Organizing a family is not easy and that is why there has been a proliferation of digital family calendars like that of SyncGo, which costs more than 200 dollars. You can get one for free by reusing a tablet you have at home.
Instead of buying a new gadget that is essentially a tablet with special software, you can use a tablet as a shared calendar with your family and we will give you some keys to help you.
Optional support
The first thing to consider is where to place your new digital calendar, as the whole family should have easy access to it, while the tablet will need to remain plugged into the mains. What is clear is that it's better if it's on a support this allows you to see and handle it without having to pick it up from the table.
This can be a table stand or wall mountaccording to your preferences. In both cases, try to make it fairly reliable and stable. In other words, the tablet is not likely to fall if a family member handles it with little care.
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And a traditional table stand may be a good optionespecially if it has a good grip to hold it in place, as it's also usually easier to find a stopper at this height. In addition, if the tablet is not very close to the edge of the table, a possible “fall” of the support will cause it to fall on the table itself and not on the floor, which is more problematic.
Remember to keep the screen on
Ambient mode
It can be a good option to keep the tablet screen always on, although it will eventually take its toll on the screen. If you have an older tablet, it may still have Google Assistant's ambient mode, which is unfortunately outdated these days. You can see if this is the case in the Google app settings, in Ambient mode. This ambient mode allows you to keep the screen on but without the risk of burning.
What can probably go well for you is, at the very least, increase the amount of time the screen stays on so there is no need to unlock it frequently. If your tablet has options to turn on the screen with a gesture (like a double tap), this is a much more convenient way to turn it on than pressing the physical button.
Additionally, you may wish adjust the brightness at a level that makes viewing content comfortable, but not excessive brightness that would end up damaging the screen in the long run.
Customize the look
This is a family tablet and should therefore look like one. It is advisable that it does not become a tablet for everything (like games, etc.), because then it will rarely be in its place and fulfill its function, but you will always be able to Personalize your look with family photos or widgets. A good idea is to use the People or Pets widget in Google Photos to highlight personal photos on the home screen.
You can choose to fill a launch page with widgets and devote another to shortcuts to applications that will be used to manage the family's digital calendar. Other cool widgets you can use are weather forecasts or home controls, so any family member can control the smart devices in the home.
It's software time
Of course, the most important thing in a digital calendar is its software. There are mainly two routes you can take here: use the Google Family Link family system to manage everything and use Google apps or opt for a specialized app.
Option 1: Create a family on Google
If in your family you are veryGoogle services and appsmaybe this is the winning option. What you need to do is set up Google Family Link on the Google Families website, configuring the members and digital parental rules that you deem appropriate.
Families set up on Google share Google products and subscriptions. a shared Google Keep calendar and notes. The system has other advantages such as sharing Google One storage or Google Play purchases.
After setting up the family, each member can view the shared calendar on their mobile, in the Google Calendar app, and add and edit events in the family calendar. On your family tablet, simply include Google Calendar to view this shared family calendar. The same goes for Google Keep notes.
Option 2: Use a specialized application
Family wall
If you prefer something more specialized, Google Play has plenty of options for you, as there is a whole category of applications to manage families. Some options that stand out from the rest are:
These applications have the disadvantage of They are a bit annoying to configure whereas you have to invest time and mobilize your whole family to try them, perhaps only to realize later that it is not what you thought. On the other hand, if you find what you are looking for, you will find a much more complete solution than using the Google family system.
After trying them all, The one I liked the most is FamilyWallwhich was not too complicated to set up and which has a whole bunch of tools for the family ranging from budget management to documents, shopping lists, real-time location, meal recording, schedules and, of course, a shared calendar. Not all options are available for free: some of them require paying for a Premium version which costs 39.99 dollars per year.
The strategy here is for each family member (or at least the parents) to have FamilyWall on their phone, in addition to install the app on the shared family tablet so that everyone can consult it.
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