> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.researchanddesire.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Connecting with other users

> Share device access with trusted partners to enable remote control and collaboration

The device sharing feature lets you collaborate with trusted partners, giving them the ability to control your devices or request access to theirs. Connections are secure, explicit, and revocable at any time.

<iframe className="aspect-video w-full rounded-xl" src="https://www.loom.com/embed/b800d353ca7f41bd97bdc592dc0aeb60" title="How to connect with a partner on a new account" frameBorder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowFullScreen />

<Accordion title="Video transcript">
  <strong>0:00</strong> Now I'm going to show you how to pair with a user on your account. On the left-hand side, I have an account I just registered, which is in the onboarding flow. On the right-hand side, I have the inbox for somebody who isn't on our dashboard yet, who you'd like to invite.

  <strong>0:14</strong> I'm going to complete the onboarding flow over here. I'm
  going to state that I'm over the age of 21, and I'm going to agree to receive
  marketing emails. Don't worry—you can change this later. I'm going to choose a
  fun username, in this case <em>thematic\_voyeur\_63</em>, and then I'm going to
  create an invitation.

  <strong>0:34</strong> At this stage, I can either enter the username of a
  partner who already has a dashboard account, or if they don't have one yet, I'll
  enter their full email address.

  <strong>0:58</strong> The next step is to determine what kind of access I want
  to give them. If I want to give them access to my devices, then I'm granting
  control of my devices. If they have devices and I want to control theirs, then I
  request access to their devices.

  <strong>1:11</strong> In our system, the person with the devices is typically
  the person operating them day-to-day. We avoid strict role labels because our
  community is broad, but for clarity in this flow, you can think of the person
  registering the devices as the device owner.

  <strong>1:42</strong> Let's go ahead and give this individual access to my
  devices. An invitation has been sent. On the right-hand side—perfect—I have an
  invitation to share devices. A user would like to share devices with me on the
  dashboard and asks that I create an account.

  <strong>2:07</strong> When this partner looks over here, they will see that a
  user has invited them to play. I'll register now on the right-hand side. We'll
  go ahead and do that. This new account will have to confirm its email address.

  <strong>2:39</strong> Then go through the onboarding flow, choose a username,
  and you'll see there's an invite waiting from the user on the left. There might
  not be a username shown yet if the inviter hasn't completed onboarding—that's
  all right. For now, I'll accept.

  <strong>3:08</strong> Perfect. I can now control and modify this user's devices. We're all done.
</Accordion>

<Info>
  Terminology: You may see the terms Keyholder (the person with control) and
  Lockee (the person whose device is controlled) in some product areas, such as
  the Chastity Lockbox. Device sharing works the same regardless of the names
  you use for roles.
</Info>

## Prerequisites

* You have a dashboard account. If not, start with <a href="/dashboard/quick-start/create-account">registering a new account</a>
* You know your partner’s username or their email address
* Optional: Pair any devices you plan to share before inviting a partner

<Tip>
  Sharing-related emails (invitations and connection updates) can be managed in
  your <a href="/dashboard/settings/email-preferences">email preferences</a>
</Tip>

## Create a share request

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Partner settings">
    Go to your <strong>Settings</strong> and open the <strong>Partners</strong> section.

    <Check>
      You should see an <strong>Invitations</strong> panel and your current <strong>Partners</strong> list.
    </Check>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create an invitation">
    Click <strong>Create invitation</strong> in the top-right.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose how to invite">
    <Tabs>
      <Tab title="Invite by username">
        Enter your partner’s exact username.

        * Select <strong>Give access to my devices</strong> to let them control your devices.
        * Select <strong>Request access to their devices</strong> to ask for control of theirs.
      </Tab>

      <Tab title="Invite by email">
        Enter your partner’s full email address. If they don’t have an account yet, they’ll be prompted to register before accepting.

        * Choose whether to <strong>Give access</strong> or <strong>Request access</strong>.
      </Tab>
    </Tabs>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Send and verify">
    Send the invitation.

    <Check>
      * Your partner receives an email notification (if enabled)
      * A matching entry appears under <strong>Pending invitations</strong>
    </Check>
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  For privacy and security, we won’t confirm whether a username or email exists.
  Double-check spelling so your invitation reaches the right person.
</Note>

## Respond to invitations

When someone invites you to share device access, you receive:

1. An email notification (based on your email preferences)
2. A pending invitation in <strong>Settings → Pending invitations</strong>

Review each request carefully. Choose <strong>Accept</strong> to establish the connection or <strong>Decline</strong> to refuse access.

## Understand connection types

Each partner shows a clear relationship indicator in the Partners list:

* You’re sharing: you’ve given them control of your devices
* They’re sharing: they’ve given you control of their devices
* Mutual sharing: both partners can control each other’s devices

<Card title="Set up a switch account" icon="arrows-rotate" href="./switch-account">
  Configure mutual device sharing for partners who switch roles.
</Card>

## Manage your connections

* Open the menu next to a partner’s name to manage the relationship
* Select <strong>Remove partner</strong> to end sharing in either direction
* Pending invites can be rescinded from the <strong>Pending invitations</strong> list

<Check>
  After removal, the partner no longer appears in your Partners list and loses
  access to any shared devices.
</Check>

## Best practices

<Warning>
  Only share device access with people you know and trust. You maintain full
  control of your sharing preferences and can remove access at any time.
</Warning>

* Align on expectations and boundaries before sharing
* Review your connected partners periodically
* Remove connections you no longer need

<Info>
  If you’re using the Chastity Lockbox, assigning a Keyholder disables your own lock controls while sharing is active. For FAQs and safety features like Emergency Unlock, see:

  * <a href="/chastity-lockbox/faqs">Chastity Lockbox FAQs</a>
  * <a href="/chastity-lockbox/technical-documentation/device-states/emergency-unlock">Emergency Unlock</a>
</Info>

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Troubleshooting">
    * Invitation not received: ask your partner to check spam, confirm their address/username, and verify email notifications are enabled in <a href="/dashboard/settings/email-preferences">Email Preferences</a>
    * Can’t find a username: invitations don’t confirm whether an account exists—send by email if you’re unsure
    * Partner can’t accept: they must complete registration and email verification first
    * Sent to the wrong person: rescind the pending invitation and re-send
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Ownership and control">
    If you need to transfer or reclaim device ownership (for example, after lending a device), review our policy and next steps:

    * <a href="/dashboard/faqs/device-ownership-dispute-policy">Device ownership policy</a>
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Register an account" icon="user-plus" href="/dashboard/quick-start/create-account">
    Create your dashboard account before connecting with partners.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Manage email preferences" icon="envelope" href="/dashboard/settings/email-preferences">
    Choose which invitation and sharing emails you receive.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>
