• Seed Phrase: 12-word recovery phrase for encryption keys
• Status: Your current state (alive, unresponsive, missing, dead)

Last Updated: 2025-12-06 Version: 1.1