Adding Survivors

Survivors are the people who will receive access to your will after you're gone. This guide covers adding survivors, setting thresholds, and managing backup codes.

Overview

When adding survivors, you need to decide:

• Who should receive your will
• How to contact them
• How many should be required to access it

Adding a Survivor

Step 1: Navigate to Survivors

1. Log into the Host Dashboard
2. Go to Survivors → Add Survivor

Step 2: Enter Survivor Details

Fill in the survivor's information:

Field	Required	Description
Name	Yes	Full name as you want it displayed
Relationship	Yes	e.g., spouse, child, sibling, friend
Contact Methods	Yes	At least one (email, phone, WhatsApp, Telegram)

Step 3: Configure Contact Methods

Add at least one contact method:

Email

Type: Email
Value: survivor@example.com

Phone (SMS)

Type: Phone
Value: +1234567890 (E.164 format)

WhatsApp

Type: WhatsApp
Value: +1234567890

Telegram

Type: Telegram
Value: @username (or phone number)

Note: Phone numbers must be in E.164 format (+[country code][number]).

Step 4: Set Connector Priority

Choose the order to try when sending OTPs:

["email", "sms", "whatsapp", "telegram"]

The system will try the first connector; if delivery fails, it falls back to the next.

Step 5: Personal Message (Optional)

Write a personal message that this survivor will see when they access your will:

"Dear [Name], if you're reading this, I'm gone. I wanted to make sure you had access to these important documents..."

This message provides context and personal farewell.

Step 6: Save Survivor

Click "Add Survivor" to save.

Important: The backup codes are displayed NOW. Write them down or print them. They cannot be retrieved later!

Setting the Threshold

The threshold (K-of-N) determines how many survivors must authenticate to access the will.

How It Works

Threshold	Meaning
2-of-2	Both survivors must authenticate
2-of-3	Any 2 of 3 survivors can access
3-of-5	Any 3 of 5 survivors can access
5-of-5	All survivors must authenticate

Setting the Threshold

1. Go to Survivors → Settings
2. Adjust the Minimum to Access slider
3. Click "Save Threshold"

Rules

• Threshold must be ≥ 2
• Threshold must be ≤ number of survivors
• If reducing threshold would make it < 2, not allowed
• If removing a survivor would drop below threshold, you must lower threshold first

Recommendations

Number of Survivors	Recommended Threshold	Rationale
2	2	Maximum security
3	2	One backup if one unavailable
4	2	Easy to achieve
5+	3	Balance of security and practicality

Managing Backup Codes

What Are Backup Codes?

Backup codes are an alternative authentication method if survivors can't receive OTPs.

• 5 codes per survivor
• Single-use — Each code works once
• 8 characters — Format: A3F7-K9M2

Viewing Codes

Backup codes are shown only once when a survivor is added.

If you need to see codes again, you must regenerate them (invalidates old codes).

Regenerating Codes

To regenerate a survivor's backup codes:

1. Go to Survivors → [Survivor Name]
2. Click "Regenerate Backup Codes"
3. Confirm the action
4. New codes are displayed
5. Old codes no longer work

⚠️ Warning: Regenerating codes invalidates all previous codes. Give new codes to the survivor.

Distributing Codes

Best practices for distributing backup codes:

1. Print the codes
2. Seal in envelopes
3. Give to survivors in person
4. Keep a master copy securely (in a safe or with attorney)

Editing Survivors

Update Contact Information

1. Go to Survivors → [Survivor Name]
2. Click "Edit"
3. Update fields as needed
4. Click "Save Changes"

Note: If the will is active, updating contact methods triggers SSS share re-encryption.

Update Personal Message

1. Go to Survivors → [Survivor Name]
2. Edit the personal message
3. Click "Save"

Reorder Survivors

Drag and drop survivors to reorder their display order in the survivor list.

Removing Survivors

To remove a survivor:

1. Go to Survivors → [Survivor Name]
2. Click "Remove Survivor"
3. Confirm the action

Constraints:

• Cannot remove if it would drop below threshold
• Cannot remove the last survivor (minimum 2 required)

If you need to remove, first either:

• Add more survivors, or
• Lower the threshold

Viewing Survivor Status

The Survivors page shows:

Column	Description
Name	Survivor's display name
Relationship	e.g., spouse, child
Contact	Primary contact method (masked)
Status	Whether authenticated in current transfer
Backup Codes	Remaining (out of 5)
Added	Date added

Survivor Authentication View

During an active transfer, you can see which survivors have authenticated:

1. Go to Will → Transfer Status
2. View:
   • Which survivors have authenticated
   • How many more are needed
   • Time remaining in transfer window

This is view-only — you cannot intervene in the transfer.

Best Practices

Choosing Survivors

Consider:

• Trust — Who do you trust with your digital legacy?
• Availability — Will they be reachable when needed?
• Technical ability — Can they handle OTP verification?

Recommended Setup

For most people:

• 2-3 survivors (enough for threshold)
• 2-of-X threshold (easy to achieve)
• Multiple contact methods per survivor
• Diverse connectors (email + phone + messaging)

Communication

• Tell your survivors you're using BAP
• Explain what will happen
• Give them backup codes in person
• Let them know how to reach you

Troubleshooting

"Threshold cannot exceed survivor count"

Reduce the threshold or add more survivors.

"Cannot remove — would drop below threshold"

Either add a survivor first, or lower the threshold.

"All backup codes used"

The survivor cannot authenticate unless they can receive OTPs. They should:

1. Try all their contact methods
2. Contact you (if alive) for new codes
3. Wait for transfer to fail (not ideal)

Survivor not receiving OTP

Check:

1. Email spam folder
2. Phone number format (E.164 required)
3. WhatsApp/Telegram account exists

Next Steps

• Configuring Connectors — Setting up notification channels
• Connecting Storage — Storage backend setup
• Liveness Settings — Configuring check intervals
• OTP Verification — What survivors will experience