Gideon Lantern

Keep the light on, even when you cannot.

Gideon Lantern checks in with you once a week. If you stop answering, it sends the message you prepared to the people you chose — once.

Create your account How it works

Why people use it

If you were suddenly in hospital, lost, or gone, would the people who need to know find out — and know what to do? Where the documents are. Who to call. Which password manager you use, and who holds its recovery key. Lantern carries those instructions for you, and delivers them only if you stop answering.

How it works

  1. Write a private message. Instructions, where things are, who to call. It's encrypted before it's stored.
  2. Choose who receives it. Each person is invited first and can decline. They see nothing of your message now.
  3. Try it. Send yourself a test check-in and a test copy of your message. Nothing reaches anyone else until you turn Lantern on.
  4. Check in weekly. One email, one button: “I'm okay.”
  5. If you don't answer, Lantern reminds you for a week. If you still haven't checked in, it sends your message to your recipients once, and stops.

The timeline, exactly

Counting from your last check-in. Pause any time — before a trip, a hospital stay, or a week offline.

  1. Day 0You check in (or turn Lantern on). A new week begins.
  2. Day 7Lantern emails you: “Are you okay?” with a link to check in.
  3. Day 10Reminder 1, if you haven't checked in yet.
  4. Day 12Reminder 2, if you haven't checked in yet.
  5. Day 13Final notice, a day before the deadline, with the exact time and who will receive your message.
  6. Day 14Deadline. If you still haven't checked in, your message is sent to your accepted recipients, once.

What Lantern does

Asks if you're okay, every week. Reminds you, three more times, before anything happens. Sends your prepared message once to the people who agreed to receive it. Keeps a history you can read.

What Lantern doesn't do

It can't know what has happened to you; a missed check-in can mean many things. It is not a will, does not transfer anything, file anything, or appoint anyone. It sends a message — your words, to your people.

One plan

$1 a month, or $10 a year.

Everything included: weekly check-ins, reminders, up to 10 recipients, test mode, pause and resume, and your full history. No tiers, no upsells.

Create your account