FAQ

Do both partners need to download the app and create an account?
No. You can use TallyHome solo — during household creation, you'll add a placeholder for a partner who isn't ready to join yet. You can assign tasks to that placeholder and the load bars will adjust based on what you log. When they're ready, share your household invite code and they can join once they've created their own profile — no data is lost in the switch.

How long does setup take?
Less than two minutes. You'll name your household, add your names (real or placeholder), and you're in. TallyHome seeds a few starter tasks to get you oriented, but there's no lengthy quiz, no relationship survey, and no inventory of everything in your house. You build it as you go — just like real life.

What if my partner doesn't want to use another app?
That's one of the most common things we hear. Good news: they don't have to right away. Add them as a placeholder and keep using TallyHome solo — you'll still get the full picture of physical and mental load based on what you log. Most people find that once the load bars start telling an honest story, partners come around to joining on their own.

What are the load bars on the dashboard?
TallyHome displays two types of load bars for each household member:

• Physical Load — based on the effort score and frequency of tasks assigned to each person.

• Mental Load — based on how often tasks need to happen. The things you have to think about even when you're not doing them.

These bars give you an at-a-glance picture of who is carrying what, without anyone having to say a word.

What is the Imbalance Banner?
When the difference in load between household members reaches a meaningful threshold, TallyHome surfaces an Imbalance Banner on the dashboard. This isn't an alarm or an accusation — it's a gentle signal that the system is off-balance. The banner comes with rebalance suggestions so you have a starting point for the conversation, not just the problem.

What does "invisible work" mean, and how does TallyHome capture it?
Invisible work is everything that happens before a task gets done — the planning, the remembering, the researching, the scheduling. It's the mental overhead that often goes completely unacknowledged. TallyHome captures this through the Mental Load bar, which factors in how frequently a task recurs and the cognitive weight of keeping it in rotation. You can also flag individual tasks as invisible work to make sure that effort counts.

What can I do with Tasks?
From the Tasks screen you can:

• Add new tasks with an effort score, frequency, and category

• Edit existing tasks at any time

• Assign tasks to yourself, your partner, or leave them unassigned

• Complete tasks, which logs them and updates the load calculation

• Delete tasks that no longer apply

Unassigned tasks surface on the dashboard so nothing falls through the cracks.

What is a Check-In?
Check-ins are a structured moment for both partners to reflect on how the household is feeling. The quick check-in is a fast fairness and wellbeing rating. The guided household check-in walks both of you through a four-step conversation together — it's designed for those times when you need more than a number.

What is Auto-Rebalance?
When load imbalance is detected, TallyHome can suggest a set of task reassignments to bring things back into balance. You review the suggestions and accept or dismiss them — nothing moves without your say-so. This is a Premium feature.

What's included in the free tier?
The free tier gives you full access to the core TallyHome experience:

• Physical and mental load bars

• Imbalance banner

• Full task management (add, edit, delete, assign, complete)

• Quick check-in

• Add household members

What does TallyHome Premium include?
Premium unlocks:

• Push notifications — reminders, rebalance alerts, and task nudges

• Auto-rebalance — suggested task reassignments when imbalance is detected

• Guided household check-in — the four-step conversation script for deeper check-ins

• Daily energy tracker — log your spoons for the day so your load reflects how you're actually feeling, not just what's assigned

How does billing work?
TallyHome Premium is available on monthly, semi-annual, and annual billing cycles. You choose what works for you. Subscriptions are managed through your device's app store (Apple App Store or Google Play), so your payment information stays with Apple or Google — we never see it.

Does one subscription cover both partners?
One subscription covers your household. You don't both need to subscribe separately.

How do I reset my password?
On the login screen, tap Forgot Password and enter your email address. You'll receive a reset link shortly — if you don't see it within a few minutes, check your spam or junk folder. The link expires after a short window, so use it promptly. If you still have trouble, reach out to us.

What happens if I delete a household member?
When a member is removed from a household, any tasks assigned to them move to Unassigned automatically. The remaining household member is prompted to reassign those tasks so nothing gets lost.

What happens if my partner is a placeholder (not a real account) and I delete the household?
If the second member in your household was added as a placeholder — meaning they don't have their own TallyHome account — deleting the household removes all associated data completely.

What happens if the household owner deletes their account and the other partner has a real account?
If both partners have real TallyHome accounts, household ownership transfers to the remaining member automatically. Their data and household history are preserved.

Can I leave a household without deleting my account?
At this time, leaving a household requires deleting your account or having the household owner remove you as a member. We know this isn't ideal for every situation and it's on our roadmap to address.

How fast does TallyHome sync between devices?
Changes sync in real time when both devices are online. If your partner completes a task while you're looking at the dashboard, you'll see it update without refreshing.

Does TallyHome work offline?
Partially. You can complete tasks while offline and TallyHome will store those changes locally. When your connection returns, local changes sync back to the household. One thing to be aware of: if both partners make changes to the same task while offline, the first change to reach the server wins. It's a known edge case we want to flag so it doesn't catch anyone off guard.

Is there an offline indicator?
Yes. When TallyHome detects you're offline, a banner appears so you always know what state you're in.

Does TallyHome read my messages, calendar, or personal data?
No. TallyHome only knows what you tell it. There's no AI scanning your conversations, no access to your calendar, and no reading of receipts or messages. Your household data lives in your household — that's it.

Who can see my household data?
Only the members of your household. We don't use your task data, check-in responses, or load scores for advertising, analytics, or anything else. Privacy isn't a feature for us — it's a baseline.

How do I request a refund?
TallyHome subscriptions are billed through the Apple App Store or Google Play. Refund requests need to go through the store where you purchased:

• Apple: reportaproblem.apple.com

• Google Play: play.google.com/store/account/subscriptions

We don't have the ability to issue refunds directly — the stores handle all billing — but if you're having trouble navigating the process, reach out and we'll do our best to point you in the right direction.

How do I cancel my subscription?
Cancellations are managed through your app store. Your Premium access remains active through the end of your current billing period after cancellation.

• Apple: Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions

• Google Play: Play Store → Profile → Payments & Subscriptions

Are there any known bugs I should know about?
We ship fixes as fast as we can find them. If you're experiencing something unexpected, make sure your app is updated to the latest version first — many issues are resolved that way. If you're still seeing something after updating, let us know.

I'm experiencing lag. Is that a known issue?
Minor lag can occur depending on connection quality, especially when syncing larger task lists. We're actively monitoring performance. If the lag is severe or persistent, reaching out with your device model and a description of what you were doing helps us investigate.

How do I report a bug?
Use this form with:

1. A description of what happened

2. What you expected to happen

3. Your device model and operating system version

Screenshots or screen recordings are incredibly helpful if you're able to grab one. Optional — uploading requires a Google account