A friendly, step-by-step guide to setting up and using your Left In Peace USB drive — written especially for people who don't consider themselves "tech people."
For Windows & Mac ComputersYou don't have to read all of this. If you're just getting started, Sections 2 and 3 get you set up, and Section 6 walks you through filling things in. Everything else is here for when you need it. On a computer, click any line below to jump straight to it.
Understanding what this program does and why it matters
Left In Peace is a private record-keeping program stored on a small USB flash drive — the kind you plug into your computer. It gives you one safe, organized place to write down everything your heirs would need to know if something happened to you.
Think of it as a much more practical version of a will. A will tells people who gets what. Left In Peace tells them how everything works: passwords, account numbers, who the plumber is, where the emergency cash is hidden, what to do with your collections, and personal messages for the people you love.
When someone passes away, their heirs often spend months trying to figure out bank account numbers, cancel subscriptions, find insurance policies, and figure out who the accountant was. Left In Peace puts all of that in one place — organized, secure, and ready when it's needed.
The USB drive contains your encrypted information. Treat it like you would an important document — keep it somewhere you'll remember, and consider telling at least one trusted person where it is. The Key Holders section (Tab 10) helps you document this.
What you need and how to get started on Windows and Mac
Left In Peace needs a browser that can read and save files directly to the USB drive. Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Brave can do this. Safari and Firefox cannot — they will not be able to open or save your information. On Windows, Edge is already installed on every computer, so you do not need to download anything. On a Mac, if you do not already have Chrome or Edge, the Left In Peace app will offer to help you install Chrome for free.
Insert the Left In Peace USB drive into one of the USB ports on your computer. If your computer only has smaller oval-shaped ports (USB-C) instead of the larger rectangular ones (USB-A), use the small adapter that came in your Left In Peace box — plug the drive into the adapter, and the adapter into the computer. You'll usually hear a soft chime and Windows may show a notification in the bottom right corner of your screen.
Click the yellow folder icon on your taskbar (the bar along the bottom of your screen), or press the Windows key + E on your keyboard.
In the left column of File Explorer, look under "This PC" or "Devices and Drives." You should see your USB drive listed — it may show up as "Removable Disk" or have a name like "LEFTINPEACE."
Double-click the USB drive to open it. You'll see a file called Double_Click_This_To_Start_Left_In_Peace.html. Right-click that file and choose "Open with" → "Google Chrome" (or Edge, or Brave). Do not open it with Firefox or any other browser — it will not work.
Choose "Open with a browser." Do NOT choose Microsoft Word or any other program. Left In Peace only works when opened in a web browser.
Insert the USB drive into a USB port on your Mac. If your Mac only has the small oval USB-C ports, use the adapter that came in your Left In Peace box — the drive plugs into the adapter, and the adapter into the Mac.
When you plug in the USB drive, an icon for it should appear on your desktop (the main screen). If you don't see it, open Finder (the smiley-face icon in your dock at the bottom) and look in the left column under "Locations."
Click the USB drive icon to open it. Inside, you'll see an app called Left In Peace (with the Left In Peace icon — two figures). Double-click it — this will open Left In Peace in Chrome, Edge, or Brave automatically. If you don't have any of those browsers installed, the app will show a friendly window offering to help you install Google Chrome (free, about a minute). Do not try to open Left In Peace in Safari — Safari cannot read or save files on the USB drive.
Creating your account and your security keys — takes about 10 minutes
The very first time you open Left In Peace, you'll go through a short setup process. You only do this once. After that, you just enter your PIN to log in.
When Left In Peace opens in your browser, you'll see the welcome screen. This is what it looks like:
FAMILY & HELPER ACCESS — for everyone given cards or a code
OWNER ACCESS — for the person whose information this is
The welcome screen displays your name and a return contact (phone or email) so that if someone finds the USB drive, they know who it belongs to and how to return it. This information is set during setup and can be updated later. It does not reveal any private details — just enough to get the drive back to you or your heirs.
You'll be asked to enter your name and create a PIN. This is the password you'll use every time you open Left In Peace.
Let's set up your Left In Peace. This will create your security keys.
Your PIN can be 4 to 10 digits (numbers only — no letters). Choose something you'll remember, like a meaningful year or a familiar phone number. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe separate from the USB drive — but don't store it on the drive itself.
If you enter your PIN wrong 4 times in a row, Left In Peace takes a one-hour break — in that browser only; another computer works right away. If you completely forget your PIN, your two printed word cards can reset it (see Section 10 of this guide).
After creating your account, Left In Peace will generate two special "word keys" — the Master Key and the Keylock Key. These are the backup way for your heirs to access your information if they ever need to without your PIN.
Each key is six words from the military alphabet (words like ALPHA, BRAVO, CHARLIE). The words are shown to you on screen as numbered cards:
Keep this word pattern in a safe place. Your heirs will need it.
Give this to your trustee or attorney.
You will never see these words again after you click "Continue." Click the Print Key Cards button and you'll get one page with four cut-apart cards — two copies of the Master Key and two copies of the Keylock Key, each labeled "Copy 1 of 2" or "Copy 2 of 2." (If you can't print right now, carefully write down each word and its number on paper — you can print the cards later from the Key Holders tab.)
Here's what to do with the four cards:
You don't need two people, and nobody has to be an attorney. The two cards go to whoever you trust: a spouse and a child, a sister and a friend, or one person holding both. "Attorney or trustee" is only a common choice. And if one person will do all the work when the time comes, you can give them a single code of their own instead (see "Trusted Keys" in Section 10), so they never have to gather two cards.
One lost card can never lock your family out — only losing both copies of the same key could do that. Each card says whose Left In Peace it belongs to, reminds the holder that it can't open anything by itself, and points anyone who finds it to leftinpeace.com/heirs for gentle instructions. You'll record who holds each copy in the Key Holders tab (Section 6), and you can reprint all four cards anytime.
After your security keys, Left In Peace needs permission to save your information to the USB drive. Your browser will show a dialog box asking you to choose a folder.
Each time you open Left In Peace and log in, you'll be asked to select the USB drive folder once. After that, saving works automatically. This is a browser security feature — it makes sure no program can secretly write to your drive without your permission.
During first-time setup, this step is required. Left In Peace will not create your vault until the drive is connected — your information belongs on the drive your family will one day hold, never just on one computer.
What you see after setup is complete
After completing setup, Left In Peace will show you a warm welcome message and bring you directly into your dashboard — no need to log in again. You're ready to start filling in your information.
How to open Left In Peace after the first setup
After your initial setup, opening Left In Peace is quick and simple. Here's the routine every time you want to add or review your information:
Insert the Left In Peace USB drive into your computer. If your computer only has smaller oval-shaped USB-C ports, use the adapter that came in the Left In Peace box.
Find the USB drive on your computer and double-click Double_Click_This_To_Start_Left_In_Peace.html to open it in your browser. (See Section 2 for detailed instructions for Windows and Mac.)
On the welcome screen, click the large green "Enter My Important Information" button.
Type your PIN and press the Unlock button. Your dashboard will open.
Your browser will show a folder selection window. Navigate to your USB drive and click "Select Folder." This only happens once each time you open Left In Peace.
Enter your PIN to unlock your Left In Peace data.
If you enter the wrong PIN four times in a row, Left In Peace takes a one-hour break to protect your information. This is normal — nothing is lost. Come back in an hour and try again. If you've forgotten your PIN completely, click "Forgot your PIN? Use recovery" — see Section 10.
When you log in, the very first thing you'll see at the top of your dashboard is a Crisis Card — a simple checklist of the 8 most critical items your loved ones would need in the first 24 hours if something happened to you.
The Crisis Card tracks whether you've filled in these items:
As you fill in each item throughout the different tabs, a green checkmark appears next to it on the Crisis Card. You don't need to go to the Crisis Card itself to check things off — it updates automatically based on what you've entered elsewhere in Left In Peace.
If you're not sure where to begin, use the Crisis Card as your starting checklist. These 8 items are the most time-sensitive things your loved ones would need. Once all 8 show green checkmarks, you can feel confident that the essentials are covered — then fill in the rest at your own pace.
A complete guide to all 10 sections of the dashboard
Once you're logged in, you'll see the main dashboard. Across the top is a row of 10 tabs — each one covers a different topic. You can work on them in any order you like.
No field is required. Fill in what you can today and come back to add more later. Even partial information is valuable for your heirs. Click the Save button at the bottom of the page when you're done for the day.
This is often the most important section. It covers the digital "keys" your heirs will need to access your accounts and devices.
| What You're Filling In | What to Put There |
|---|---|
| Password ManagerService name, master password, email | If you use 1Password, LastPass, Bitwarden, or similar — enter those details. This one password unlocks all your others. |
| Phones & DevicesAdd each phone, tablet, computer | Click "+ Add Phone or Device" for each device. Include the device name (e.g., "My iPhone") and its PIN or passcode. Be sure to include the phone that receives the sign-in codes banks and other accounts text you — without it, many accounts stay locked even with the password. |
| Primary EmailEmail address & password | Your main email account. Also note where any backup codes are saved. |
| Other Email AccountsAdd as many as you have | Most people have more than one: an old address that bills and statements still go to, a work address, one used for shopping. Click "+ Add Email Account" for each, with its password and a note on what it's used for, so your family can get into every one of them. |
| SafesCombinations and locations | Any safe, lockbox, or fireproof box — where it is and how to open it. |
| Alarm SystemsCodes and contacts | Home security system codes and the alarm company's contact info. |
| Bank & Debit Card PINsBank name and PIN | The PIN for each bank or debit card. This is different from your account password — it's the 4-digit number you punch in at the ATM. |
| Personal IDsDriver's license, Medicare/Medicaid, Veteran's ID, DD-214 | Your official ID numbers, all in one place. Driver's license, Medicare or Medicaid, Veteran's ID, and DD-214 each have a "don't have one" checkbox — check it and your family will see "— none (did not have one)" instead of wondering whether something is missing. |
| Spouse / Partner IDsIf you share this kit as a household | Your spouse's or partner's numbers too — their name, Social Security Number, date of birth, Medicare, and Veteran's ID. Survivor benefits and joint-account paperwork usually need both of you, so a one-kit household should record both sets. Leave it blank if it's just you. |
| PassportsOne entry per country | Click "+ Add Passport" for each passport: the country or citizenship, passport number, issue date, and expiration. If you hold dual citizenship, add one entry per country. There's also a "need to find" box if you're not sure where a passport is right now. |
| Security Questions for Your Other AccountsQuestion & answer pairs | The security questions you've set up at your bank, email, and other accounts ("mother's maiden name," "first car"). These are for your other accounts — they are not used to get into Left In Peace. |
Password fields show dots by default (like ••••••). Click the Show button next to any password field to reveal the characters while you type, so you can confirm you've entered it correctly.
The professional contacts your heirs will need to call: attorney, accountant, financial advisor, and insurance agent. Fill in as many contact details as you have — even just a name and phone number is helpful.
Bank accounts, credit cards, investments, real estate, vehicles, and debts. You don't need to include balances — just enough for your heirs to know what accounts exist and how to contact each institution. For each debt or loan, there's a spot for the loan or account number — you'll find it on the statement or the lender's website. And for a pension, there's a spot for the account or claim number, which is on the pension statement or benefit letter. Both are optional, like everything else.
At the top of this tab, type rough amounts for what you own (home, bank accounts, investments) and what you owe (mortgage, loans, credit cards). Left In Peace adds everything up as you type and shows your net worth. Round numbers are fine — leave blank anything that doesn't apply. Your heirs will see the same one-page picture, so they know the full shape of things at a glance.
When you add a bill, card, loan, utility, insurance policy, property, or vehicle, you'll see an optional "Auto-pay & timing" box. Fill in the day of the month it's due, how often, whether it pays itself, which account or card it comes out of, and the amount. For money coming in — Social Security, a pension, a retirement check — there's a matching box for the day it arrives, whether it's direct deposit, and which account it lands in. All of it is optional; leave anything blank.
Then click "🗓️ Money Map & Bill Calendar" at the top of this tab. Left In Peace gathers it all into one page: money coming in, money going out by day of the month, and an auto-pay map that lists every bill grouped under the account or card that pays it. That last part matters most — if a card is ever replaced or an account closed, your family can see at a glance exactly which bills would stop paying (the car insurance, the alarm monitoring) and fix them before anything lapses. You can print it, and your heirs see it in their complete record.
Add each property you own one at a time — home, land, a rental, the lake house. Along with the mortgage company, the mortgage loan number (you'll find it on the mortgage statement or the lender's website), and where the deed is, you can record the parcel or plat number, the county, and your property tax: whether the mortgage company pays it from escrow, how often it's billed (monthly, quarterly, twice a year, or once a year — it varies by where the property is), and when it's due. There's no amount to enter, since the bill changes each year. Each property also has its own association fields — if it has a homeowners or condo association, record the association's name, who to call, the fee, and how often it's due, right on that property's entry (unpaid dues can become a lien, so your family needs to know about every one). And when you add utility accounts in Home & Daily Life, each one can name which property it belongs to — so the electric bill for the lake house never gets mistaken for the one at home, and each home's internet provider is its own entry. For each vehicle you can add the license plate number, the month the plate renews so no one misses it, and the VIN (Vehicle ID Number) — you'll find it on the title, the insurance card, or the driver's-side dashboard by the windshield.
If you keep money in PayPal, Venmo, or Cash App — or own any cryptocurrency — add those under Bank Accounts too. Those balances are real dollars, but they never appear on a bank statement, so your family has no way to find them unless you write them down here.
To add an item, click the green "+ Add" button for that category. A small window will pop up with fields to fill in:
When you add a bank account, retirement account, or investment, you'll see a checkbox at the bottom: "Needed in an emergency — show if I am incapacitated but alive." Check this box for accounts your loved ones might need to access urgently — for example, a checking account used to pay household bills. If you enable Emergency Access (see Section 9), these marked accounts will be visible to a single key holder in an emergency, even without the second key. Accounts you don't check will remain hidden until both key holders unlock Left In Peace together.
Life insurance, health insurance, and other policies (home, auto, umbrella, long-term care). For each policy, note the company name, policy number, and who the beneficiary is. If you use a patient portal (MyChart or your doctor's website), record it with your health insurance — it's where your appointments, medical records, and medical bills live.
Unclaimed life insurance is surprisingly common — heirs simply don't know a policy exists. Even if your heirs know about the policy, they'll need the policy number and the company's contact information to file a claim.
Just like bank accounts, each insurance policy has a "Needed in an emergency" checkbox. Check this for policies your loved ones might need while you're still alive but unable to communicate — for example, health insurance or auto insurance. These marked policies will be visible in emergency access mode (see Section 9).
Will, trust, power of attorney, executor details, and medical directives. For each document, check the box to indicate you have it, and fill in where the original is stored and who else has a copy.
| Document | What to Include |
|---|---|
| Will | Where the original is kept, the name of the attorney who has a copy, who prepared it, the year it was signed, whether the copy at that location is the signed original, and a note about any older or other versions ("the 2015 will is out of date; this one replaces it"). Plus any notes your heirs should know. The Will section also includes fields for your Executor — the person you've named to carry out your wishes. Enter their name, phone number, and email address so your heirs can reach them quickly. |
| Trust | Where the trust document is stored, who the trustee is, who prepared it and the year it was signed (note any amendments too). |
| Power of Attorney | Where the document is, who has power of attorney (the person authorized to act on your behalf), who prepared it and the year it was signed. Banks often balk at a POA that looks old, so the year helps your family. Worth asking your attorney: does the document also give them authority over your online accounts? Most states allow it, but only if it's written in. |
Families are held up far more often by papers they don't know about than by papers they can't read. A will found a year late. A handwritten page in a desk, and nobody sure whether it counts. Two wills from two attorneys and no way to tell which is current. One line from you — "Smith & Jones, 2023, and the 2015 one is out of date" — settles all of it.
The Legal & Records tab also has a Vital Records section. Your family will need these certificates for things like benefits claims and closing accounts. You don't type in the certificates themselves — just note where each one is kept, such as "top drawer of the filing cabinet" or "safe deposit box at First National."
| Record | What to Include |
|---|---|
| Birth Certificate | Where your birth certificate is kept. |
| Marriage Certificate | Where your marriage certificate is kept. |
| Divorce Decree | If it applies to you — where the decree is stored. |
| Adoption Papers | If they apply to you or your children — where the papers are stored. |
| Prenuptial / Marital Agreement | If you have one — where the agreement is stored. Your attorney may also have a copy. |
| Citizenship / Naturalization Papers | If they apply to you — where they are stored. |
Next comes a checklist of the papers families most often don't know exist until something is held up. Tick the ones you have and say where each one is. Leave the rest unticked — that tells your heirs not to go looking. Only the ticked items appear on their side.
| Paper | What to Include |
|---|---|
| Deed to your home or other property | Where it is. Usually in the closing papers; the county recorder also has a copy. |
| Vehicle titles | Car, boat, RV, trailer. If there is a loan, the lender may hold the title. |
| Military discharge papers (DD-214) | Where the paper is. Needed for veterans' burial benefits and a flag. |
| Social Security card | Where the card itself is. (The number goes in Access & IDs.) |
| Cemetery plot deed or prepaid funeral contract | Which cemetery or funeral home, and where the papers are. |
| Safe deposit box | Which bank and branch, where the key is, and who else is allowed to open it. |
| Beneficiary forms | For retirement accounts and life insurance. These decide who gets the money, even if the will says otherwise. Note where the copies are. |
| Business, partnership or LLC papers | Operating agreement, buy-sell agreement, state filings. |
| Loans you made or owe | Including loans to family. Promissory notes, IOUs, anything written down. |
| A letter of wishes or instructions | Not a legal document, but it tells your heirs what you want. Where it is. |
| Anything else | A free line for the rest: timeshare papers, a storage-unit contract, old stock certificates — and where each one is. |
The Legal & Records tab also includes a Medical Directives section — documents and preferences that guide your medical care if you're unable to speak for yourself. These are especially important because your loved ones may need them on very short notice.
| Field | What to Include |
|---|---|
| Advance Directive / Living Will Location | Where your advance directive or living will is stored — for example, "In the fireproof safe" or "Filed with Dr. Thompson's office." If you don't have one yet, consider creating one with your attorney. |
| DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) Preferences | Whether you have a DNR order, and where the document is kept. Your loved ones and medical team need to know this immediately in an emergency. |
| Healthcare Power of Attorney | The person you've chosen to make medical decisions on your behalf if you cannot. Include their name, phone number, and where the document is located. |
| End-of-Life Care Wishes | Any preferences about your care — for example, whether you want to remain at home, preferences about comfort care, or any other wishes you want your loved ones to honor. |
| Additional Medical Instructions | Practical medical information your loved ones or doctors may need: whether you have a pacemaker or other implanted device, your blood type, known allergies, and current medications. |
If you're in the hospital and unable to communicate, your loved ones may need to make decisions very quickly. Having your advance directive location, your healthcare power of attorney's phone number, and your medical details written down here means they won't have to search through filing cabinets during a crisis.
This section covers the practical, day-to-day information about running your home that your heirs will need.
| Category | What to Include |
|---|---|
| Service People | The plumber, electrician, HVAC technician, lawn care, and other tradespeople you use. Your heirs will need these contacts to keep your home running. |
| Valuable Items | Jewelry, art, collectibles — a photo, the story, where each item is, and what you'd like done with it. If you made free Treasure Cards at leftinpeace.com/treasures before getting your kit, click "Bring In My Treasure Cards" and choose the my-treasure-cards.fpt file (it was attached to the email you sent yourself) — your cards appear here, photos and all. The app only ever opens a file you choose yourself. |
| WiFi & Internet | Your WiFi password, and your internet provider's account number. Usually found on a sticker on your router. |
| Subscriptions | Netflix, gym memberships, newspapers — anything that charges you monthly or yearly. Note whether to cancel or keep each one. |
| Emergency Resources | Where emergency cash is hidden, and safe deposit box details. |
The Home & Daily Life tab now includes a Social Media & Digital Accounts section — sometimes called your "digital legacy." These are the online accounts and files that your heirs will need to handle when the time comes.
| Account | What to Include |
|---|---|
| Your preference: should your account be memorialized (turned into a tribute page) or deleted? You can also name a legacy contact — someone Facebook allows to manage your memorialized profile. | |
| Whether to memorialize or remove your account, and any login details your heirs would need. | |
| Other Social Media | Twitter/X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, or any other social media accounts. For each one, note what you'd like done with it. |
| Email Account Handling | What should happen to your email accounts — keep them active for a while to catch important messages, or close them? Note any accounts that receive important notifications (bank alerts, insurance, etc.). |
| Cloud Storage | Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox, OneDrive — where your digital files are stored and what your heirs should know about them. Note anything important that's stored there (photos, tax documents, etc.). |
| Other Digital Accounts | Any other online accounts worth noting — shopping sites, streaming services, forums, or anything with stored payment information that should be canceled. |
Most people have more online accounts than they realize. Think about what would happen if no one could access your email for a few months — bills could go unpaid, subscriptions would keep charging, and important messages could be missed. Even a brief note here saves your heirs hours of detective work.
The Home & Daily Life tab includes an expanded section for your funeral and remembrance preferences. In addition to the existing fields for your general preference (burial, cremation, etc.) and any pre-arrangements you've already made, you can now also include:
| Field | What to Include |
|---|---|
| Contract Number | If you've made arrangements ahead of time, the number printed on the contract or pre-pay paperwork. It's how they look up your arrangement — so your family won't have to search for it. |
| Songs, Readings & Music | Any hymns, songs, poems, scripture passages, or readings you'd like at your service. Your heirs will appreciate not having to guess. |
| Who to Invite (and Who Not To) | People you'd specifically like to be there, and anyone you'd prefer not be invited. Your heirs will follow your wishes. |
| Celebration of Life Wishes | If you'd prefer a celebration of life rather than a traditional service, describe what you'd like — location, tone, activities, food, or anything that feels right to you. |
| Obituary Notes or Draft | Key details for your obituary — organizations you belonged to, accomplishments you're proud of, or even a full draft if you'd like to write your own. This saves your heirs from trying to piece it together during a difficult time. |
Larger commitments that your heirs may need to address: storage units, club memberships, timeshares, gym contracts, frequent flyer programs, and so on. For each one, note what should happen (cancel, transfer, or keep) and any relevant contact information.
If you rent a storage unit, fill in the Gate or Access Code. Your family can usually track down the facility and the unit number from your paperwork, but the gate code exists nowhere except in your head. It matters more than most people expect: when a storage unit goes unpaid and nobody can get in to empty it, the facility can sell the contents. Put the facility name and unit number in "Location or Details," and the gate, keypad, or lock code in its own field.
If you own a business, are a partner in one, or participate in any business venture (including MLM/direct sales, franchise, or consulting), document it here. Include who your business partners are, where key records are kept, and what you'd like to happen to your share or stake. There's also a spot for the business's EIN (Federal Tax ID) — nine digits that look like 12-3456789. You'll find it on the business tax return or on letters from the IRS.
This may be the most personally meaningful section. Leave messages for the people you love.
| Message Type | What It's For |
|---|---|
| General Message | Shown to anyone who accesses Left In Peace. A good place for an overall message of love, wishes, and guidance. |
| Individual Messages | Private messages for specific people. Click "+ Add Personal Message" and enter the person's name and your message to them. |
| Permission Statement | Tell your heirs it's okay to sell, donate, or let go of your belongings without guilt. Many heirs feel paralyzed about this — your words here give them permission. |
The Messages tab includes a People to Notify list — the people who should be contacted when the time comes. For each person, you can enter their name, relationship to you, phone number, and email address.
This list helps your heirs reach out to everyone who should know — friends, distant relatives, colleagues, neighbors, club members, and anyone else who matters to you. Without this list, your heirs may not know who to call, and important people could be left out.
The People to Notify list can be exported as a CSV file (a simple spreadsheet). Your heirs can open this file in Excel or Google Sheets to help organize the calls and messages they need to send. This saves them from copying names and numbers by hand during a difficult time.
Below the notification list, there is a Do Not Contact section. If there are specific people you do not want notified — for any reason — list their names here. Your heirs will respect your wishes. You don't need to explain why; just listing the names is enough.
This section documents who has the security keys and where the USB drive is kept. This is the information your heirs need to find Left In Peace and access it when the time comes.
| Field | What to Put There |
|---|---|
| USB Drive Location | Where is this USB drive kept? (e.g., "Top drawer of my home office desk" or "In the fireproof safe") |
| Who Has the Master Key? | Where it's kept, and who holds it — usually yourself, stored in your wallet or safe. |
| Backup Person (Master Key) | Who holds Copy 2 of the Master Key card. If your copy is ever misplaced, this person has the very same key. |
| Who Has the Keylock Key? | Who you gave the second key to — usually your attorney or another trusted person. |
| Backup Person (Keylock Key) | Who holds Copy 2 of the Keylock Key card — someone different from the Keylock holder, so the spare lives in a second place. |
| Trusted Keys (optional) | Single-use keys for a spouse or child who needs easy access without coordinating with a second person. Read the red warning carefully before creating one. |
Your key cards print two copies of each key. Copy 1 goes to the key holder; Copy 2 goes to that key's backup person. Writing the backup people down here means your heirs always know where the spare copies live — one lost card never locks the family out.
A Trusted Key gives one person complete access to everything on the USB drive — all passwords, bank details, and personal information — without needing a second key holder. Only create a Trusted Key for someone you trust completely with your entire financial life. Most people skip this section entirely.
At the bottom of the Key Holders tab, you'll find several very useful print buttons:
Because this one page holds both keys, anyone holding it can open your Left In Peace — Left In Peace reminds you of this before it prints. That's why it belongs sealed in its envelope and stored somewhere only trusted hands reach, right alongside your will. If you print one, the Heir Information Packet will automatically mention the sealed envelope, so your heirs know to look for it.
Print the Heir Information Packet and give a copy to your attorney, any adult children, or whoever you trust to take charge of your affairs. They don't need to store it securely — it contains no passwords or financial details, just contact information and instructions.
How saving works and when it happens automatically
Left In Peace saves your information to the USB drive. There are several ways saving happens:
The green "Save" button at the bottom of the screen saves everything immediately. Use this whenever you finish a section.
When you click to a different tab, Left In Peace automatically saves your work in the current tab.
If you've made changes, Left In Peace saves automatically every 60 seconds — even if you forget to click Save. A little note next to the Save button always tells you where things stand: "✓ All changes saved" or "Changes not saved yet."
"Done — Close & Lock" saves your work and returns you to the welcome screen, locking the data. If an automatic save is still running, it waits for it to finish first — or asks you to wait a moment and try again.
If you step away for 15 minutes, Left In Peace saves your work first, locks itself, and explains what happened. Nothing is lost — just enter your PIN to pick up where you left off. If the USB drive was unplugged, it still locks after 15 minutes and tells you your latest changes are saved on this computer but not on the drive yet. Plug the drive back in, enter your PIN, and click Save.
Deleting an item always asks first — "Remove this item?" with a clear choice between "Yes, Remove It" and "Keep It." A stray click outside a half-filled add window (or pressing Escape) will not throw your entry away. And if something ever goes wrong, the message stays on the screen until you press OK — nothing flashes by too fast to read. Messages don't pile up, either: the same message shows only once, and never more than three at a time.
The "Show Security Keys" button only reminds you that your two word keys were shown once at setup — to see the words themselves, check your printed key cards.
Under "More options..." you'll find "Download a Backup Copy." It saves one file to your computer (its name starts with leftinpeace-backup and ends with the date). That file holds exactly what your drive holds, and it can be opened only with your PIN or with both family word cards. If the drive is ever lost or damaged, the file can be put onto a new drive — see "What if the USB drive is lost or damaged?" in the questions section.
Because the file holds everything the drive holds, keep it somewhere as safe as the drive itself — a folder only you use, or a memory stick in your safe. Don't email it around or leave it on the desktop of a shared computer.
Updated to version 1.9.6 or later? Download a fresh backup now. Backups made before 1.9.6 can only be partly recovered on their own — a new one works fully, even if the drive is gone.
Also under "More options..." (while you're signed in) is "Restore from a Backup." It replaces the information on your drive with an earlier copy. You can choose a backup file from your computer, or an earlier version the drive kept on its own — the drive quietly sets a copy aside before each program update, and whenever two computers disagreed about which information was newest.
Restoring is safe to try: your current information is kept on the drive first, so a restore can be undone. A few things to know:
Want a spare, or moving to a new USB drive? Everything (the program and your information) lives on the drive, so copying all of it onto another USB drive makes an exact copy. The copy opens with the same PIN and the same family word cards, and nothing needs to be typed in again. "Copy to a New Drive" under "More options..." walks you through it on screen. The steps:
Afterwards, use one drive. Changes made on one drive don't appear on the other. Keep the other as a spare and copy again whenever you want it up to date. Both are protected the same way, so keep the spare somewhere as safe as the original.
If the computer says the new drive can't be written to, the drive needs to be prepared ("formatted") first. Ask a helper, or email team@leftinpeace.com.
Next to the backup button is Print Complete Record. It prints everything you've filled in, section by section, in one document — including passwords and account numbers. Plenty of people like having both: the drive for their family, and a printed copy for themselves.
Two things worth doing if you print it. Keep it somewhere locked, the way you'd keep cash or a passport — on paper there's no PIN protecting it. And print a fresh copy whenever things change, then destroy the old one, so nobody is ever working from a copy that's a few years out of date.
From time to time we make Left In Peace even better. Updating happens entirely inside the app, and it's the only time you need an internet connection:
Every update is safety-checked and signature-verified before it installs, and your saved information is never touched.
If the "Check for Updates" button ever gives you trouble — or you have an older key that doesn't show the button — there's a second way that works on every Left In Peace key ever made:
The page writes the program files onto the key right there in the browser — nothing is installed on your computer, every update is safety-checked and signature-verified the same way, and everything you've saved stays exactly as it is.
If "Update Now" shows "Update From Our Website Instead": your drive is from an early batch (before October 2026) that was missing the one program file that does the updating. That was our packing mistake, and nothing you've saved is affected. One visit to leftinpeace.com/current, as above, puts the file on and brings the drive up to date; from then on the "Check for Updates" button works on its own.
Left In Peace is only ever updated in two ways: the "Check for Updates" button inside the app, or the leftinpeace.com/current page. Neither one downloads or installs a program on your computer. If an email, phone call, or any other website ever tells you to download a "Left In Peace update," it did not come from us. Just close it.
The Master Key and Keylock Key — why there are two and how they work
Left In Peace uses two separate word keys as a backup way for your heirs to access your information. This two-key system is designed so that no single person can unlock everything alone — both key holders need to cooperate. And because each key card prints in two copies (one for the key holder, one for a backup person), a single misplaced card never locks your family out.
When your heirs access the USB drive after something happens to you, they click "I Have the Printed Word Cards" on the welcome screen. Here's what they'll see:
Two people must each enter their word pattern to unlock. Click your 6 words in the correct order.
The person with the Master Key — find and click your 6 words in order:
…and so on, all the way through ZULU
Master Key (Copy 1): Keep it yourself — in your wallet, a fireproof safe, or another secure location. Tell your spouse or primary heir where it is.
Master Key (Copy 2): Give it to a backup person you've named in the Key Holders tab.
Keylock Key (Copy 1): Give it to your attorney, your trustee, or a trusted adult who would not typically be the same person who finds the USB drive. The point is that two different people need to cooperate to unlock Left In Peace.
Keylock Key (Copy 2): Give it to that key's backup person. Each card says whose Left In Peace it belongs to, that it can't open anything by itself, and where a finder can learn what it is (leftinpeace.com/heirs). Need fresh cards? The Reprint Key Cards button in the Key Holders tab prints all four anytime.
Single-key access for urgent situations — when your loved ones can't wait
Normally, Left In Peace requires both key holders to cooperate before anyone can see your information. But what if you're in the hospital and your loved ones need your insurance card number right now? What if they need to pay your mortgage this week and can't reach the second key holder?
Emergency Access is an optional feature that solves this problem. When you turn it on, either key holder can access a limited set of emergency information alone — without needing the second key.
You'll find the Emergency Access settings in the Key Holders section of your dashboard.
This enables the emergency access feature. When this box is checked, either key holder can access emergency information on their own.
Go to the Financial tab (Tab 3) and the Insurance tab (Tab 4). On each bank account, retirement account, and insurance policy, you'll see a checkbox: "Needed in an emergency — show if I am incapacitated but alive." Check this box for any account your loved ones might need access to urgently.
Left In Peace creates separate encrypted emergency files that can be unlocked with just one key. Only the items you've marked will be included.
Emergency access is designed for situations where you are incapacitated but alive — in the hospital, recovering from surgery, or temporarily unable to manage your affairs. It gives your loved ones just enough to keep things running without revealing everything. Your private messages, personal wishes, and full financial picture remain protected until both key holders unlock Left In Peace together.
If you don't check the "Allow single-key emergency access" box, everything works exactly as before — both key holders must cooperate to access any information. Many people choose not to enable this feature, and that's perfectly fine. Only turn it on if you're comfortable with a single key holder seeing your marked emergency items.
By default, single-key emergency access shows only medical, insurance, and bill-paying basics. Your most sensitive items in Access & IDs — passwords, PINs, safe combinations — are not included unless you choose them. Each of those items has a small "Needed in an emergency" checkbox; tick it only for the few things a helper would genuinely need (for example, the phone PIN so they can receive verification codes to pay a bill). Everything you don't tick stays locked until both keys come together.
Two exceptions, both chosen with a hospital visit in mind. Your date of birth and Medicare/Medicaid number are always included, because a hospital asks for exactly these. Your Social Security number, passports, and driver's license are never included. And if you already had single-key emergency access turned on, the phones, safes, alarms, and bank PINs you entered before version 1.9.0 stay included just as they were — untick any you'd rather keep private.
Settling an estate takes months. So that your loved ones don't have to gather both key holders every single time, Left In Peace lets them — after they unlock together with both codes — set up a single Executor Key for the person handling things, make a spare copy of the drive, and save your messages and photos as a keepsake file. You don't need to do anything now; it's there for them when they need it, and any executor key can be turned off. Your family sees a list of these single-code keys, each with a Turn Off button, in their "For the days ahead" box; and if you ever use Make New Family Keys (Key Holders tab), any Executor Key made with the old cards is turned off for you.
How to recover access to your Left In Peace
If you forget your PIN, here is the most important thing to know: your two printed word cards reset it. The Master Key and Keylock Key cards you handed out at setup can reset your PIN on any computer, any time. The recovery image — the geometric picture you saved to your phone — is a handy extra way to prove it's you, but it is not required.
You'll see this link below the PIN field on the Owner Access screen. It offers two paths.
Choose this if you have (or can borrow back) the two printed key cards. Enter both word patterns — Master Key first, then Keylock Key — and choose a new PIN. That's the whole reset, and it works on any computer, with or without the picture.
If you saved the recovery image to your phone, you can instead pick it out of a grid of 9 similar-looking images. Picking the right one opens the same reset screen — where you'll still enter both word patterns to finish. The picture helps prove it's you; the cards do the actual reset.
After a PIN reset with the two word cards, the next time you enter your PIN a yellow notice says: "Your PIN was changed using the two family key cards," with the date. If you did it yourself, click "That Was Me" and carry on. If you didn't, someone has both of your cards — click "It Wasn't Me — Make New Family Keys" so the old cards stop working, then hand out the new ones. The reset is also written in your access history (More options → View Access History).
The PIN screen itself also shows a small note — "This drive's PIN was last changed using the two family key cards on (date)" — before you sign in. So if your PIN ever stops working and you didn't change it, that note tells you why: use "Forgot your PIN?" with your cards, then choose Make New Family Keys.
Likewise, if your family opens the drive with both cards and makes or turns off an Executor Key, a yellow notice tells you the next time you sign in.
If you pick the wrong image four times, the picture path takes a one-hour break to protect your information. Nothing is lost, and you don't have to wait: the word-card path keeps working the whole time, and so does any other computer.
If someone found the drive with the recovery image saved on it, the picture would help them start a reset. Keep it on your phone's photo library or printed with your important papers — not on the drive. And remember the real safety net is people: the two card holders you chose each hold half of the reset.
The Heir Information Packet and Update Notification
In the Key Holders tab, you'll find print options that help your heirs be prepared. The Heir Information Packet and Update Notification described below contain no passwords or sensitive financial information — just the practical details needed to find and use Left In Peace. (The same tab also holds the Reprint Key Cards button and the optional "Open With My Will" card — those DO contain your keys, so treat them with the care described in Section 6.)
This is a document you print and give to your heirs, attorney, and anyone who might need to access Left In Peace someday. It typically includes:
Give the Heir Information Packet to: your spouse or partner, your adult children, your attorney, and anyone who would be in charge of your affairs. Store a copy with your will. Since it contains no passwords, you can share it freely.
Every time you make significant updates to Left In Peace, print one of these letters and send it to your heirs. It's a brief note saying "I've updated my Left In Peace — the information inside is now current as of [date]." This reassures your heirs that the information is up to date.
Common questions and answers
Yes. Your information is scrambled with strong, modern encryption before it's saved to the USB drive — the files on it are not readable pages. The lock opens with your PIN (or, for your family, the two word cards), so the two habits that matter are picking a PIN nobody would guess and keeping the drive in a consistent, safe place. Someone who finds the drive holds a locked drive, not open pages.
No. Left In Peace is completely offline. It never connects to the internet. There are no servers, no cloud storage, and no company that could be hacked. Your information only exists on the USB drive and any backup copies you create yourself. It literally cannot be accessed remotely because it has no internet connection.
Yes. Copy everything on your Left In Peace drive onto any other USB drive, and the copy works exactly like the original: same PIN, same family word cards, nothing to type in again. Choose "Copy to a New Drive" under "More options..." for step-by-step help, or see "Copy to a New Drive" in the "Saving Your Work" section. Afterwards, use one drive and keep the other as a spare; changes on one don't show up on the other.
If you made a spare copy (see the question above), simply use the spare. Otherwise, this is why a backup copy matters. Use "Download a Backup Copy" under "More options..." at the bottom of the dashboard, and keep the file somewhere as safe as the drive itself. Whoever finds a lost drive still needs your PIN or both family word cards to read it.
To replace a lost or damaged drive: plug in a new, empty Left In Peace drive and open it. On its first screen, click "Replacing a lost or damaged drive? Put a backup file onto this drive" (the same link is on the setup screen, under "Create My Left In Peace"). Choose your backup file. The new drive becomes a copy of the old one — same PIN, same family key cards. You or your family can do this; no PIN is needed to copy the file on, but signing in afterwards needs your PIN or both word cards. The link only works on an empty drive, so it can never write over information that's already there.
Backups made before version 1.9.6 can only be partly recovered. They also need a code that was kept on the original drive, so they can be put onto a new drive only on a computer that has opened the original drive before, and only with your PIN. (After you sign in once, the family word cards work again too.) That's why, after updating to 1.9.6, you should download a fresh backup. Stuck? Email team@leftinpeace.com and we'll walk you through it.
Nothing. Left In Peace is completely self-contained on your USB drive. It doesn't need a company's servers to work. It will continue functioning exactly the same way in 20 or 30 years as it does today. You already have everything you need — there's nothing to download or renew. When an improvement is available, the app updates itself with one click — see "Checking for Updates" in Section 7.
No. Left In Peace works entirely offline. You don't need WiFi, a cellular connection, or any internet access at all. This is by design — it keeps your information private and makes the program work on any computer anywhere.
Use Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or Brave. These are the only browsers that can read and save files directly on a USB drive. Safari and Firefox will not work — they cannot open or save your Left In Peace information. On Windows, Edge is already installed (the blue wave/swirl icon). On Mac, if you don't have Chrome or Edge, double-clicking the Left In Peace app will offer to help you install Chrome for free in about a minute.
Yes — just use one drive at a time. If you plug in a different drive from the one used last on that computer, Left In Peace will say so, reopen itself on the new drive, and ask for that person's PIN. Each of you keeps your own information on your own drive. If one of you made changes while your drive was unplugged, those changes are kept safely on the computer and come back the next time your drive is plugged in.
A few habits make sharing easy:
Most phones and tablets don't have USB ports that accept full-size USB drives, so they would need an adapter. It's best used on a laptop or desktop computer. Some newer iPads and Android tablets accept USB drives with the right adapter.
Try to review and update it once a year — for example, every January or after any major life event (buying a home, new bank account, change of attorney, etc.). Print a new Update Notification letter for your heirs each time you make changes.
The annual review now starts with a key-holder check: can you still reach both key holders and their backup people? Ask each one, "Do you still have your Left In Peace card?" If anyone has moved on, misplaced a card, or is harder to reach than they used to be, the review offers a one-click jump to the Key Holders tab so you can reprint the cards and hand them out fresh.
Click "Check for Updates" at the bottom of the screen (this is the only time you need an internet connection). A window shows what's new — click "Update Now," wait for the progress bar, then "Restart Left In Peace." If that button ever gives you trouble, plug in the key and go to leftinpeace.com/current in Chrome or Edge instead — it updates any key right in the browser. Either way, your saved information is never touched, and every update is safety-checked before it installs. Remember: those are the only two ways Left In Peace is ever updated — never a download. See "Checking for Updates" in Section 7.
Yes. Your information lives on the USB drive, so you can plug it into any computer that has Chrome, Edge, or Brave. When you sign in, Left In Peace compares the copy on the USB drive with the copy on that computer and always keeps whichever is most recent — and it will warn you if Left In Peace looks like it's open in another window.
Use the "Forgot your PIN? Use recovery" link on the login screen — it works even when you remember your current PIN. Choose "I have my two word cards," enter both word patterns from your printed key cards, and choose your new PIN. There is no separate PIN-change setting; recovery is the way to do it.
Direct them to plug the USB drive into a computer, open the Double_Click_This_To_Start_Left_In_Peace.html file in a browser, and click "I Have the Printed Word Cards" (if they have both key holders — or their backup card holders — available), "I Have One Long Typed Code" (if you created a trusted key for them), or "Emergency — I Only Have One Card" (shown only if you turned on Emergency Access — it lets one key holder see just the medical, insurance, and bill-paying basics). Section 8 of this guide explains the word pattern process in detail.
Consider printing this user guide and storing it with your Heir Information Packet, or keeping it near your USB drive. Even though the heir access process is designed to be simple, having printed instructions nearby is always reassuring.