Frequently asked questions

No. Any phone that gets texts works, even a flip phone. It needs to open one link, to confirm the number. After that, they can answer every question by text. For now, it needs to be a US number.

If they can reply to a text, they can use it. There's nothing to install or learn.

Tell them what to expect: one short text a day, and one question about their life after they reply. One way to put it: "I'd love to hear more of your stories, and it would help me to know you're okay without calling every day." Then sign up, and we text them one link to tap, which confirms their number.

It's two short texts a day, at the time you pick. Any reply counts, even one word, and they can reply "not today" to skip a day or STOP to stop the texts.

A short text that greets them by name and asks how they are, and after they reply, one question about their life with a link. The link opens a page with the question, a box to type in, and a button to record. There's no account, password, or app.

About ten minutes. Your progress is saved as you go.

Yes. You create the account and add their number. They confirm with one tap before we send anything else.

Yes. You set it up and pay, and your loved one gets the texts. Talk to them first, so the first text isn't a surprise.

At the time you pick, the same every day, in their time zone. You can change it anytime.

It asks a simple question, like "How are you doing today?"

A reply stops the follow-ups, and we tell anyone we've texted. The life story question still follows, unless it's after 9 PM or we text their circle about what they wrote.

That's fine. One word counts as a reply.

Not yet. For now, replies are by text only.

They can reply "not today" or "skip". We won't send a reminder or a life story question that day.

One question a day about their life: growing up, work, love, family and friends, food and traditions, hobbies and travel, and more. Our questions are all written ahead of time, more than 700 of them.

Anyone in their circle who has signed in can add a question. We'll ask it and show it as yours when they answer.

They can skip it. We'll ask once more, then move on. If they say they'd rather not, we don't ask that question again.

We save every answer in their own words, and each one becomes a leaf on their tree of life. What they say helps choose the next question.

Yes. The link opens a page where they can type or record. A recording is written out as text for them to read and change before they send it, and everyone in their circle can listen to it.

No. We keep their answers exactly as they sent them.

Yes. They can edit the words before sending. After recording, they can also tap a button that tidies the written-out words: punctuation, paragraphs, grammar, filler words, and repeats. It adds nothing, and they can undo it. The recording itself is never changed.

A picture of their answers as a tree, with one branch for each part of their life. Each answer is a leaf you can open to read or listen. Anyone in their circle who signs in can open it.

Up to four people you choose: family, friends, or a neighbor. One is the main contact, who manages the account. Everyone else gets the weekly email, and the first person added is the one we text if we can't reach the main contact.

Yes, at no extra cost. Everyone in the circle gets the weekly email, and anyone who signs in can read the week's answers and open their tree of life.

Sign in, open Settings, and add their name, mobile number, and email. We text them a code, they tell you the code, and you enter it. We don't text a number until it's confirmed.

After one hour we text them again. After two hours we text the main contact. After three hours we text the next person in their circle. If they reply, everything stops. The main contact can change these times.

The main contact after two hours. After three hours, the next person in the circle, which is the first person you added who has confirmed their phone. If there's no one else, we text the main contact again. When someone confirms they're okay, we let everyone we texted know.

We text them a reminder before we contact anyone. If we do text someone, whoever reaches them replies CHECKED IN, and we let everyone else know.

The main contact can mark regular times when they're busy. The wait before each follow-up stops during those times and picks up after. For a one-time thing, they can reply "not today".

If they mention something serious, like chest pain or trouble breathing, we text the main contact right away with what they wrote. If the main contact doesn't reply CHECKED IN within half an hour, we text the next person in their circle. If they mention something worth knowing, or we can't tell how they are, we text the main contact what they wrote.

No. We don't call anyone or send anyone to their home. We text the people in their circle, and they decide what to do. In an emergency, call 911.

Only the people in their circle, who you choose. We never sell their answers or share them for anyone else's marketing.

They should. Please talk to them before signing up. The first text tells them who it's from.

Yes. They can text STOP at any time to pause the texts and the weekly email. We let the main contact know. Texting START turns them back on.

The texts and the weekly email stop at the end of the month you've paid for. Everything they wrote or recorded stays saved.

No. We keep their name, phone number, city and state for the time zone, the time you chose, what they write or record, and a short list of subjects they've mentioned in their answers, which we use to choose their questions. There's no phone location and no contacts, and we never sell their information or share it for anyone else's marketing.

One monthly price with everything included. No one in the circle is charged.

It's free for 14 days, starting when you finish signing up. No card needed to start. To continue, add a card before the 14 days end.

Yes, from Settings or by email. Texts continue until the end of the month you've paid for.

The person who set up the account.