In versions of Family Tools before 3.0, the app has three types of users, each designed to meet the needs of family members in different situations. If you are using a version that is 3.0 or higher, please see Permissions for information on the new system.
Parent
A Parent user has the greatest amount of power and access of all family users. By default, the first person to sign up for Family Tools is designated as a Parent. Subsequent users, by default, are at first designated as a Linked user. The name Parent is used to emphasize that this type of profile is typically used by a parent, but there may be times when others should be designated a Parent user.
A Parent can:
- Invite new users to the family account
- Add, access, modify, and delete Linked users
- Upgrade users to a Standard or Parent profile
- Remove Standard users from the family account
- Create, edit, and delete chores
- See, edit, and delete all Linked and Standard users tasks, events, and lists
- Add and modify all meals
- Start a Premium trial
- Purchase a subscription
See: How to Make a User into a Parent User
Linked
A family member without their own username and password access is called a Linked user. A Linked user is the simplest type of user on Family Tools. We call it a Linked user because Linked profiles are directly connected to Parent profiles and can only be accessed through Parent profiles.
A Linked profile is best for small children who don’t have an email address or who are too young to keep track of their own username and password. A Linked user is specifically designed for children, with limits that prevent them from interfering with other family users’ information.
With a Linked user, parents can easily access a child’s profile from their own device, which enables a parent to oversee and teach a child how to use the app. Family members can also easily share a tablet, phone, or PC with many Linked Users.
Linked users can also be great for a parent who wants to manage the whole family from their one device.
When a user is ready, a Linked user can easily be upgraded to an Standard user profile.
See: How to Make a Linked User into a Standard or Parent User
Standard
A Standard profile is perfect for older children who have their own device. Like a Linked user, they can only see tasks and lists that are connected to them, and can only edit and delete what they create. There are, however, a few differences to be aware of:
- The profile stands alone, with its own email and password
- Parent users cannot access them directly from their profile
- Sharing a device is more difficult
- They can delete their own profile
There may be cases where a parent wants a child to have Parent-level access. Before changing a child’s Standard profile to a Parent profile, we recommend that you review all that a Parent profile can do and consider whether the child is responsible enough for that access.