Familiar Documentation
Everything end users need to use Familiar confidently.
Start here if you want clear answers about setup, family management, chores, shopping, notes, analytics, mobile use, billing, and everyday troubleshooting.
Guides
17
Rich walkthroughs for real household workflows.
Categories
4
From setup to troubleshooting, organized for fast scanning.
FAQ
10
Common questions answered in plain language.
Getting Started
A practical first-day guide for creating a family, understanding the app structure, and setting up the essentials without overcomplicating things.
Invites & Joining
Send invite links confidently, accept them with the right account, and avoid the small mistakes that make new members think the family workspace disappeared.
Shopping Lists
Plan shopping collaboratively, use optional prices and priorities, and understand totals, PDF export, and what belongs in the active list versus history.
Shopping Planning & Budgeting
Use planned amounts, family currency, priorities, totals, and exports so your list helps before the trip starts, not only while you are already in the store.
Plans & Permissions
Understand what plan tiers change, what roles change, who should manage billing, and how to troubleshoot missing features without guessing.
Troubleshooting
Work through the most common end-user issues methodically: sign-in problems, stale mobile installs, missing updates, export problems, and family-access confusion.
Frequently asked questions
Start here if you want the fastest answers before opening a deeper guide.
Do all family members need their own account?+
Yes. Each person should use their own account so activity, assignments, stars, and permissions stay accurate. Sharing one login makes the app much harder to trust.
Can I use Familiar on both my phone and laptop?+
Yes. Use the same sign-in method on both devices and, for auth-related flows, finish the login in the browser that started it.
Why is my shopping total lower than expected?+
Only items with an enabled planned amount are included in the active total. If an amount is hidden or disabled on an item, it will not contribute to the list total.
Why can another family member not see analytics?+
Analytics access can depend on the family plan tier and on whether the user is in the correct family workspace. Check both before assuming the feature is broken.
Can I install Familiar as an app?+
Yes. Familiar supports installation as a PWA on supported browsers. If you recently changed domains, remove the older install and add the current site again.
What is the difference between an admin and a member?+
Admins manage invites, settings, approvals, and family-level controls. Members can still participate fully in chores, shopping, and notes without controlling the workspace.
What should I do if Google sign-in works on desktop but fails on mobile?+
Use Safari or Chrome directly instead of an in-app browser, close stale tabs, and clear old installed-app state if the site recently changed domain or auth callback settings.
Should I put every family detail into Notes?+
No. Notes work best for information people need to find again later. If something is a one-off conversation, chat may still be simpler.
Can I keep using Familiar if my network is unstable?+
Often yes, especially for viewing cached content and keeping context. But important writes and fresh sync still work best once the connection returns.
Where should I start if I want the fastest value?+
Start with one family, a few chores, and one real shopping list for the next trip. That gives most households immediate coordination value with the least setup overhead.
Docs overview
Browse every guide by topic
Each guide below includes the main outcomes it covers, so you can jump directly into the section that solves your immediate problem.
Start Here
3 guidesLearn what Familiar does, how to sign in, and how to get a family workspace running quickly.
Getting Started
6 min readA practical first-day guide for creating a family, understanding the app structure, and setting up the essentials without overcomplicating things.
What you'll learn
Create or join a family in a few minutes.
Understand what admins should set up first.
Account & Sign-In
7 min readUse email or Google sign-in, understand verification and password recovery, and make switching between devices less painful.
What you'll learn
Email and Google sign-in are both supported.
Use the same sign-in method across devices when possible.
Invites & Joining
7 min readSend invite links confidently, accept them with the right account, and avoid the small mistakes that make new members think the family workspace disappeared.
What you'll learn
Invite links work best when the recipient completes the flow in one browser session.
Most failed joins come from the wrong account, an expired link, or stale mobile browser state.
Daily Workflows
7 guidesUse chores, shopping lists, notes, and the dashboard as part of everyday family routines.
Families & Members
8 min readCreate a family, invite people, assign roles, and keep membership tidy as your household changes.
What you'll learn
Families are the shared workspace inside Familiar.
Admins manage invites, roles, and most family settings.
Dashboard Overview
7 min readUnderstand what the dashboard shows, how to read family activity quickly, and where to go next when something needs attention.
What you'll learn
The dashboard is your fast summary, not your entire workflow.
Cards show what is active, pending, and worth checking right now.
Chores
10 min readSet up chores that people actually complete, follow progress across the workflow, and use stars and approvals without turning routines into noise.
What you'll learn
Chores work best when they reflect real household routines.
Statuses help everyone know whether work is open, active, or waiting for review.
Shopping Lists
10 min readPlan shopping collaboratively, use optional prices and priorities, and understand totals, PDF export, and what belongs in the active list versus history.
What you'll learn
The shopping list supports both quick capture and pre-store planning.
Amounts are optional and can be excluded from totals individually.
Shopping Planning & Budgeting
9 min readUse planned amounts, family currency, priorities, totals, and exports so your list helps before the trip starts, not only while you are already in the store.
What you'll learn
Planned amounts are most useful when they represent real decisions, not guesses on every item.
Currency should be set at the family level so totals, PDFs, and everyday expectations stay aligned.
Notes
9 min readUse shared notes for instructions, reminders, family knowledge, attachments, tags, comments, and share links when information needs to stay findable.
What you'll learn
Notes are best for information that people ask for repeatedly.
Tags, pinning, comments, and attachments keep notes useful as the volume grows.
Note Sharing & Reminders
8 min readShare notes intentionally, set reminders that people will actually respect, and keep comments and attachments from turning a useful note into clutter.
What you'll learn
Shareable notes are most useful when the audience and sensitivity are both clear.
Reminders should be selective enough that people trust them when they appear.
Insights & Settings
4 guidesUnderstand analytics, rewards, notifications, mobile usage, billing, and account settings.
Analytics & Rewards
8 min readRead household patterns, understand stars and leaderboards, and know why some analytics features depend on your current plan tier.
What you'll learn
Analytics help you read patterns, not just count actions.
Stars and leaderboards are motivation tools, not the whole point of the system.
Notifications & Mobile Use
8 min readUse Familiar well on phones and tablets, understand notification behavior, and get the most out of installable app and offline-friendly features.
What you'll learn
Mobile is ideal for quick updates and on-the-go coordination.
Notifications depend on browser permissions and device behavior.
Settings & Billing
9 min readManage profile details, family preferences, shopping currency, subscription choices, and account-level actions such as logout or deletion.
What you'll learn
Settings control both your own account and family-level behavior.
Billing determines tier-gated access such as analytics or advanced features.
Plans & Permissions
8 min readUnderstand what plan tiers change, what roles change, who should manage billing, and how to troubleshoot missing features without guessing.
What you'll learn
Plan access and family roles solve different problems and should not be confused.
Billing ownership should be explicit so upgrades and renewals do not stall.
Help & Support
3 guidesSolve common problems, recover access, and know what to check before asking for help.
Privacy & Data
7 min readKnow who can see what inside a family, how shared notes behave, and how to handle access, devices, and sensitive household information responsibly.
What you'll learn
Family members share a workspace, so visibility should be managed intentionally.
Share links are useful, but sensitive information still needs judgment before it leaves the app.
Exports & Sharing
7 min readUse shopping PDFs and shareable notes properly, and know when a static handoff is better than the live app view.
What you'll learn
Exports are best when someone needs a dependable snapshot rather than a live collaborative view.
Refresh timing matters because an export captures a moment, not the list forever.
Troubleshooting
9 min readWork through the most common end-user issues methodically: sign-in problems, stale mobile installs, missing updates, export problems, and family-access confusion.
What you'll learn
Most issues come from browser state, device context, or account mismatch.
Use a default browser for sign-in and callback flows.
Still not sure where to start?
If you only read two guides today, start with Getting Started and the feature area your family is using next, usually Shopping Lists or Chores.