Family app for grandparents
One place for Mum to see the grandchildren
Share photos with grandparents in one private family space that only the people you invite can join. Set it up with them once, and after that they just open it to see the family.
No card needed. Grandparents join free.
The honest truth about older relatives and apps: you install it once, and after that their whole job is one tap. They don't need to post anything. Your side posts; they look. Here's how to make that first setup painless.
Before you touch their phone
Add them to the family tree first, and put a few photos of the grandchildren in. When they open the app for the first time, there should be something that makes them smile. Not an empty screen asking them to do work. The photos of their grandchildren are the thing that will make them open it again; give that a head start.
1. Install the app together
Do it when you're in the same room, or on a call while they hold their phone. Install the Kunbaa app from their phone's app store, the same way you'd install anything else for them.
2. Create their account with them
Send them their invite (see how invites work), then walk through sign-up together. Use an email address they actually have access to. The sign-in code goes there, and you may need it later if they get a new phone. Kunbaa accounts are for adults, so a grandparent is exactly who this is for.
3. Show them the one tap that matters
Open the app, show them the new photos, and stop there. Don't tour every feature. The habit you're building is: open Kunbaa, see the family. Everything else can come later, or never. A grandparent who only ever looks is a grandparent using Kunbaa exactly right.
4. Try a call
Kunbaa has voice and video calls built in: one-to-one calls are free, and a group call of up to 6 people is started on Kunbaa Plus or Kunbaa Ultra, which anyone in the family can join. Try calling them once while you're still together so they've seen what an incoming call looks like, and set their access to View only if they'd rather never press the wrong thing (see member permissions). One thing to know: some networks block calls from connecting. If a call won't go through, see calls not connecting.
5. Let them contribute their way, later
When they're comfortable, the most valuable thing a grandparent can add isn't a post. It's names and stories. Sit with them over the old photos and write down who's who while they can still tell you. That single afternoon is worth more than anything else in this guide; there's a longer piece on it in how to preserve family photos.
Common questions
How do I set up a family app for an elderly parent?
Add them to your family tree and post a few photos first, then install Kunbaa on their phone together, sign them up with an email address they can open, show them the one tap that opens the family's photos, and make one test call while you're still together. That's the whole setup; they never have to post anything.
Does my parent need to post anything on Kunbaa?
No. Your side of the family posts; they look. A grandparent who only ever opens the app to see the grandchildren is using Kunbaa exactly right. If they want to contribute later, names and stories for old photos are the most valuable thing they can add.
Can grandparents video call the family on Kunbaa?
Yes. Voice and video calls are built into the Kunbaa mobile app: one-to-one calls are free, and a group call of up to 6 people is started on Kunbaa Plus or Kunbaa Ultra, which anyone in the family can join. Make one test call together so they've seen what an incoming call looks like.
How do I stop my parent changing things by mistake?
Set their access to View only in member permissions. They can still see the family's photos and posts, and you can change their access at any time.
What does my parent need to sign in?
An email address they can actually open. Kunbaa sends a sign-in code there instead of a password, and they may need it again if they get a new phone.
Can I know that Mum got home?
Only if she chooses to share. In the Kunbaa app, Family Safety lets her share her location with the relatives she picks, for a set time or until she turns it off. While she is sharing, those relatives can get an alert when she arrives at a saved place such as home. It is off until she turns it on, and she can stop at any time.