FAQ & Troubleshooting

General

What is Inheribase in one sentence?

Inheribase is a zero-knowledge digital inheritance platform that encrypts your files on your device, stores them permanently on Arweave, and delivers them to your designated heirs when configurable release conditions are met.

How is Inheribase different from Google Drive or Dropbox?

Three fundamental differences:

Encryption: Inheribase encrypts files on your device before upload. Cloud providers hold the keys to your data — Inheribase does not.
Permanence: Cloud storage requires ongoing subscriptions. Inheribase uses a one-time endowment for permanent storage on Arweave.
Succession: Cloud providers have no built-in mechanism to transfer data to heirs. Inheribase has configurable release triggers with guardian-governed key reconstruction.

Does Inheribase require cryptocurrency knowledge?

No. Inheribase handles all blockchain interactions behind the scenes. You interact with a standard web application — uploading files, adding contacts, and configuring settings. No wallet management, no gas fees to calculate, no seed phrases to remember.

What happens to my data if the protocol maintainers shut down?

Your encrypted files live on the Arweave network, which is independent of Inheribase. Even if Inheribase ceases operations:

Your data remains on Arweave, retrievable via any Arweave gateway
Your Arweave Transaction IDs (TXIDs) allow direct file retrieval
Guardian shares can reconstruct your vault key without Inheribase's involvement
The decentralized storage endowment continues funding data persistence

Is there a mobile app?

Inheribase is a web application that works on all modern mobile browsers (Safari on iOS 16+, Chrome on Android 9+). A dedicated mobile app is not currently available.

Account & Authentication

How do I create an account?

Visit app.inheribase.com
Click Get Started
Create a passkey using your device's biometric or PIN
Your vault identity is minted automatically

The process takes under 2 minutes. You receive $1.00 in trial credits to start.

What is a passkey?

A passkey is a modern, phishing-resistant credential that replaces passwords. It is backed by your device's secure hardware (Face ID, Touch ID, Windows Hello, or a FIDO2 security key). Passkeys cannot be stolen through phishing, guessed through brute force, or reused across sites.

What if I lose access to my passkey device?

You have multiple recovery options:

Recovery codes — One-time codes provided at signup. Store these in a physical safe.
Additional passkeys — Register passkeys on multiple devices (phone + laptop + security key).
Trusted device recovery — Previously authenticated devices may be used for recovery.

Critical: Inheribase cannot reset your authentication due to our zero-knowledge architecture. If you lose all access methods including recovery codes, your vault cannot be recovered. Always store recovery codes separately and securely.

Can I change my email address?

Yes, from Settings → Profile in your dashboard. Email changes require re-verification.

Vault & Storage

What file types can I store?

All file types are supported without restriction — documents, images, video, audio, archives, credentials, and any other format. Inheribase encrypts raw bytes regardless of file type.

Is there a file size limit?

Individual files can be up to 5 GB. Total vault capacity is unlimited and determined by your Vault Credits balance.

How much does storage cost?

Storage costs $46.50 per GB as a one-time endowment fee. This covers permanent storage on Arweave — no recurring charges. With high-volume bonuses, effective cost can drop to $37.20/GB at the Nexus tier.

Can I delete files from my vault?

You can remove files from your vault view, but data stored on Arweave is immutable by design. Removed files will no longer be visible or accessible through Inheribase, but the encrypted blob persists on the Arweave network. Since the data is encrypted with your keys, it remains unreadable.

Can I download my own files?

Yes. You have full read/write access to your vault at all times while it is in the active state.

Guardians

Who should I choose as guardians?

Choose people who are:

Trustworthy — They hold a share of your vault key
Reachable — They need to respond to email when the time comes
Diverse — Avoid choosing people who might all be unreachable simultaneously (e.g., all live in the same location)

Best practice: Include at least one professional (attorney, notary, or financial advisor) alongside family members or close friends.

Can a guardian access my vault?

No. Each guardian holds only one fragment of your vault key. A single fragment is mathematically useless — it reveals zero information about the original key. Only when the threshold number of guardians (e.g., 2-of-3) collaborate can the key be reconstructed.

What if a guardian loses access to their email?

The threshold system is designed for this. In a 2-of-3 configuration, if one guardian becomes unreachable, the remaining two can still reconstruct the key. You can also rotate guardians at any time while your vault is active.

Can I change my guardians later?

Yes. While your vault is in the active state, you can add, remove, or replace guardians from your dashboard. Changing guardians generates new key shares.

Do guardians need to install anything?

No. Guardians interact through standard email and a web browser. They receive a secure link to accept their role and later to provide their share during the release process.

Heirs

When are heirs notified?

Heirs are notified only after:

A release trigger fires
The 30-day contestation period elapses without cancellation
The release sequence completes

Until then, heirs are not aware they have been designated.

Can I have multiple heirs?

Yes, up to 5 heirs per vault. All heirs receive identical, full access to the entire vault contents.

What does an heir need to claim the vault?

Access to the email address you registered for them
A modern web browser
The ability to create a passkey on their device

No cryptocurrency wallet, technical knowledge, or software installation required.

Release Triggers

What if the Dead Man's Switch triggers accidentally?

You have a 30-day contestation period to cancel any release. During this window:

You receive multiple escalating alerts (email, SMS, and push notifications) at days 0, 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28
A single click in your dashboard cancels the release
No data is shared with heirs until the 30 days elapse

Can I pause the Dead Man's Switch temporarily?

Yes. Log into your dashboard and extend the check-in window before a planned absence (e.g., extended travel, medical procedure). Any authenticated action resets the timer.

What check-in frequencies are available?

Weekly — For users who want maximum vigilance
Bi-weekly — Balanced frequency
Monthly — Recommended default for most users
Quarterly — For users who access Inheribase infrequently

Can I change my release trigger later?

Yes. While your vault is active, you can switch between Dead Man's Switch and Manual Release, or adjust your check-in frequency, at any time from the dashboard.

Pricing & Credits

Do credits expire?

Never. Vault Credits are permanent, just like your vault data.

What can I do with the free trial credits?

Your $1.00 trial credits let you:

Upload small files to test the encryption and storage flow
Configure guardians and heirs (free operations)
Set up a release trigger (free operation)
Perform check-ins ($0.05 each)
Test MCP/API integration

Are there hidden fees?

No. The deposit amount equals your credit balance. No activation fees, no percentage deductions, no subscriptions.

What happens if I run out of credits mid-operation?

Upload: The upload will fail with a 402 error before any partial data is stored. No credits are consumed for failed uploads.
Check-in: The check-in will fail. Your Dead Man's Switch timer continues counting down. Top up credits and check in again.
Status reads and people configuration: These operations are free and are never affected by credit balance.

Security

Can Inheribase employees see my files?

No. Inheribase uses a zero-knowledge architecture. All files are encrypted on your device with keys derived from your credentials. Inheribase servers only store encrypted blobs that are meaningless without your keys. This is a technical guarantee, not a policy promise.

What encryption does Inheribase use?

Data at rest: AES-256-GCM (the standard used by governments and financial institutions)
Data in transit: TLS 1.3 with perfect forward secrecy
Key management: Client-side key derivation; keys are never transmitted or stored by Inheribase
Key splitting: Shamir's Secret Sharing for guardian share distribution

Has Inheribase been audited?

Inheribase undergoes regular security audits and penetration testing by independent third parties. See the Trust & Security page for details.

What if Inheribase is hacked?

An attacker who breaches Inheribase servers would obtain only encrypted blobs — data that is computationally infeasible to decrypt without the user's keys. Your vault key fragments are distributed among your guardians, not stored on Inheribase infrastructure.

AI & Developer Integration

What is MCP?

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard for connecting AI assistants to external tools. Inheribase's MCP server lets your local AI (Claude Desktop, Cursor, etc.) interact with your vault — storing files, checking status, and performing check-ins.

Is my data exposed to the AI?

Your AI assistant runs locally on your device. Sensitive data (files, keys) are encrypted on your device before being sent to Inheribase. The AI helps you manage your vault but never has access to unencrypted data stored on Inheribase servers.

What API rate limits apply?

Endpoint	Rate Limit
`store_asset`	60 requests/minute
`check_status`	120 requests/minute
`check_in`	10 requests/minute
`GET /api/vault`	120 requests/minute
`POST /api/vault/:id/*`	60 requests/minute

Rate limits are per API key. Exceeding limits returns HTTP 429 with a Retry-After header.

Troubleshooting

Upload is failing

Check your credit balance — Insufficient credits return a 402 error
Check file size — Files must be under 5 GB
Check your connection — Uploads require a stable internet connection
Try a different browser — Clear cache or switch to Chrome/Safari if on Firefox
Check for browser extensions — Ad blockers or privacy extensions may interfere with the Digital Airlock

Passkey is not working

Update your browser — Ensure you are on the minimum supported version (see Requirements)
Check device support — Your device must support WebAuthn (biometric or PIN)
Try a different device — If you registered multiple passkeys, try another
Use recovery codes — If all passkeys fail, use a one-time recovery code

Guardian did not receive their invitation

Check the email address — Verify you entered the correct email in your dashboard
Check spam/junk folder — Invitation emails may be filtered
Resend the invitation — From your dashboard, select the guardian and click Resend
Contact the guardian — Ask them to whitelist noreply@inheribase.com

Dead Man's Switch triggered unexpectedly

Check your email — You should have received multiple alerts during the 30-day contestation period
Log into your dashboard — If the contestation period is still active, click Cancel Release
Perform a check-in — Any authenticated action resets the timer
Review your check-in frequency — Consider switching to a longer interval if you access Inheribase infrequently

Review the Glossary for unfamiliar terms
Check the API Reference for developer-specific questions
Contact support at support@inheribase.com

FAQ & Troubleshooting

On this page