How do I turn a loved one's life stories into a book?
HoldUsTogether guides your loved one through their life story with simple questions they can answer from a computer or iPad. Their memories are then organized into a beautifully written story you can keep digitally or order as a professionally printed copy.
Can I record my voice instead of typing?
Yes. The experience is best on a computer or iPad with a camera. They can speak naturally as if they were having a conversation with a friend, or type when that feels more comfortable.
Can this be done together as a family?
Each session is built to capture the life of one person. That said, many families go through HoldUsTogether together — helping parents or grandparents answer questions, revisit old memories, and preserve stories for future generations.
What if my family member isn't good with technology?
The experience is intentionally simple. They receive a private link and can begin without creating a password or learning new software. The experience is best on a computer or iPad, and help is available if they get stuck.
How long will the written Life Story be?
Every Life Story is different. Its length reflects how much they choose to share. A shorter conversation creates a shorter story, while a longer interview preserves more memories and detail.
How long does the interview take?
The interview can last 20 minutes or as many hours as they want. It depends entirely on how much they choose to share. They can stop and return across several sittings.
When will the finished story be ready?
The finished materials begin processing after the interview is complete. Timing varies with the length of the conversation and the amount shared. The family will be notified when everything is ready.
What can be downloaded, printed, or shared?
The full transcript and written Life Story can be downloaded, shared, and printed. The video cannot be downloaded. It stays privately on HoldUsTogether. Family members can create a revocable clip of up to 90 seconds to text, email, or post; submitting that clip as a testimonial or as private support feedback is a separate choice.
What happens after the included Family Space year?
The household can continue its full private Family Space Membership for $199 per year. Purchased Life Stories and Time Capsules remain available because they were bought separately. The shared Family Tree and basic Profiles stay visible, but new family uploads and membership tools pause. Family-uploaded video is held for a 12-month grace period so the family can renew; after notice and a chance to return, it may be queued for deletion because ongoing video storage has a continuing cost.
How many relatives can use one Family Space?
An active Family Space includes one Subscription Owner, one additional Family Organizer, five additional adult contributors, unlimited child Profiles, and unlimited view-only guests. The Subscription Owner controls billing. Both Family Organizers can manage people and genealogy. Children are Profiles, not paid seats.
Can one login belong to more than one Family Space?
Yes. You sign in once, then move seamlessly among every Family Space that has invited your Profile. Your relatives do not need duplicate accounts, and joining someone else’s Family Space does not merge billing or give them control of yours.
What if two people share one email address?
They may share the login while keeping separate Profiles for cards, Time Capsules, memories, and privacy choices. Each Profile can have its own 4–8 digit PIN. A Family Organizer can reset a forgotten PIN but cannot see it.
How much family video is included, and can I receive a surprise bill?
An active Family Space includes 25 hours of family-uploaded video. Purchased Life Story interviews and Time Capsules do not count against that amount. We show your usage, warn the organizers at 80%, and pause new uploads at the chosen limit while existing videos keep playing. We never charge an automatic overage. Optional annual add-ons are 10 extra hours for $59 or 25 extra hours for $119.
How do shareable clips, testimonials, and support feedback differ?
They use the same simple clip editor, but they are three separate destinations. The tool saves only the chosen short excerpt for these routes, so its public link does not expose the full protected video. A share clip creates a revocable link for relatives or social media. A testimonial is submitted privately for review with specific permission and is never published automatically. A feedback clip goes privately to our support team with the page you were using so we can understand what happened.
What can an invited relative do before buying?
A new adult contributor can try the contribution tools for 30 days. After the trial, they keep permanent free view access to the shared Family Tree and the family content shared with them. The family can activate or renew its full Family Space when it wants everyone to keep contributing.
What do we receive at the end?
You receive the complete private video interview, full transcript, professionally written Life Story, character-and-values reflection, and the first year of your family’s Family Space Membership. The Family Space includes the shared Family Tree, family profiles, photographs, home videos, memories, important dates, reminders, a family calendar, and Video Family Cards. Time Capsules can be purchased separately. The transcript and written story can be downloaded, shared, and printed. The interview video stays privately on HoldUsTogether, where it can be watched anytime and shared with anyone the family chooses.
What are the Life Story, Family Tree, and Family Space?
A Life Story captures one person’s memories and voice. The Family Tree is one feature inside the Family Space that shows how everyone is connected. The Family Space is your family’s complete private online home for its tree, profiles, Life Stories, photographs, home videos, memories, dates, reminders, calendar, and Video Family Cards. Family Space Membership is the name used when purchasing or renewing that complete private space.
Can I purchase the Family Space by itself?
Yes. A Family Space Membership can be purchased by itself for $199 per year. However, a family purchasing its first Life Story receives its first Family Space year at no additional cost, so beginning with a Life Story usually provides the better value. See our pricing page for complete details.
Are Video Family Cards and Time Capsules included?
Video Family Cards are included with an active Family Space Membership. Time Capsules are paid extras because each one is a separate, permanently scheduled keepsake. Once a Time Capsule is sealed, it will still open on schedule even if the Family Space Membership later ends.
If I purchase multiple interviews, do I receive multiple free years of Family Space?
No. One family shares one Family Space and one Family Tree. The complimentary year is included once with the family’s first Life Story. Additional Life Stories are attached to the appropriate people in that same tree, keeping the family’s stories and memories together.
How much does HoldUsTogether cost?
A complete Life Story is $200 as a one-time purchase. It includes the shared Family Tree and the first year of the family’s private Family Space. Continuing the Family Space after that first year is $199 per year. The person’s video interview, transcript, and written Life Story remain accessible even if the Family Space is not renewed. See the pricing page for complete details.
What is the 30-day guarantee?
If you change your mind, request a refund within 30 days. A gift buyer losing access because the person interviewed chose privacy is not, by itself, a reason for a refund. If we exceptionally refund an interview that has already been recorded, the interview is locked and the person who gave it receives 14 days to pay the original purchase amount and keep it. Otherwise it is queued for deletion.
Why does preserving stories matter so much?
Over time, family stories fade — even the important ones. HoldUsTogether exists to help preserve memories, experiences, and personal stories while loved ones are still here to share them.
How do I interview my parent or grandparent about their life?
HoldUsTogether guides the conversation for you with thoughtful questions about childhood, relationships, life experiences, memories, and major moments — so you never have to wonder what to ask.
Is there an app to record a grandparent's life story?
HoldUsTogether works directly in a web browser, so there is no app to download. The experience is best on a computer or iPad. Loved ones simply open their private link and begin.
Is it safe to add my child or grandchild to the family tree?
Yes. A family tree here is private. It is never on the open internet, and there is no public link anyone can stumble onto. A child you add is only visible inside your own family to begin with.
We connected our tree with another family. Can they see my kids?
Not unless a parent says so. When two families connect, children stay protected by default. The other family sees only that a child is there — shown as “Private,” with no name and no photo. A parent decides if that ever changes.
I'm the parent. How do I control who sees my child?
You're in charge. On your child's page you choose how far their information reaches — just our family, close family, or all connected family — and you can allow or block specific people on top of that. You can change it anytime, and a block always wins.
What if I haven't joined yet?
Until a parent is on, whoever started the tree is only a temporary caretaker, and your child stays locked down. The moment you join, control of your child's privacy becomes yours automatically.
What about printed books or PDFs?
The same protection follows onto paper. A protected child shows as “Private” in any printout or book a connected family makes — never a name, never a face.
Is any of this shared or sold? Can I change my mind?
Nothing about your child is ever shared, sold, or shown to anyone you haven't personally connected with. And you can change who sees your child, or remove them, whenever you want. See our privacy page for more.