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ExplainersMay 12, 20264 min read

How the Presence Check Keeps Your Vault Safe

The inactivity timer is the heart of Testamently. Here is exactly how check-ins, reminders, and the grace period work together.

Testamently only releases your vault when you are genuinely unable to manage it yourself. The presence check is how we tell — and it is deliberately designed to never fire by accident.

You set the rhythm

You choose a check-in window — for example 30 days. Simply logging in resets the clock. As long as you keep using your account, nothing ever changes.

Plenty of warning

If you go quiet, we send gentle reminders as you approach the deadline — by email, and by SMS if enabled:

  • At 50% of your window — a soft heads-up
  • At 75% and 90% — clearer reminders
  • At 99% — a final notice before the grace period

A grace period, not a hair trigger

After the window passes, a grace period begins. Only once that also elapses with no response does the vault trigger and notify your trustees. There is no single missed login that opens everything.

Or skip the wait

You can also enable a death-certificate path, where an approved certificate grants access immediately rather than waiting out the timer. Either way, you stay in control of how and when your vault opens.

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