An easy way to begin
Choose what you have in mind. We’ll show you step by step how FamilyStories works.
For anyone preserving precious memories
You get things started and help someone preserve their own memories for your family.
Bring it up at a quiet moment and give the person time. A few personal words usually feel easier than a long explanation.
Briefly explain what to expect: FamilyStories guides them through their life with questions tailored to them. They can record their memories by speaking or writing and decide what they want to share.
First you choose whose story it will be, for example Mom’s or Grandpa’s. Then a few short introductory questions help FamilyStories tailor the questions to this person and their life. Just answer the way it applies to the person.
You create every further story later with the round plus button on the Home screen, as long as your plan still has room for it.
To create your first story:
Is there something you don’t know, such as career or training? Then choose “I don’t know”. The answer stays open, and you can fill it in later.
To fill in open answers later:
Did you create the wrong story by mistake, for example for Mom instead of Grandma? Whose story it is can’t be changed afterwards. Create a new one and delete the wrong one. Doing so permanently deletes all answers, photos and recordings of that story.
To delete a story:
No set of questions can cover every life. With Premium, you can write your own questions, change the wording of a question, or hide questions that don’t fit.
To add or change a question:
If a question doesn’t fit the person’s life, you hide it. You’ll find hidden questions again on the “Excluded” tab and bring them back with “Show”.
To hide a question:
Did you answer an introductory question wrongly or forget one when you created the story? No problem. With Premium, you can change the introductory answers later, and the questions will be tailored to the person again. Only the role, for example Mom or Grandpa, stays fixed.
To change your introductory answers:
There are three ways to collect answers. Choose together the one that feels easiest for the person telling their story.
Open the story during your conversation and capture the answer as text or a voice recording.
The person downloads FamilyStories from the App Store, chooses “Accept an invitation” and enters the code you send them. They then tell their story in their own app.
No app and no sign-in needed. The link opens the questions right in the browser, on a phone or a computer.
Through the link, the person can write, speak and add photos in the browser. Anything written reaches you directly. For a voice recording, you create the text afterwards in your app.
To turn recordings into text:
So the storytelling doesn’t fade away, FamilyStories can remind you of open questions: weekly, every two weeks or monthly. You can remind yourself. You remind the person telling the story by email or, if they are linked to the story and have the app, by push notification.
You can change or turn off the reminder at any time in the same place.
To set up a reminder:
Your family circle has room for up to ten people. Not every story has to be open to everyone. As admin, you decide who may invite others and who may read or edit a story.
If a story belongs to a linked person, that person can always read and edit it and decides for themselves who else may see it.
To give permissions:
Should someone no longer be part of the circle? As admin, you remove the person from the family circle. Everything they have shared stays, and a seat becomes free.
To remove someone:
Good to know
A life story can grow slowly. These small habits make storytelling easier.
Talk about the story regularly and say what moved you about a memory. Honest praise gives someone the courage to keep telling.
Tell the person that an answer doesn’t have to be long or perfect. A sentence, a short recording or a small scene is just as valuable.
Many people would rather talk than write. When they speak, the app turns their voice into text, and the voice is kept as a recording.
Can’t think of anything? Most questions have “Show tip” underneath. Small follow-up questions about places, people and moments help with remembering.
Add the people who belong to your family. It gives memories more context. You’ll find the family tree on the Home screen under “Discover”. Tap the card there and add the first person.
For anyone telling their own story
Whether you start yourself or were invited, choose the questions that feel right and tell your story in your own way.
Do you want to tell your own story without anyone having invited you? Then you create it yourself.
To create your own story:
Did you get a link? Then there is nothing to join. Open the link and you tell your story in the browser, with no app at all.
Did you get a family code? Then download FamilyStories from the App Store and enter the code the first time you open it. If the invitation has expired, ask for a new code.
To join:
Already using the app? Then you join through Settings.
To join later:
Open your story on the Home screen. It is organized by areas of life and chapters. Take your time looking at the questions waiting for you.
“Up next” takes you straight to the next open question.
You decide which questions to answer and what you would rather keep to yourself.
Is an important topic missing? Then ask the person who created your story to add a question of their own. If your family circle has Premium and you are allowed to edit the story, you can do it yourself too.
If your story is linked to you, it is yours. You can always read and edit it, and you decide for yourself who in the family circle may see or edit it.
To set this up:
Simply open the app or the same invitation link again later. “Up next” picks up right where you left off.
So you don’t forget to keep telling, FamilyStories can remind you: weekly, every two weeks or monthly.
To set up a reminder:
Good to know
Your life story can grow at your own pace. These small ideas can help memories come back and make it easier to return to your story.
One memory today is enough. Take a break and return to your life story whenever it feels right.
One sentence can be just as valuable as a long story. You don’t need perfect sentences. Just tell it the way you speak.
Think of a familiar place, a particular smell, or the people who were there. One small detail often leads to another memory.
Some memories come more easily when you give them a little space. These are only suggestions. Try whatever feels right for you.
For both paths
These tips apply whether you are collecting stories or telling your own.
Open a question and choose “Write” or “Speak”. When you speak, the app turns the voice into text, right on the device. The voice is kept as a recording.
The first time, the app downloads a speech model once for this. It takes a few minutes. Keep the app open while it does. If you would like to start right away, tap “Record voice only”. You can create the text later.
Through an invitation link, people can write or speak in the browser. Someone in the family circle later turns a voice recording into text in the app.
Is the story told in a language other than the app’s? Then set that language before you record. Only then will the app write down the words correctly.
To choose the speaking language:
Not every question has to be answered. If a question doesn’t fit the person’s life, tap “Skip question”. It then counts as done and can still be answered later.
To move between questions, use the arrows at the top or swipe the question sideways.
Want to change something? Open the question and tap the text under “Your memory”. The trash can next to it deletes the text. A recording has its own trash can under “Spoken memory”.
Start by adding your own picture. It helps the others in your family circle recognize you more easily. You can choose a photo or create an avatar.
To add your picture:
Every story gets a picture too. There are three ways to choose it.
Upload a photo that suits this story, or create an avatar.
The story then shows that person’s picture, and it belongs to them: they can always read and edit it, and they decide for themselves who else may see it.
Connect the story with a person from your family tree. The story then shows their picture.
Up to three photos can go with each answer. The field for them appears as soon as the question has an answer. If you then tap a photo, you can view it, replace it, delete it or save it to your photo library.
To add photos to an answer:
On the Home screen and in every story, you can see how much has already been told. “Up next” takes you straight to the next open question.
You can play back every saved recording at any time and hear the real voice. Open the question and tap the play icon under “Spoken memory”.
Mark special questions with the star. In the story, you will find them again on the “Your favorites” card.
To find your favorite questions again:
From an answer, you can make a lovely card with text or voice and send it through another app, for example as a message.
Want to look at the story first, or print it yourself? Save it as a PDF and choose the title, cover image, dedication and style. You can just as easily save it as a Word file or back up all photos and recordings. PDF and Word work from the very first answer, photos and recordings as soon as there are some. All of it is part of Premium.
To save the story:
On the Home screen, you can see whether everything in the family circle is backed up. Tap that line to see the details. You can also tell stories without internet: everything stays on your device and is backed up as soon as you are back online.
On a new phone, you sign in with the same account. If your family circle doesn’t open by itself, you will need your recovery code. It’s best to create it right away and keep it somewhere safe.
To create your code:
If you don’t have the code with you, someone in the family circle who is allowed to invite can send you a current family code.
To open the family circle on a new phone:
Turn on notifications so that, for example, your reminders to continue the story reach you.
To turn on notifications:
With a PIN, and Face ID if you like, you protect FamilyStories on this device. That way, nobody else can open your stories.
To protect the app:
You can use the app in whichever language is easiest for you. Photos and voice recordings need space in your family’s encrypted cloud. You can see how much is still free under “Manage storage”.
To choose the app language:
You’ll find many answers under “Frequently asked questions”. If you don’t find what you need there, write to us. We’ll reply personally.
