How it works — LifeArc Receiver

Section 1

What is a `.arc` file?

Before you start, it's good to know what you received and why it works the way it does.

📄

deti.arc

encrypted container

A .arc file is an encrypted container created by the LifeArc app. Inside are time capsules — messages, photos or notes that unlock at a precisely set time.

Without the correct password the file is unreadable. Nobody — not even the person who sent it — can read the content without the password.

🔐 Encrypted with AES-256-GCM

📴 Works completely offline

⏳ Can contain multiple capsules

💾 Portable — email, USB drive, Bluetooth

File structure

Master layer (file password)

Capsule 1 (own password)

Capsule 2 (own password)

Capsule 3 (unlocked ✓)

Each capsule in the file is encrypted with its own password. Even after opening the file, the content of each capsule remains locked until the right time comes.

Section 3 — Guide

Opening the file step by step

The whole process takes less than two minutes. Then you just wait.

Step 1 of 5

Open the .arc file

If you received the file by email, tap the attachment and choose "Open in LifeArc Receiver". The system passes the file to the app automatically.

💡 If you can't open the file directly, save it to your phone first and then open it in the app via the "Open .arc file" button.

Supported transfer methods: Email · AirDrop · Bluetooth · USB flash drive · SD card

Step 2 of 5

Enter Master Password

The app will prompt you to enter the password. This password was given to you by the sender along with the file. Without the correct password the file won't open.

LifeArc Rcv · Master Password

deti.arc

Container password... 👁

Open container

⚠️ Don't confuse Master Password with the password for a specific capsule. They are two different passwords. Master Password only opens the list of capsules.

Step 3 of 5

Browse the capsules

After entering the password successfully you'll see a list of capsules — their names and unlock dates. The content is still locked. You see the countdown for each capsule.

Note: Capsules may be locked for days, months, or even years. The app remembers everything — you don't need to keep it running.

Step 4 of 5

Enable notifications

The app will ask for permission to send notifications. We recommend enabling them. Without notifications you'd have to remember yourself when a capsule unlocks. With notifications the app will alert you — even years in advance, even after a phone restart.

🔔 Notifications are scheduled locally on your phone. They are not sent over the internet. They work offline.

Step 5 of 5 — Done

Wait

You're done. Close the app and live your life. On the unlock day the app will notify you. Then it's time for the Capsule Password — the password for the specific capsule.

✅ Keep the .arc file backed up — email, cloud, a second phone. If you lose your phone, you can import the file again.

Section 4

Double password — how it works

Every .arc file has two layers of protection. It's by design, not a complication.

🗝️

Master Password

Password for the whole file

Unlocks the list of capsules — you'll see their names and unlock dates. Does not open the content of the capsules themselves.

When do you get it? Right from the sender, together with the file. Without it you can't even open the file at all.

🔐

Capsule Password

Password for a specific capsule

Each capsule in the file can have a different password. Unlocks the content — text, photos, message.

When do you get it? The sender can give it to you right away, or only on the unlock day — via a third person, a letter, a phone call. Depends on the intention.

Unlock diagram

deti.arc

Master Password

→

Capsule list (names only)

↓ each capsule separately

Capsule Password

unlock date ✓

→

Capsule content 🔓

Section 5

Notifications and the unlock day

The app works for you. You don't need to remember anything or watch the calendar.

Right after importing the file, the app schedules notifications for each capsule. On the unlock day you'll get an alert — even if it's 10 years from now.

📱

Local notifications — scheduled directly on your phone, they don't go through the internet.

🔄

Survive a restart — after a phone restart notifications are automatically rescheduled.

⏳

Years in advance — capsule set for 2034? No problem.

🔕

No internet needed — notifications work without a connection. Internet is only needed to verify the exact time at the actual moment of unlocking.

🔒 LifeArc Receiver

Capsule is unlocked!

"Letter for 18th birthday" — a message is waiting for you. Enter the password and read it.

today 00:01

🔓

The time has come!

You received the notification. What happens next? Three simple steps.

Open the app Tap the notification or open LifeArc Receiver manually.

Enter Capsule Password The password for the specific capsule. The app verifies the time via 4 servers.

Read the message Content is decrypted locally. No cloud. Just you and the message.

Frequently asked questions

Still have questions?

Is the app really free? No catch? ⌄

Yes. LifeArc Receiver is completely free — no ads, no in-app purchases, no subscription, no registration. Recipients of capsules shouldn't have to pay for the fact that someone thought of their future.

I have two passwords. I don't know which is which. ⌄

Master Password is the password for the .arc file — you received it at the same time as the file. Without it you can't even open the list of capsules.

Capsule Password is the password for the content of a specific capsule. The sender can give it to you right away, or pass it on later — via a third person, a letter, or perhaps by phone on the unlock day.

What if I don't have internet on the unlock day? ⌄

It depends on the sender's setting. Each capsule has a so-called offline tolerance — an acceptable time without a verified internet clock: 6 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours, or never. If your offline time falls within the tolerance, the capsule will unlock. Otherwise, wait for a connection.

How do I receive the .arc file? ⌄

The sender will send or hand it to you physically. Options: email (as an attachment), AirDrop (iPhone → iPhone, Mac), Bluetooth, USB flash drive, SD card, or any other file transfer method. The app can open the file from any source.

What if I lose my phone? ⌄

Import the .arc file again into a new app instance and enter the password. That's why we recommend keeping the file stored in multiple places — email, cloud, a second phone. The file itself is unreadable without the password, so it's safe to have multiple copies.

Where is my data stored? ⌄

Exclusively on your phone. The app sends nothing anywhere. No server, no cloud, no registration. Internet is used only to verify the exact time at the moment of unlocking a capsule — and that's done via standard public time servers (worldtimeapi.org, Cloudflare, Google, timeapi.io).

Can I create capsules myself in LifeArc Receiver? ⌄

No. LifeArc Receiver is for recipients only. Capsules are created by the LifeArc app — the full-featured app with vaults, calendar, notes and capsule management. If you want to send capsules, install LifeArc.

Someone sent you
a .arc file?

What is a `.arc` file?

Install LifeArc Receiver

Opening the file step by step

Double password — how it works

Notifications and the unlock day

Still have questions?

Download Apps

Someone sent youa .arc file?

What is a .arc file?

Install LifeArc Receiver

Opening the file step by step

Double password — how it works

Notifications and the unlock day

Still have questions?

Download Apps

Someone sent you
a .arc file?

What is a `.arc` file?