Time-locked letters
Send a Letter That Opens on a Specific Date
Write it today and lock it until the day and time you choose. Send the link now: they see a sealed envelope and a countdown, and the letter only opens when the moment comes. Free, no account, on any phone.
Write a Time-Locked LetterFree · No account · Opens on your date
How a Time-Locked Letter Works
A few minutes today, opened on the day that matters.
- 1
Write the letter
Open the composer and write it now, while you know what you want to say. Pick an envelope and a wax seal, add a sticker if you like, and sign it. No account.
- 2
Choose the date and time
The Time Lock is already on. Pick the exact day and minute it opens: 7am on Christmas morning, midnight on their birthday, the hour their flight lands. Before then the letter cannot be opened, by them or by anyone they forward it to.
- 3
Send the link today
You get one private link. Send it by text, WhatsApp or email, or print it as a QR code inside a card. Until the moment comes they see a sealed envelope and a countdown. Then they hold the seal until it breaks and read it.
Dates People Choose
The letter is written now. The day decides when it is read.
Christmas morning
Something to open before the presents, from someone who cannot be there.
Midnight on their birthday
The first thing they read on the day, even across time zones.
Your anniversary
Written months ahead, when the feeling is fresh, opened on the day.
The day they land
For a deployment, a semester abroad, or the end of a long-distance stretch.
Their first day
A new job, a new school, a first week of college.
One year from today
A time capsule for someone else: what this year was like, and what you hope for theirs.
Questions, Answered
Can I send a letter that only opens on a certain date?
Yes. On OpenWhen you write the letter, turn on the Time Lock and pick a date and time. You can send the link straight away; the recipient sees a sealed envelope and a countdown, and the letter only opens at the moment you chose. It is free and neither of you needs an account.
Is it free?
Yes. Writing a letter, locking it to a date and sending it is free, with no charge per letter and room for up to 50,000 characters. Optional extras like photos, a voice note or a song inside the letter are a single one-time purchase. There are no subscriptions.
Can they open it early?
No. Until the date and time you set, the link shows only the sealed envelope and a countdown, and the letter text is not sent to their phone at all. Forwarding the link does not help either. You can add a question only they can answer for extra privacy.
What about time zones?
You pick the moment in your own time, and it opens at that same instant everywhere. If they are in another time zone, set it for their morning: for someone eight hours ahead, 11pm your time on Christmas Eve is 7am on Christmas morning for them.
Will they know when it opens?
If you add their email when you seal it, we email them the link right away, and a short note when it opens if they have not read it yet. Otherwise, send the link yourself; the countdown on the page tells them when to come back.
How far ahead can I schedule it, and can I change the date?
Any time from a few minutes to many years ahead. You also get a private manage link when you seal the letter; use it to move the date or turn the letter off.