Pick-ups, lessons, naps, the shopping and who's home for dinner, without a dozen messages a day.
If a nanny, a helper or the grandparents help run your home, give them their own group in FamShare. They see the kids' schedule, the shopping list and the group's Board. You choose, label by label, whether they can edit or only view. Your private plans and your other groups stay out of it.
In this article
Step 1: Decide what to share
In FamShare, everyone has their own calendar, and you share with people through groups. Before you invite anyone, think about what they need to see, and what they need to change.
| Usually shared | Usually private |
|---|---|
| School runs, lessons, activities and nap or meal times | Your own appointments and plans |
| Who's home for dinner, visitors, outings | Gifts and surprises |
| The shopping list and household to-dos | Bills and payments you don't want to share |
| Working days, days off and holidays | Personal notes |
For each event, you pick a label: the group itself, one of your labels, or 🔒 Private. Private items are visible only to you: not to your nanny, the grandparents, or your partner.
Step 2: Choose a group
When you invite someone, they join a group. They see what is shared with that group, and nothing from your other groups.
- A nanny or helper: create a group just for them and the parents (for example "Home with Maria"). Your family group, work or club stay separate.
- Grandparents: you can invite them to the family group, or give them their own group if they only need the kids' schedule.
Step 3: Invite them
- To invite people, you need an account. If you started with "Use Without Signing In", go to More > Account and tap Sign Up to Sync.
- Go to More > Invite. Choose the group, or create one and give it a name.
- Send the invite code, the link or the QR code, for example by WhatsApp or a text message, or show the QR code on your screen. The code is valid for 7 days, and anyone who has it can join, so send it only to the person you mean.
- They install FamShare, sign up with Apple, Google or an email address, then open the link or go to More > Join with Code. They can also scan the QR code.
Step 4: Show the kids' labels, view-only or editable
- Go to More > Labels and add a label for each child (or one "Kids" label).
- Under Show in calendars, turn on the nanny's or grandparents' group.
- Decide whether they can edit. Turn on People in "…" can edit if they should add or change events under that label (for example a nanny who books play dates). Leave it off and they can only view.
Items you add to the group itself (pick the group's name as the label) can be edited by everyone in that group. That works well for things you all manage together, like the shopping list or the nanny's working days.
Everyday use
- The day at a glance: tap a date to see that day's events, due dates and birthdays together.
- Shopping list: in the To-Do tab, make a category in the group (for example "Groceries"). Anyone can add items, and you can set who's doing it.
- Quick events: save usual events (for example "School pick-up 3:00 PM") in More > Quick Events and add them with one tap.
- The Board: each group has its own Board for short messages, stickers and, where available, photos ("Picked up Max", a photo of the school notice). Board photos are deleted after 30 days. Use a date poll to agree on a day.
- Bigger text: for grandparents, the text size can be changed in More > Appearance (this setting is for that device only).
When the arrangement ends
- Any member can leave the group in More > Group. Any member can also remove another member there.
- After that, you no longer see each other's items in that group. Items under your own labels stay in your calendar. In a group of two, the group ends when one person leaves, and items added to the group itself are deleted.
- Earlier Board messages stay readable for both of you; "Delete All Messages" removes them from your own screen.
FAQ
- Can they see my private items?
- No. Items with the Private label, and items under labels you haven't shown in their group, are not visible to them.
- Is there a view-only setting?
- Yes, for your labels. For each group a label is shown in, you choose whether its members can edit ("People in … can edit", off at first). Items added to the group itself can be edited by everyone in that group.
- Can I remove someone from a group?
- Yes. Any member can remove another member in More > Group. A removed member is treated the same as someone who left.
- Does our nanny need an email address?
- They need a FamShare account to join a group. They can sign up with Apple, Google or an email address.
- Is it free for them too?
- Yes. FamShare is free and shows small banner ads. A group can have up to 50 members.
Try it
Start on your own with "Use Without Signing In". Sign up when you're ready to invite your nanny, helper or the grandparents.