Help & FAQ

Everything you need to get started with Family Sync

Quick Links
Gmail Setup Outlook Setup How It Works Troubleshooting FAQ

Gmail Setup Guide

For Gmail users, Family Sync uses email forwarding instead of direct inbox access. This is more private - we never see your Gmail inbox, only the school emails you choose to forward.

Why email forwarding? This approach means we only ever see school emails, not your personal messages. It's more private and you're in complete control.
Step 1: Sign up with Google

Click "Sign up with Google" and grant calendar access. You'll then receive your unique forwarding address (e.g., abc123@inbound.familysync.io).

Step 2: Create a filter for school emails
  1. Go to Gmail Settings > Filters
  2. Click "Create a new filter"
  3. In the "From" field, enter your school's email domain (e.g., *@myschool.sch.uk)
  4. Click "Create filter"
  5. Check "Forward it to" and click "Add forwarding address"
  6. Enter your unique Family Sync address and click "Next"
  7. Gmail will send a verification email - we'll forward it to your inbox so you can click the confirmation link
  8. Once verified, select your Family Sync address from the dropdown
  9. Optionally check "Also apply filter to matching conversations" to sync existing emails
  10. Click "Create filter"
That's it! From now on, any emails from your school will be automatically forwarded to Family Sync, and events will appear in your Google Calendar.
Multiple Schools?

If your children attend different schools, you can add multiple email addresses to the same filter:

  • In the "From" field, use: *@school1.sch.uk OR *@school2.sch.uk
  • Or create separate filters for each school

Outlook Setup Guide

For Microsoft/Outlook users, Family Sync connects directly to your inbox to scan for school emails. This is the simplest setup - just sign in and add your school's email address.

Step 1: Sign up with Microsoft

Click "Sign up with Microsoft" and sign in with your Microsoft account. Grant Family Sync permission to read your emails and access your calendar.

Step 2: Add your school's email address

In your dashboard, enter your school's email address (e.g., office@myschool.sch.uk). We'll only scan emails from this address.

That's it! Family Sync will automatically scan your inbox for school emails and add events to your Outlook calendar.

How It Works

Email Processing

When we receive a school email (forwarded or scanned), we:

  1. Read the email body and subject
  2. Download any attachments (PDFs, Word docs, etc.)
  3. Use AI to find dates and event details
  4. Create calendar events for each date found
Calendar Sync

Events are created in your calendar with:

  • Event title (e.g., "Sports Day")
  • Date and time (or all-day events)
  • Location if mentioned
  • Link back to the original email

Troubleshooting

If Gmail says the forwarding address couldn't be verified:

  1. Check you've entered the exact address shown in your dashboard
  2. Look for a verification email from Family Sync in your inbox - click the link in that email while logged into Gmail
  3. Check your spam/junk folder for the verification email
  4. Wait a few minutes and try adding the forwarding address again

If events aren't appearing:

  1. Check your sync history in the dashboard - are emails being received?
  2. For Gmail users: verify your filter is set up correctly and forwarding is enabled
  3. Check you're looking at the correct calendar (we use your primary calendar)
  4. Try triggering a manual sync from the dashboard

If you're getting an error when signing in with Google:

  1. In-app browser? Google doesn't allow sign-in from embedded browsers (like clicking links in Facebook, Instagram, etc.). Tap the menu and select "Open in Safari/Chrome".
  2. Clear your browser cookies and try again
  3. Try a different browser

If events are appearing with incorrect dates:

  1. Check your sync history to see what was detected
  2. You can delete individual events from your calendar
  3. Contact us with the email details - we're constantly improving our date detection

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. We take privacy seriously:

  • Gmail users: We never access your inbox - only forwarded emails reach us
  • Outlook users: We only read emails from addresses you specify
  • We never share, sell, or export your data
  • All data is stored securely in the UK
  • You can delete your account and all data at any time

See our Privacy Policy for full details.

Google:

  • Basic profile info (name, email) - to create your account
  • Calendar access - to create events for school dates

Microsoft:

  • Basic profile info (name, email) - to create your account
  • Email access - to read school emails (only from addresses you specify)
  • Calendar access - to create events for school dates

Yes! Family Sync works with any school that sends emails with dates. We use AI to understand different formats and writing styles. Whether your school sends:

  • Newsletter PDFs
  • Term date documents
  • Event announcement emails
  • ParentMail messages

We'll find the dates and add them to your calendar.

After your 30-day free trial:

  • You can continue for just £4/month
  • No automatic charges - you choose to subscribe
  • Cancel anytime, no questions asked
  • If you don't subscribe, your account stays but syncing pauses

Absolutely! One account handles all your children's schools:

  • Add multiple school email addresses
  • All events go to the same calendar
  • No extra cost for multiple schools

You can cancel or delete your account at any time from your dashboard, or by contacting us. When you delete your account:

  • All your data is permanently deleted
  • Calendar events already created remain (they're in your calendar now)
  • You can also revoke access from Google or Microsoft directly

Still need help?

We're here to help you get set up

Contact Support