Where it is. Family gatherings is in the Family & Friends group of the left menu for the owner and caregiver role, and in the circle's own menu for family and friends. The list shows what is coming up and, closed, past gatherings. Each gathering has its own address and five tabs, each with its own address too: Overview, Who's coming, Travel, Food, and Games & gifts.
Planning one (the owner or caregiver role). On Family gatherings, tap Plan a gathering: what (Thanksgiving), the first day, the last day for a stay over several days, the start time, where (The house to start, an address if you like), your words to the family (We're cooking. Bring your families.) and what to expect (games, giveaways, photos and video). Plan it and tell the family saves it and opens it. Everyone in the circle, family and friends, gets one email and a phone notification (under the Visits booked switch) and can book from the gathering's page. The Overview's Host tools hold Edit the details, Close bookings or Cancel the gathering, and Invite family who aren't on ExpressAgain yet, which opens the invites on My People: a new person joins the circle with their own sign-in, then books like everyone else.
Booking to attend. On Overview, every circle login taps I'm coming, Can't make it or Not sure yet, how many adults and children, who is with you (names), the day you arrive and the day you leave when they differ from the gathering's own days, and a note for the host. Send my answer saves it; an answer can be changed any time and the host sees the latest. A booking that says coming also puts the guest on the family's visit calendar: one confirmed visit per day they are here, kind gathering, with how many and who, so Visit Planning, the patient's Visitors page, the Schedule and the calendar link already know. Can't make it or Not sure yet makes no visit. Someone signed in with a family code sees the gathering and the lists but books with their own account.
Who's coming. The headcount counts people, not bookings: Coming, Adults, Children and Not sure yet, then the list of who is coming with whom and on which days, with Not sure yet and Can't make it closed underneath. The host also sees each guest's note, Has not answered yet (the circle logins with no answer), and Put someone on the list for a person who texted or called and is not on ExpressAgain: their name and the same answer form; the host can change or take that row off, and the person can join later and answer for themselves. Whoever runs the account and caregivers get a phone notification and an email when a guest answers.
Travel. Places to stay are the host's suggestions (a name, a link, how far in the host's words, a note); guests book on their own, nothing is booked in the app. Flights is a search, not a booking: the host names the nearest airport and the dates, and Search flights opens Google Flights with them filled in; there is no affiliate link. Who's traveling how is each guest's own trip, the same fields as Travel and Logistics (airline, flight number, arrives, airport, pickup by, pickup time, where you're staying, notes), and the host sees Who needs a pickup. The host can record a trip for a guest who texted the details.
Food. What I eat, what I don't is each guest's own: the common needs as chips (no pork, no shellfish, vegetarian, vegan, diabetic-friendly, nut allergy, gluten-free, dairy-free) plus free text, saved once for that person in the circle so it is on hand for this gathering and the next. The host sees What the guests eat rolled up from everyone who said coming or not sure, each chip with its count and, closed, each guest's own words, and one reminder line with the patient's own diet, read from what the kitchen follows on Menu & Kitchen, never retyped. Bring a dish: the host lists what is needed (the dish, how many, a note); a guest taps I'll bring it to claim one, or I'm bringing to add a dish of their own; Still needed and Spoken for are visible to everyone.
Games & gifts is the fifth tab (teams and the Secret Santa draw). Photos and video of the day go on the Family & Friends feed, as they always have.
Step by step
- 1Open Family gatherings in the Family & Friends menu and tap Plan a gathering.
- 2Type what, the first and last day, the time, where and your words, then tap Plan it and tell the family.
- 3Guests open the gathering and tap I'm coming, Can't make it or Not sure yet, with how many and when they arrive, then Send my answer.
- 4On Travel, add Places to stay and set the airport and the dates; guests add My trip.
- 5On Food, guests save what they eat and don't eat; list what you need under Bring a dish and watch it get claimed.
- 6On Who's coming, read the headcount, who has not answered yet, and put someone who texted on the list.