How to Prepare Before an Internet Shutdown — What to Do Before You Lose Connectivity

It Happens More Often Than You Think

Most people assume internet shutdowns only happen in faraway countries. The reality is quite different. In recent years, over 300 internet shutdowns have been documented across 54 countries. Severe hurricanes have knocked out connectivity for weeks across the US Gulf Coast. Infrastructure failures have taken down major platforms for hours. Governments have restricted access during elections and political unrest.

If you're reading this on your phone right now, imagine that screen going blank tomorrow — no iMessage, no Messenger, no Google, no banking apps. Would you know what to do?

Why Internet Shutdowns Matter More Than You Realize

We've built our entire lives around constant connectivity. When it disappears, the consequences are immediate:

• Your cloud files vanish — Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox — all unreachable
• Two-factor authentication breaks — Can't receive SMS codes? Can't log into your accounts
• Communication collapses — No iMessage, no Messenger, no email
• Navigation goes dark — Without offline maps, you're guessing
• Banking and payments stop — No Venmo, no Apple Pay, no online banking
• Ride services disappear — No Uber, no Lyft, nothing

Before It Happens — Your Preparation Checklist

1. Download Offline Maps

Google Maps and Apple Maps both allow you to download areas for offline use. Save your home region, your workplace area, and the routes to wherever your family might be. Do it now — it takes five minutes.

2. Write Down Critical Contacts on Paper

When was the last time you memorized a phone number? Write down numbers for family members, your doctor, your employer, local emergency services, and your insurance company. Keep this list in your wallet.

3. Save Essential Documents Locally

Download copies of your ID, insurance cards, medical records, prescriptions, and emergency contact lists to your phone's local storage or a USB drive. Cloud-only means inaccessible-when-it-counts.

4. Install Offline Communication Apps

Apps like Briar and Bridgefy use Bluetooth and WiFi Direct to send messages without any internet connection. Install them now and get your close contacts to do the same. You won't have time to figure this out during an emergency.

5. Share Critical Information With Family NOW

This is the most important step. While you still have connectivity, share your emergency plan, meeting points, important account information, and critical documents with the people who matter.

6. Download a VPN

In cases of partial shutdowns — where specific sites or services are blocked — a VPN can help you get through. Install and configure one before you need it.

How to Share Sensitive Information Securely

Here's the dilemma: you need to share passwords, emergency plans, and financial information with family, but sending it in plain text over iMessage or Messenger feels risky.

This is where LOCK.PUB becomes genuinely useful. You can create a password-protected memo containing all your critical information — emergency contacts, account details, meeting points, medication lists — and share the link with your family while the internet still works.

• Create a secure memo with everything your family needs to know
• Share the link and password via iMessage or Messenger
• Your family opens it, saves the information locally
• Print QR codes of important links as a physical backup

Since LOCK.PUB memos are password-protected, even if the link is intercepted, the contents stay private.

During a Shutdown — What You Can Do

• Bluetooth messaging — Use Briar or Bridgefy to communicate with nearby people
• FM/AM radio — Your most reliable source of emergency news and information
• WiFi Direct — Share files directly between devices without internet
• Your offline preparations — This is when all that pre-planning pays off

After Connectivity Returns

Once you're back online, don't just pick up where you left off. Take security precautions:

• Change your passwords — Especially for banking, email, and social media
• Review login activity — Check for any unauthorized access during the outage
• Verify financial transactions — Look for anything you don't recognize
• Re-enable two-factor authentication if you had to disable it

Start Preparing Now

Internet shutdowns don't send calendar invites. The fact that you're reading this means you still have time to prepare. Work through the checklist above, share critical information with your family through LOCK.PUB, and rest easier knowing you have a plan. The people who get through emergencies aren't lucky — they're prepared.