After a concussion and a documentary about memory loss, developer eljojo built ReMemory: a cryptographic dead man’s switch using Shamir’s Secret Sharing. You encrypt files, split the key into five shares, and distribute them to trusted people. Any three can recover the key; two reveal mathematically zero information. Each share is a self-contained HTML file that works offline in any browser, built to function even decades later with no servers, installs, or internet required.
How Shamir’s Secret Sharing Works
ReMemory splits your encryption key using a mathematical threshold scheme. The system generates five cryptographic shares where any three combine to reconstruct the original key. A single share reveals nothing about the key — not partial data, not hints, mathematically zero information. This property holds regardless of computing power, now or in the future. The algorithm guarantees that one or two shares are as useless as having no shares at all.
You configure the threshold during setup. A 2-of-3 scheme works for a small trusted circle. A 3-of-5 scheme suits a wider group where at least three must cooperate. A 2-of-2 scheme works for couples who want mutual access. Each person receives a bundle containing recover.html — a standalone browser-based recovery tool. No servers, no dependencies, and this project does not need to exist when recovery happens. The HTML file embeds everything required to reconstruct and decrypt your data.
[!NOTE]
ReMemory is for individuals who want secure, long-term data recovery planning. It solves single-point-of-failure by distributing encrypted access across trusted people without relying on any server infrastructure.
Offline Recovery Design
ReMemory is built for a future where this GitHub repository may not exist. Every recovery share is a complete, self-contained HTML file. Open it in any browser from any era, and the recovery interface works immediately. The cryptographic operations run client-side in JavaScript. No CDN dependencies, no external libraries, no API calls. This design ensures your trusted contacts can recover your data even decades from now, regardless of what services or platforms still exist.
The project includes an encrypt.html file that handles file encryption and key splitting on your machine. All processing stays local. The generated shares are lightweight HTML files that can be stored on a USB drive, emailed, printed as QR codes, or handed over in person.
Community Reactions
The project resonated with developers who recognize the gap ReMemory fills:
“That’s the toughest system requirements I saw in software. Having 5 friends? Who do you think I am, Kevin fucking Bacon or something.” — @brawling.bird
“I absolutely love when people build things like this, something people needed, but no one provided a solution to.” — @techbaes
“A lot of Shamir secret sharing projects have had poor UI, but they were never difficult to use or navigate around with even for non-technical people. This one does look a lot nicer though.” — @sulliandrew
- Project link: https://github.com/eljojo/rememory
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