Do I need a lawyer to plan my digital legacy?

No. Start by writing your messages — that is the essential part. Legal aspects (will, notary) are complementary, not prerequisites.

Are my messages truly private?

Yes. Encrypted at rest (AES-256), one recipient per message, single-use access code sent separately. No one else can read them.

What happens if I stop logging in?

Gleam sends reminders at 30, 37, and 44 days. At day 51, if you have a trusted contact, they are asked to confirm or deny your death. Messages are released only after the applicable confirmation process, and only when your subscription status at the start of inactivity qualifies.

Can I change a message after writing it?

Yes, at any time until it is delivered: title, content, recipient. You stay in control until the end.

Digital legacy planning: a practical guide

Your digital legacy is everything you leave behind online and on your devices: messages, photos, accounts, documents. Planning it means deciding in advance what your loved ones will receive — and sparing them from having to dig, guess, or beg platforms for access.

Why do it now

No one knows when they will go. Without a plan, your loved ones inherit a mess: unknown passwords, locked accounts, scattered photos, and above all words never said. With a plan, they receive what matters, at the right time, with no effort.

What a good plan includes

Your messages. The words you want to leave each person: a letter to your daughter, a few sentences to a friend, explanations for a business partner. One message per recipient, written while you are clear-headed and at peace.

Your access. The list of important accounts and how to reach them — or at least how to close them. Without this, your loved ones will have to prove your death to every platform, one by one.

Your practical wishes. Where are the important documents? Who to call first? This information saves those who remain weeks of stress.

How Gleam fits into the plan

Gleam handles the trickiest part: delivering your messages. You write them today, in rich text, one recipient per message, encrypted at rest. Then Gleam quietly checks that you are still there — logging in once every 30 days is enough.

After reminders at days 30, 37, and 44, the process reaches its next step at day 51. Without a trusted contact, you are presumed deceased then; with one, they are asked to confirm or deny, and a confirmation starts a 24-hour window in which you can still log in to cancel release. If they do not respond to a successfully sent request within seven days, the process continues to that same 24-hour window. Messages are delivered only if the subscription status captured when inactivity began qualifies. Each recipient receives an access code separately from the email announcing their message. The subscription is cancelled when you are marked as deceased.

What it costs

Two annual plans, no hidden fees: Basic at $20/year for 5 lifetime messages, and Serenity at $30/year for 10 messages. Deleting an unsent message returns its slot. If your subscription lapses, a 30-day grace period protects your letters.