Question 1

Does My Active Family send medication reminders?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can set a reminder for any task, including medications, with a lead time of your choice (15 minutes to a full day ahead), sent by email. You can also turn on browser notifications for reminders on your phone or computer.

Question 2

Can I get reminders as notifications instead of email?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Alongside email, you can turn on browser notifications from your Household page — on Android and desktop they arrive instantly, even when the app isn't open. On iPhone, Apple only allows web notifications for sites added to the Home Screen, so add My Active Family first (tap Share, then "Add to Home Screen"), open it from the new icon, and then turn notifications on. Email reminders keep working either way.

Question 3

Is my family's health data secure?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Your family's information is encrypted with AES-256 at rest and TLS 1.2+ in transit, backed up automatically, and hosted on SOC 2 Type II- and ISO 27001-certified, GDPR-compliant infrastructure. Payment details are handled directly by Stripe, a PCI DSS-certified provider, and are never stored on our servers. Medication and health information you add stays private within your household, visible only to the members you choose to share it with.

Question 4

Can I try it before paying?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every plan starts with a 14-day free trial, no credit card required, for up to 6 family members. You'll only be asked to pay when the trial ends. Larger households of 7 or more are billed monthly from the start.

Question 5

Who built My Active Family?

Accepted Answer

My Active Family was built by Lorie Sobczak, who created it after watching her mother carry the full weight of caring for her father alone. Read her full story below.

Question 6

Does it sync with Google Calendar?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can connect Google Calendar so tasks and appointments stay in sync automatically.

Question 7

Can I sync with Outlook or Apple Calendar?

Accepted Answer

Yes. From your Calendar page, you can subscribe using a personal iCal (.ics) feed link that works with Outlook, Apple Calendar, or any calendar app that supports subscribing to a URL. It's one-way — your tasks flow into your calendar — and updates may take a little while to refresh depending on the app.

Question 8

Can I add tasks using voice commands?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Tap the microphone button and dictate the task out loud — it's the quickest way to add homework, chores, appointments, or a reminder without typing a thing. Just say it, review it, and save.

Question 9

Are there ways to say thank you when a task is done?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely — and it's one of the best parts. When someone checks off a task, you can send them a thank-you right from the task: choose a happy emoji, send a favorite quote, or write your own kind words. Little moments of appreciation add up, and everyone's thank-yous are collected on your household's gratitude board.

Question 10

What if I have a big family?

Accepted Answer

My Active Family supports up to 26 people in one household. Pricing starts at $11.99/mo for 1-6 members, with per-member add-on pricing as your household grows.

Question 11

Can co-parents in separate homes share a household?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Invite the other parent in with your household's invite code, even if you live at separate addresses. Your child gets the same homework, chores, and schedule whether they're at one house or the other this week, and both of you see the same list in real time — so nothing gets lost or garbled between homes.

Question 12

Why not just use Google Calendar?

Accepted Answer

Google Calendar is great for appointments, but it doesn't track who completed a chore, send a thank-you when homework is done, or hold medication reminders with configurable lead times. My Active Family syncs with Google Calendar so nothing falls off the radar, while adding the shared task management and celebration layer that a calendar alone can't provide.

Question 13

Can my aging parent use this?

Accepted Answer

Yes. My Active Family works in any phone or computer browser — no app store download needed. You add the tasks and reminders; they just check them off. If they use an iPhone, add the site to their Home Screen (tap Share, then "Add to Home Screen") so it opens like an app. You handle the setup; they see a simple list of what to do today.

Question 14

How do time zones work if our family lives in different places?

Accepted Answer

Every task time is shown in your own local time zone, with a short label next to it like PT, CT, or ET. If Mom in California adds "Call Grandma" for 8:00 AM PT, Grandma in New York sees the same task at 11:00 AM ET. It's the same moment for everyone; each person just sees it in their own time.

Question 15

I'm adding a task for someone in another time zone. Which time do I enter?

Accepted Answer

Always enter the time in your own time zone; you'll see it labeled next to "Due date & time," for example (CT). The app converts it for everyone else. So if Dad in Chicago wants his son in Los Angeles to take his medication at 7:00 PM Los Angeles time, Dad enters 9:00 PM (CT), and his son sees 7:00 PM PT. The same goes when you edit someone else's task.

Question 16

Do I need to set my time zone?

Accepted Answer

No. My Active Family picks up your time zone automatically from your phone or computer. If you travel, times will show in whatever time zone your device is set to. Repeating tasks keep the same day and time of day, even when the clocks change for daylight saving, based on the time zone of whoever last saved the task.

My Active Family vs CircleCare

Who each is best for

My Active Family

CircleCare

Frequently asked questions

This season with them won't circle back.