Beeside help
Help.
Short answers and step-by-step guides for Beeside, the family planner for iPhone, Android and the web.
By topic.
7 topics · 29 articles
5 articlesGetting startedSet up your family, invite, bring the kids in.
4 articlesShopping & mealsShops and aisles, recipes, the week's meals.
4 articlesCalendar & to-dosEvents, reminders, calendar feed, birthdays.
3 articlesChores & allowanceStars, rewards, kids tick off their own chores.
3 articlesVaultSet up, approve devices, encryption.
4 articlesPlan & billingFree trial, one plan for everyone, cancelling.
6 articlesData & troubleshootingNotifications, widgets, offline, export, deleting.
Top questions.
8 of 29
- 01Invite your partnerGetting started
- 02Kids without a phone: kids mode and the family tabletGetting started
- 03Import a recipe from a link or your browserShopping & meals
- 04Subscribe to Beeside in Apple, Google or Outlook CalendarCalendar & to-dos
- 05Approve a new device for the vaultVault
- 06One plan for the whole family: who pays, who's includedPlan & billing
- 07Notifications don't arrive or come lateData & troubleshooting
- 08Add and refresh a widgetData & troubleshooting
Quick answers.
Plan
Who pays, what it costs
Does every family member need a plan?
No. One plan covers the whole family. Everyone you invite is included, on iPhone or Android.
What happens after the free trial?
We remind you two days before it ends. If you don't cancel, the yearly plan starts on day 14. Without a plan the app stays locked, your data is kept and you can export it at any time.
Family
Devices and kids
Do kids need a phone?
No. Kids tick off their chores in kids mode on a parent's phone or on the family tablet. If a child has their own device, you pair it with a QR code, without an account or email address.
Can we mix Android and iPhone?
Yes. Beeside runs on iPhone, Android and in the browser, and everyone sees the same lists.
Data
Offline, export, privacy
Does it work offline?
Yes. Your data lives on the device. Without a connection you keep adding and ticking things off, and Beeside syncs as soon as you're back online.
Can I take my data with me?
Yes. In settings you export all your own data as a file. You can also delete your account there yourself.
Are there ads or tracking?
No. No ads, no tracking, no analytics services. The database is in Zurich.
All articles.
Getting started
- Set up your family: the first two minutesOn first launch the bee walks you through six short scenes: what's coming up this week, who lives with you, what Beeside should help with. Takes about 2 minutes.
- Invite your partnerAn invitation link or QR code brings another adult into your family. The link is valid for 14 days and once. Anyone you invite never pays.
- Kids without a phone: kids mode and the family tabletKids don't need an account or their own phone. They tick off chores in kids mode on your phone or on the family tablet in the hallway.
- Pair a kid's device or tablet with a QR code, no account neededYou pair a child's own device or the family tablet with a code that's valid for 10 minutes. No account or email address needed.
- Use Beeside in your browserAt app.getbeeside.com you use Beeside on a computer. Almost everything works there; a few things are only in the phone app.
Shopping & meals
- Stores and aisles: sort the list the way you walkEach store has its own list and route. Beeside remembers per store which aisle an item belongs in.
- Quick add: just type, Beeside sorts itWith “+” you type several things at once, separated by commas. Beeside works out what goes on the grocery list, in the calendar or in your to-dos.
- Import a recipe from a link or your browserBeeside reads the title, image, ingredients and steps from recipe pages. The quickest way is “Share” in your browser.
- Plan the week's meals and add ingredients to the listIn Meals you plan breakfast to dinner for each day. The ingredients of planned recipes go onto the grocery list in one tap, scaled and combined.
Calendar & to-dos
- Events for several people, coloured by personAn event belongs to certain people or to everyone. It shows their colours, and only they get reminded.
- Subscribe to Beeside in Apple, Google or Outlook CalendarWith a subscription link, your calendar app shows Beeside's events. There's one link for the family and one just for you.
- To-dos with reminders, repeats and an ownerA to-do gets a due date, a push reminder, someone assigned and, if you like, a repeat. Up to three are important and sit at the top.
- Birthdays and occasions: think of presents in timeBeeside reminds you before birthdays, by default 14 and 3 days ahead, and collects gift ideas. Occasions bundle trips and parties with a packing list and to-dos.
Chores & allowance
- Add a chore: who, how often, how many starsA chore belongs to one child, repeats daily, on chosen days, monthly or once, and is worth 0 to 20 stars.
- Stars, rewards and allowanceFor each child you choose stars, allowance or both. Kids redeem stars for rewards and you confirm when they get them.
- Kids tick off, parents confirmWith “Parents confirm each completed chore”, ticked-off chores only count once an adult confirms them.
Vault
- Set up the vault and keep your recovery key safeThe vault keeps Wi-Fi, accounts, codes and secret notes end-to-end encrypted. It's set up once per family, in the app.
- Approve a new device for the vaultIf it says “This device is waiting for approval”, approve it on a device that already has the vault, after comparing the verification number.
- What end-to-end encryption means in BeesideYour devices encrypt vault entries themselves. The server only stores scrambled data and can't read it, not even in backups.
Plan & billing
- One plan for the whole family: who pays, who's includedThe plan belongs to the family, not to one Apple ID. One adult subscribes and everyone you invite is included, on Android too.
- Free trial: 14 days free, a reminder before it endsThe yearly plan starts with 14 days free. Beeside reminds you at least two days before it ends, as long as notifications are on.
- Cancel your plan or ask for a refundYou cancel with Apple or Google Play, not in Beeside. Deleting the app or your account doesn't cancel the plan.
- Restore your purchase after switching phonesThe plan belongs to your family. Sign in to the same family on your new phone and you're in. “Restore purchases” helps if the store hasn't reported the purchase yet.
Data & troubleshooting
- Notifications don't arrive or come lateFirst check “Active on this device” under Notifications and your phone's settings. Common reasons: a hidden area, no due date, someone else assigned.
- Add and refresh a widgetBeeside has five widgets: Today, Groceries, To-dos, This week's events and Chores. If one looks out of date, open the app briefly.
- Offline: what works and when it syncsYour data lives on the device. Without a connection you keep adding and ticking off, and Beeside syncs as soon as you're back online.
- Export your dataUnder Settings › Account you export everything you can see in Beeside as a JSON file. This works without a plan too.
- Delete your account or your familyUnder Settings › Account you delete your account. If you're the last person with an account, the whole family goes too. This doesn't cancel a paid plan.
- Trash: get deleted things backDeleted to-dos, lists, recipes, events and more stay in the trash for 30 days and can be restored with “Restore”.
Can't find it?
Write to us, we'll help.