Keep your Family Organized with the Cozi App
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I found the Cozi Shared Family Planner App several years ago when I was looking for a calendar app that my husband and I could share. We have iPhones but the iCal app and Google Calendar fell short of what I needed. I am a planner addict so I have tried a lot and have been consistently using Cozi for all my virtual planning. Of course I still have a paper planner because I need to write things down too! The best part of the Cozi App is that it’s FREE! No need to upgrade or buy anything additional, it is completely functional from its original download. There is an option to purchase the Cozi Gold upgrade for $29.99/year which has a few additional features and removes the small ads. This wasn’t something I felt like I personally needed and I still run the free version on my phone.
The Shared Calendar
This is the feature I was most looking for in the Cozi App: A calendar that my husband and I could both update and view from our own phones. It keeps us organized and also keeps the other person in the loop with our plans. Cozi allows you to signify a color for each person in your family and select certain family members for each event. We even have colors for our dogs so we can include them on their appointments! There is also a color for “all” meaning all members of the family are included on that event. You can then use a feature to look at only a certain person’s events. We haven’t needed this yet, but I assume when our three children get into their own lessons and sporting events, this will be good to have a streamlined view of our week.
Each event will allow you to create a title, list a location and include which family members this effects. Events can be scheduled with start and end times or there is a button for an “all day” event. You can schedule reminders and set up repeat events on a daily, weekly, monthly or yearly basis. There is also a note section on each event if you want to add details or maybe a list of things you need to bring. Cozi offers an email reminder that will deliver your weekly calendar to yourself and other family members so they are prepared for the week. We receive ours on Sunday mornings and it makes a good breakfast conversation over what our week is going to look like.
Other Free Features
The Lists feature is one I have used on and off. It has awesome features, but I prefer paper for my lists. They give you multiple shopping lists customizable for the different stores you are visiting or even the days you are shopping. Additionally, there are To Do lists that can be labeled for different family members as well as a shared list. List items can be checked off as they are completed.
There is a Recipes page that has a list of recipes you can pull up and view right on the app. The genius feature of this is that you can add the entire ingredient list to your shopping list with 1-click! You can also add the recipe to your daily calendar if you have family members wondering what’s for dinner. The recipes are from popular publications like Cooking Light, Food & Wine, Real Simple and Southern Living. This feature is definitely a time saver when you need a recipe fast!
The Family tab is where you add and choose colors for your family members. It is customizable with a family photo and also a decorative theme or background pattern. I chose a cute Erin Condren design! You can also find the Journal feature where family members can upload photos and write about them. Think of it as a shared Instagram feed for your family.
Try it for Free
The Cozi App is totally free and definitely worth a try! After trying several calendars and apps – even paid apps – that didn’t meet my expectations, I’m glad I found this app for my family planner. I have been using Cozi since before I had my children and my oldest is almost 3! I invite you to sign up for your free account and get started with your shared family calendar. If you don’t love it, you don’t lose anything, but I’m pretty sure you’re going to love it!
I’ve been looking for something like this for my family. We seem to get busier by the week! Thank you!
I just downloaded Cozi a couple weeks ago and am super excited to use it!!
This would help me organize my schedule so much! Maybe I should try it out.
This looks so helpful! I love having a shared calendar and shopping list with my husband; it’s so helpful for keeping each other up to date on everything 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Wow, this sounds awesome! I love the color coding, the lists and the recipe feature! You have me convinced! I’m a paper person too, but I’ve been looking for a good calendar. Going to download it now!
I had never thought about having a family planner on my phone. I love How clean and easy to read it is.
What an awesome app. You can organize so much with it! I’m looking into it!
I tried the Cozi app but couldn’t get the hang of it. I think as we have kids in school it’ll come in handy for sure. I’m going to give it another try!
This sounds perfect for my husband and I! I’m a super planner and need this type of organization on my phone not just my paper planner
Wow. This app looks amazing. I especially love the ‘share’ feature. Might have to download this one!
I use to use the cozi app. I had high hopes of my husband and syncing our apps together and always being on the same page with our kids schedules. A last, he didn’t want to download the app, so I was the only one super organized. I highly recommend it though.