Expiry Reminders

Passports expire. Driver's licences expire. Insurance policies expire. Missing an expiry date means last-minute scrambles, rejected travel plans, and invalidated insurance. UnderKey's expiry reminders give you weeks or months of notice before documents lapse, so you can renew them calmly and on time.

How it works

1. When you store a document, add an expiry date. You can type it manually, or let UnderKey's on-device OCR suggest it automatically from the scan.
2. UnderKey calculates a reminder date based on how much notice you want (30, 60, or 90 days before expiry, or a custom interval).
3. A local notification is scheduled on your device for that date.
4. When the reminder date arrives, you get a notification saying a document is expiring soon.
5. The notification is generic: it says "A document is expiring soon" rather than "Your passport is expiring soon." This prevents the lock screen from revealing what's about to expire to anyone who sees your phone.

All reminders are created and managed entirely on your device. No server is involved, and no reminder data is uploaded.

Why local reminders matter

Most reminder apps sync to the cloud and rely on a server to send notifications. That's convenient, but it means:

• The server knows what you're reminding yourself about. If you set a reminder for "Passport expires 05/03/2030," that information lives on someone else's server.
• Your reminders are searchable by anyone who hacks your account. If your reminder app syncs to your email or cloud account, anyone with your credentials can see your reminders.
• If the service shuts down or loses your data, your reminders are gone.

UnderKey's reminders are stored locally and scheduled using your device's native notification system. They never leave your phone, and they survive even if you're offline or if UnderKey's servers are down (because UnderKey doesn't have servers).

What you should track

At minimum, set reminders for:

• Passports (yours and your family's). Many countries require passports to be valid for 6 months beyond your travel dates, so set a reminder 6–9 months before expiry.
• National ID cards and driver's licences (60–90 days before expiry is usually enough).
• Insurance policies (car, home, health). Set reminders 30–60 days before renewal so you have time to compare quotes.
• Vehicle documents (registration, MOT/TÜV certificates). Missing these can result in fines or your vehicle being impounded.
• Visas and residence permits (90–120 days before expiry, since many countries require you to apply for renewal before the current visa expires).

For a complete guide, see how to track document expiry dates.

How much notice do you need?

It depends on the document:

• Passports: 6–9 months if you travel frequently (because of the six-month validity rule). Most passport agencies recommend renewing 9 months before expiry.
• Driver's licences and ID cards: 60–90 days.
• Insurance: 30 days, which gives you time to shop around for better rates.
• Visas: 90–120 days, depending on processing times in your country.

When in doubt, set the reminder earlier. You can always ignore it if you're not ready to renew, but missing the deadline is much harder to fix.

Updating reminders after renewal

When you renew a document:

1. Open the document in UnderKey and update the expiry date to match the new document.
2. UnderKey automatically recalculates the reminder based on the new expiry date.

The old reminder is cancelled and a new one is scheduled. You don't have to manually delete or recreate it.

What if you miss a reminder?

If you dismiss a reminder or miss it entirely, the document still shows its expiry date in UnderKey. You can check the vault at any time to see which documents are expiring soon.

Privacy: why reminders are generic

UnderKey's reminders deliberately do not reveal what document is expiring. Instead of a notification saying "Passport expires in 60 days," you get "A document is expiring soon."

This prevents your lock screen from leaking sensitive information. If your phone is lying on a desk and someone sees the notification, they don't learn that your passport, ID, or visa is about to expire.

Limits

• Reminders require notification permissions. If you deny UnderKey permission to send notifications, reminders won't work. You can still store expiry dates and check them manually.
• iOS notification limits may delay reminders. iOS restricts how many notifications apps can schedule in advance. If you have many reminders set far in the future, some may not fire until closer to the date.
• Reminders are lost if you uninstall the app. Because they're stored locally, uninstalling UnderKey deletes all scheduled reminders. Your documents and expiry dates remain encrypted in your vault, but you'll need to re-open them and re-enable reminders if you reinstall the app.

Related features

• On-device OCR & expiry detection — how expiry dates are suggested automatically

Related guides

• How to track document expiry dates (and never miss one)
• Should you keep a digital copy of your passport?