How can we help?

Try resetting your password via the login screen. If your email isn't recognised, you may have signed up with a different address. Check any other emails you use.

Holdfast uses zero-knowledge encryption — your passphrase never reaches our servers and cannot be reset or recovered by anyone, including us. This is by design: it means your vault is truly private. We'd recommend checking any secure notes, password managers, or documents where you may have stored it.

Because Holdfast never sees your passphrase, we cannot reset it. The safest path is to migrate to a new vault under a new passphrase: export your current vault from Settings → Export vault (the export file is encrypted with your existing passphrase), then save any video messages locally first using your browser's video controls (right-click → Save video as) since videos live outside the encrypted blob. Sign up a fresh account with a new strong passphrase, import the export file (you'll be asked for the old passphrase one last time to decrypt it), re-upload your videos, and finally delete the old account from Settings. Export and import require a Personal plan or above.

Invite links expire after 7 days. Ask the account owner to send a new invite from their Settings page. If the problem persists, contact us using the form below.

This usually happens when your browser's local storage has been cleared — for example after clearing cookies, switching browsers, or using incognito mode. Your vault is safely stored on our servers. Sign in on your usual browser and device and your entries will reappear. If you've switched devices permanently, re-enter your passphrase after signing in.

Check your spam or junk folder first. Check-in emails come from [email protected]. You'll receive a check-in prompt shortly after your due date. If it's not there, check your next due date in the app — you may not be due yet. You can also check in any time from the app via Settings → “Check in now”. Still nothing? Contact us below and we'll check delivery logs.

No — not immediately. There is a grace period after a missed check-in before escalation emails begin. Log in and use the “Check in now” button in Settings to reset your timer immediately. If escalation emails have already started, checking in will stop the process immediately.

Yes — you can pause check-ins from Settings in the app. Your vault stays safe and no escalation emails will be sent while paused. Alternatively, if you're going somewhere without reliable email access, use the “Check in now” button in Settings to reset your timer before you leave, and consider temporarily switching to a monthly frequency.

Log in to your vault app, go to Settings, and update your check-in frequency. The change takes effect immediately.

Passphrases are case-sensitive. Check caps lock is off and try again carefully. If you’re still unable to open your vault, try clearing your browser cache and cookies, then sign in and try again. If the problem persists, contact us at [email protected].

This is almost always caused by switching browsers or devices, which clears local storage. Sign in on your original browser and device and your vault will reload correctly. If you genuinely believe entries are missing after trying this, contact us with your account email.

Your vault is encrypted using AES-256-GCM with a key derived from your passphrase using PBKDF2 with 250,000 iterations and a unique random salt. Encryption and decryption happen entirely in your browser — your passphrase and vault contents never reach our servers. Even Holdfast staff cannot read your vault.

Yes — log in to your vault, go to Recipients, update the email address, and save your vault. The change takes effect immediately.

Ask your recipient to check their spam and junk folders. Delivery emails come from [email protected]. If they still can't find it, contact us and we'll check delivery logs for that recipient.

Recipient access links are valid for 30 days from delivery. After 30 days, all vault data is permanently deleted and cannot be recovered. If you are within the 30-day window and experiencing issues, contact us at [email protected].

The passphrase must be shared offline before it's needed — Holdfast cannot recover or reset it. If you set a passphrase hint, your recipient will see it on the vault page. For future protection, consider writing your passphrase in a sealed letter stored with your physical will and informing your solicitor or lawyer.

After your vault is delivered, recipients have 30 days to access it via their unique link. Seven days before the access window closes, recipients receive a reminder email to download anything they need. After 30 days, all vault data — including the encrypted blob, stored files, recipients, and tokens — is permanently and irreversibly deleted from our servers. No copy is retained. If the vault owner checks in during the 30-day window, the vault is reclaimed and the deletion is cancelled.

This occasionally happens if the payment confirmation is briefly delayed. Wait 10 minutes and sign out then back in. If your plan still shows as Free after that, contact us with your account email and payment confirmation and we'll resolve it immediately.

Go to Settings in the app and click "Manage subscription." This opens the Stripe billing portal where you can cancel at any time. Your plan remains active until the end of the current billing period.

We offer a 30-day money-back guarantee for first-time subscribers. If you are unsatisfied for any reason, contact us within 30 days of your first subscription payment with your account email and we'll issue a full refund — no questions asked. This applies to your initial payment only and does not extend to subscription renewals, plan upgrades, or Lifetime purchases. Upon refund, your account reverts to the free plan.

The free tier allows up to 5 entries and 1 recipient. If your vault exceeds these limits, editing is locked until you reduce entries or recipients to within the free limits. Nothing is deleted automatically — your data is always safe.

Check spam and junk folders. The invite comes from [email protected]. If it's not there, go to Settings → Family and resend the invite. Links expire after 7 days — a new one can be sent immediately.

Ask your partner to sign out and back in — plan status refreshes on login. If it still shows incorrectly after that, contact us with both account email addresses.

Family plan connections cannot be revoked through the app — this is by design to prevent misuse. If either partner wishes to disconnect, contact us at [email protected] with both account email addresses and we will process the separation. Both vaults and all data remain unaffected — the partner’s plan will revert to Free and they can upgrade independently at any time.

The dashboard is at pro.holdfast-co.uk — make sure you're using the correct URL. Sign in with your Firm account email. If access is still denied after signing in, contact us.

Ask the client to check spam. Invites come from [email protected] and expire after 7 days. You can resend from your dashboard at any time.

From your dashboard, go to Settings and use the “Bulk import” option. Upload a CSV file with columns for client name and email address. Each row generates an invite — clients receive an email to set up their vault under your firm. The CSV must use UTF-8 encoding and have a header row. Duplicates and existing clients are skipped automatically.

No. Holdfast uses zero-knowledge encryption — vault contents are encrypted on the client’s device before they reach our servers. Neither Holdfast nor your firm can access, read, or decrypt a client’s vault. This is by design and ensures full client confidentiality.

When a client’s dead man’s switch triggers, their nominated recipients receive an email with a link to open the vault. Your firm dashboard will show the client’s status as “delivered.” At that point the vault belongs to the recipients — your firm’s connection to that client ends. You cannot access or recall a delivered vault.

Contact us below — account transfers are handled manually to ensure continuity for your clients.

Contact your solicitor or firm directly and ask them to revoke your connection from their dashboard. The firm that set up your link is responsible for managing it. Your vault, entries, and recipients are unaffected — your solicitor will simply no longer see your check-in status. Your plan may revert to Free if it was provided by the firm — you can upgrade to a Personal plan at any time to keep full access. If your firm has ceased trading or you are unable to reach them, contact us at [email protected] and we will assist.

Email [email protected] with the subject “Firm Account Closure Request” and allow at least 30 days’ notice. During the notice period we will notify your connected clients, transition their vaults to standalone Free plans, and remove your firm’s access. Client data remains encrypted and accessible to them — no vault contents are lost. Once closure is complete you will receive a confirmation email.

We hold your email address, name, plan status, check-in history, and your encrypted vault blob. We cannot read your vault contents — they are encrypted before they leave your device. You can request a full copy of your data under GDPR Article 15 by contacting us below.

You can delete your account from Settings → Account → Delete vault & account. For safety, deletion takes two steps — confirm in the app, then enter a 6-digit code we email you. After that, your vault enters a 7-day cooling-off period during which you can cancel from the banner at the top of your vault, or via the link in the confirmation email. After 7 days, the deletion is permanent and cannot be reversed. Alternatively contact us and we'll process deletion under GDPR Article 17.

We're sorry for your loss. If your loved one nominated you as a recipient, you will receive their vault automatically once their check-in timer expires and the delivery process completes. We are unable to manually trigger delivery or bypass the process. If you believe there has been an error, contact us at [email protected] and we'll do our best to help.

Once a vault is delivered, recipients have 30 days of access via their personal link. On day 23 (seven days before expiry) we email all active recipients a reminder so they can save anything they need. On day 30, all encrypted vault contents, attachments, video files, recipient details, and access tokens are permanently deleted. Your account record is anonymised — name and email are removed — but the row is kept for aggregate retention metrics. The vault cannot be recovered or re-delivered after this point, even by Holdfast staff.

On day 30 after delivery, the vault enters our automated purge process: the encrypted contents are wiped, all attachments and video files are removed from storage, recipient records and delivery tokens are deleted, and the owner's account is anonymised. Active recipient links stop working immediately. There is no recovery — this is by design, so that sensitive material is not retained indefinitely. If you are a recipient and need more time, save copies (text and downloads) before day 30. We email a reminder seven days before expiry.