Messages Guide
Leave words for the people who matter. Protected until the right moment.
What are private messages?
Messages are words you leave for the people who matter:
- Write text, record voice or video, or attach files
- Address each message to specific Recipients
- Messages remain sealed until a passing is confirmed and verified
- Only your named Recipients can access them. Delegates never see your messages.
Your messages are yours. They stay private until exactly the right moment.
How messages stay protected
Security at every step:
- Protected in storage and during transfer
- Access requires identity verification
- Recipients must complete required checks before viewing
- Messages are removed from the platform 12 months after release
We use industry-standard security measures to help protect your words.
Choosing Recipients
You decide who receives your messages:
- Name one or more Recipients per message
- Recipients can be anyone. They do not need a Y.O.D.O. account
- The same person can be both a Delegate and a Recipient (separate roles)
- Recipients are never told in advance whether a message exists for them
Recipient access is a separate process that only begins after passing verification. Recipients Guide
How messages reach Recipients
Messages are never sent by email. Every Recipient accesses their message through a secure link. You choose the verification level for each message:
- Simple verification: the Recipient confirms their identity using the phone number or email address you provided
- Enhanced verification: the Recipient completes a full identity check through our verification partner, Persona
- You choose the verification level per message, so different Recipients can have different levels of security
- Both options are available on all plans
The verification level is entirely your choice. Enhanced verification offers greater assurance that only the intended Recipient can access the message. Recipients Guide
Message formats
Express yourself in the way that feels right:
- Text messages: write letters, notes, or instructions
- Voice recordings: share your voice
- Video messages: leave something visual and personal
- File attachments: include documents, photos, or other files
Storage limits vary by plan: 500MB (Standard), 2GB (Premium), 5GB (Supreme).
Common questions
Continue learning
Explore related guides to understand the full picture.
Watch the film
When are sealed messages released?
After a verified passing, and after the Buffer you set. Not before, and not to anyone else.
0:19 long
The film is on YouTube. Nothing is requested from YouTube until you press play.
From the Journal
Longer reading on this part of Y.O.D.O.
- Creating Your First Message in Y.O.D.O.A step-by-step guide to writing, recording, or uploading your first message. Covers format options, choosing Recipients, and what to say when you are not sure where to start.Read the article
- How Message Delivery Works in Y.O.D.O.Messages are sealed until a passing is verified by Delegates and supported by documentation. This guide explains the delivery process, what triggers it, and how privacy is maintained.Read the article
- Why Messages Are Sealed Until They Are NeededMessages in Y.O.D.O. are not delivered automatically. They remain sealed until a passing has been verified. This article explains why timing is central to how the service works.Read the article
- The Things We Mean to Say But Do NotMost regrets are not about what we did, but what we left unsaid. Y.O.D.O. gives people a way to store those words privately and have them delivered only when the time is right.Read the article