HOW IT WORKSUpdated 2 October 20267 minute read

What happens when you save something forever

Most apps promise to keep your things safe while they are around. Saving forever is a different promise, and it works in a way most people have never seen. Here is the whole mechanism, in plain words.

The short version

Most things you keep live in Giant Mind. A few you save forever.

1Saving forever makes three things. A permanent address. An encrypted copy stored at that address. And a key. We manage the key so your saves open in Giant Mind.
2Your next step is the recovery kit. Download it after your current Giant password and a passkey on giantmind.ai. The kit holds the addresses and keys so you don't rely on Giant Mind to access your memories. We still manage the key so your saves open here.
3We manage the key. Forget forever destroys the key. The encrypted copy stays at the address.

How it works

Saving forever is one button, but it produces three separate things. Knowing which is which makes everything else on this page easier to follow.

What does saving forever actually do?

It makes three separate things. The first is a permanent address. Think of it as a bookmark tagged with when the memory was saved and what kind of thing it is. The second is the memory itself, an encrypted copy stored at that address. The third is the key. We manage the key so your saves open in Giant Mind. The address says something is there. The encrypted copy is the thing itself. Your library keeps working as normal alongside both.

Where is the permanent copy stored?

As an encrypted copy at a permanent address. We manage the key. The copy stays at that address after you save it.

Who can read it?

You, the people you authorize, and Giant Mind. We manage the key so we can show you the memory while you are logged in. Then use the recovery kit so you don't rely on Giant Mind to access your memories. The address names the encrypted copy.

What does the address look like?

A short line shown on the memory itself. It names the encrypted copy. Going there gets you the sealed copy. We manage the key that reads it in Giant Mind. The recovery kit holds a copy of that key for you.

What happens if I edit a memory I saved forever?

Nothing changes about the copy already written. Saving again makes a fresh encrypted copy at its own address, and the earlier one stays exactly as it was. Every save keeps the version before it.

Is everything I keep saved forever?

No, and it should not be. Most of what you keep lives in your library, which is searchable, editable, and deletable like any normal app. Saving forever is a deliberate act for the small number of things you would be upset to lose.

What it costs, and why it is limited

Forever saves are counted rather than unlimited. The reason is mechanical, not commercial.

Why does it cost a save?

Writing an encrypted copy at a permanent address is paid once at the moment of writing, and that payment covers the file for good. Giant Mind buys those writes in advance, so each plan comes with a number of forever saves rather than an unlimited allowance.

What happens when I run out?

Nothing you already saved is affected. You keep using Giant Mind normally, and the Save forever button says you have none left rather than failing quietly.

Is there a subscription on the permanent copy?

No. Writing the encrypted copy is paid once. The copy stays at the address. We manage the key.

Getting it back

The recovery kit is the next step after Save forever. We manage the key so your saves open here. The kit is how you keep access without relying on Giant Mind.

What is the recovery kit?

A file with the address for every memory you have saved forever, the keys that read those copies, and instructions. Your next step after Save forever is to download it after your current Giant password and a passkey on giantmind.ai. The kit is how you keep access without relying on Giant Mind. We still manage the key so your saves open here. This file still works if you Forget forever.

How do I read a memory if I leave Giant Mind?

Use the recovery kit. If you already downloaded it, that file still works without us. We still manage the key and can still read until you Forget forever. If you never downloaded a kit, we still manage the key and you do not have personal access outside Giant Mind.

What if I lose the recovery kit?

Download it again while you can still sign in. We still manage the key. Forget forever destroys the key we manage. A kit you already downloaded still works.

Can I give someone else access?

Yes. Share a memory in Giant Mind, memory by memory. You set who can see it. We manage the key. There is no way to unsee what has already been read, so treat it like handing over a printed copy.

Ending it

Permanence cuts both ways. You cannot unpublish a permanent copy, but you can make it unreadable, and Giant Mind is explicit about the difference.

Can I delete a permanent copy?

No, and neither can we. That is what permanent means. What you can destroy is the key. Forget forever destroys the key. The encrypted copy stays at its address exactly as it was.

What is the difference between Forget and Forget forever?

Forget removes the memory from Giant Mind. The encrypted copy at the address is untouched, and we still manage the key. Forget forever also destroys the key, so the copy stays but cannot be read.

Is Forget forever reversible?

No. It is the one action in Giant Mind with no path back, which is why it asks you to confirm in writing and names what survives before what does not.

Why nobody else offers this

Most note products keep the copy inside the company that reads it back to you. Save forever writes an encrypted copy to a permanent address. We manage the key. Then use the recovery kit so you don't rely on Giant Mind to access your memories. Forget forever destroys the key. The copy stays.

Building it the other way means giving up control of the copy. Once a memory is written, Giant Mind cannot edit that copy. Forget forever destroys the key. That is the point, and it is also why it is rare.

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