# How to create a digital love lock

> Write a message, add photos or a video, set a shared passcode, and send a link they’ll actually remember.

**Published:** 2026-08-26
**Category:** guide
**HTML:** https://lovelock.love/blog/how-to-create-a-digital-love-lock

A digital love lock is a private keepsake: a letter, photos, maybe a video, protected by a passcode only the two of you should know. You share a link. They type the code. It unlocks.

It works for anniversaries, proposals, long-distance “good morning,” and the Tuesday that needed more than a text.

## 1. Start a lock

Open [Create a lock](/create-lock). You can begin without an account. The draft saves as you go; signup is asked when you publish.

If you only want to see the unlock first, try the [demo lock](/lock/demo) — the passcode is already filled in.

## 2. Write them something true

A lock can hold:

- A letter, story, or short note
- Photo galleries
- A video message
- A mix of all three

You don’t need every medium. One honest paragraph is enough.

## 3. Choose how it looks

Pick a lock design (Classic is free; Heart, Golden, Diamond, and others are premium). You can add a background and an unlock animation — the little ceremony when the passcode is right.

## 4. Set a passcode you both know

Use something private: a date, a nickname, an inside joke. Confirm it so you don’t lock yourself out of the surprise. Passcodes are hashed before they’re stored; Love Lock never keeps the plain code.

Then choose access:

- **Public** — anyone with the link can try the passcode
- **Invite-only** — they need an invitation or a shareable link you create

## 5. Publish and share

After you publish you get a URL. Send it as a text, show a QR code in person, or email it. For invite-only locks you can make a one-time or lasting shareable link. Custom vanity URLs (like a name on lovelock.love) are a paid extra.

They open the page, enter the passcode, and the lock unlocks.

## When to use one

- Anniversary or birthday surprises
- A proposal they can replay
- Long-distance nights when a call isn’t enough
- Valentine’s Day and “just because”

[Create your first lock — it’s free to start →](/create-lock)