Managing Your Usage

Keep track of your FamilyCast usage and make the most of your plan - whether Free, Family Plus, or Family Max.

Overview

Every FamilyCast plan includes limits for:

• Displays - Screens showing your family info
• Storage - Space for photos and videos
• Family Members - Who can manage content
• Content Items - Widgets, calendars, photos
• Integrations - Connected services

Don't worry - we'll help you stay within your limits and make the most of what you have!

Checking Your Usage

Usage Dashboard

Find your usage anytime:

1. Go to Settings → Usage
2. See colorful bars showing usage
3. Green = plenty of room
4. Yellow = getting full
5. Red = almost at limit

Example View:

Displays:     1 of 1 used  ████████████ 100%
Storage:      250MB of 1GB ███░░░░░░░░░  25%
Content:      3 of 4 items ████████░░░░  75%
Integrations: 2 of 3 used  ███████░░░░░  66%

Understanding the Numbers

What counts toward each limit:

Displays:

• Each screen showing FamilyCast
• Kitchen tablet = 1
• Living room TV = 1
• Inactive displays don't count

Storage:

• Family photos
• Videos
• Not system content or widgets

Content Items:

• Weather widget = 1
• Photo slideshow = 1
• Calendar = 1
• Each widget counts as 1

Family Members:

• People who can edit content
• Not viewers/kids with view-only

Plan Limits Reminder

Quick Reference

Feature	Free	Family Plus	Family Max
Displays	1	3	5
Storage	1 GB	3 GB	5 GB
Content Items	4	12	20
Family Members	1	2	5
Integrations	3	9	15

Managing Storage Space

See What's Using Space

1. Go to Settings → Storage
2. View breakdown:
   • Photos: 200 MB
   • Videos: 50 MB
   • Total: 250 MB of 1 GB

Free Up Storage Space

Quick Wins:

• Delete duplicate photos
• Remove blurry pictures
• Clear old screenshots
• Delete test content

Smart Storage Tips:

For Photos:

• Upload smaller versions for displays
• Keep originals on phone/computer
• Create seasonal albums (remove old seasons)
• Use cloud photo integrations instead

For Videos:

• Keep videos under 30 seconds
• Use lower quality for displays
• Link YouTube videos instead
• Remove watched videos

Photo Management

Organize Efficiently:

1. Create albums by month/event
2. Archive old months
3. Keep only best photos
4. Rotate seasonal content

Auto-Cleanup:

• Enable "Remove old photos" setting
• Set to remove after 3/6/12 months
• Favorites never deleted
• Get warning before deletion

Managing Displays

Active vs. Inactive

Active Displays (count toward limit):

• Currently showing content
• Updated within 7 days
• Connected to internet

Inactive Displays (don't count):

• Turned off temporarily
• Vacation mode
• Guest room screens
• Seasonal displays

Smart Display Use

Make the Most of Your Displays:

On Free Plan (1 display):

• Move tablet between rooms
• Use central location everyone sees
• Cast to different TVs as needed
• Focus on most important room

On Family Plus (3 displays):

• Kitchen command center
• Kids' bedroom display
• Living room photo frame

On Family Max (5 displays):

• Cover main living spaces
• Each kid's room
• Home office
• Garage/workout room

Deactivating Displays

Temporarily turn off displays:

1. Go to Displays in settings
2. Find display to deactivate
3. Toggle Active to off
4. Display stops counting immediately
5. Turn back on anytime

When to Deactivate:

• Kids at summer camp
• Guest room not in use
• Vacation home off-season
• Renovating a room

Managing Content Items

What Counts as Content

Each of these = 1 content item:

• Weather widget
• Calendar
• Photo album
• Clock
• Chore chart
• Shopping list
• News feed
• Birthday countdown
• Quote of the day

Optimize Your Content

Free Plan (4 items): Choose essentials:

1. Weather
2. Family calendar
3. Photo slideshow
4. Clock or shopping list

Family Plus (12 items): Add personality:

• All Free items
• Chore charts
• School calendars
• Recipe display
• Birthday tracker
• Multiple photo albums

Family Max (20 items): Everything connected:

• All Plus items
• Individual calendars
• Sports schedules
• Homework tracker
• Message board
• Fun widgets

Combining Content

Save content slots by combining:

• One calendar with all family events (vs. separate)
• Single photo album with folders (vs. multiple albums)
• Combined chore/reward chart
• All birthdays in one widget

Managing Family Members

Who Needs Access?

Consider who really needs to edit:

Free Plan (1 person):

• Primary parent manages everything
• Others can view but not edit

Family Plus (2 people):

• Both parents can manage
• Kids view only

Family Max (5 people):

• Parents have full access
• Teens get limited editing
• Younger kids view only

Access Levels

Full Access (counts toward limit):

• Add/remove content
• Change settings
• Manage displays

View Only (doesn't count):

• See displays
• Can't make changes
• Perfect for kids

Managing Integrations

What Are Integrations?

Connections to other services:

• Google Calendar
• Weather services
• Google Photos
• Apple Calendar
• News feeds
• Social media
• School portals
• Sports apps

Choose Wisely

Free Plan (3 integrations): Pick most important:

1. Weather (essential)
2. Main family calendar
3. Photo service or news

Family Plus (9 integrations): Add more connections:

• All Free integrations
• School calendars
• Sports schedules
• Recipe sources
• Social updates

Family Max (15 integrations): Connect everything:

• Multiple calendars
• Various photo sources
• News and weather
• Entertainment
• Smart home devices

When You Hit Limits

Warning System

We'll let you know:

• 75% usage = Gentle reminder
• 90% usage = Yellow warning
• 95% usage = Time to act
• 100% = Can't add more (but everything keeps working!)

At 100% Usage

What still works:

• All current displays keep showing
• Existing content continues updating
• No service interruption
• Everything functions normally

What you can't do:

• Add new displays
• Upload more photos (if storage full)
• Add new widgets
• Connect new services

Your Options

When at limits:

1. Remove unused items (fastest)
2. Optimize what you have (smartest)
3. Upgrade your plan (easiest)
4. Stay at limit (totally fine!)

Optimization Tips

For Families on Free Plan

Maximize your free account:

• Focus on one perfect display
• Use integrated calendars
• Link to cloud photos (don't upload)
• Pick 3 best integrations
• Delete old content regularly

For Growing Families

Signs you might need Family Plus:

• Want displays in kids' rooms
• Both parents need to manage
• Photo storage filling up
• Need more than basics

For Large Families

Signs you might need Family Max:

• Every room needs different info
• Kids want to help manage
• Tons of family photos
• Complex schedules
• Multiple calendars needed

Seasonal Management

School Year vs. Summer

School Year:

• Homework widgets active
• School calendars connected
• Morning routine displays
• After-school schedules

Summer:

• Deactivate school items
• Add camp schedules
• Vacation countdown
• Pool/beach widgets
• Free up 2-3 content slots!

Holiday Seasons

Temporary content:

• Birthday countdowns
• Holiday decorations
• Event planning
• Gift lists

After holidays:

• Remove seasonal widgets
• Archive holiday photos
• Disconnect event calendars
• Back to normal setup

Best Practices

Weekly Habits

5-Minute Weekly Cleanup:

• Delete blurry photos
• Remove old reminders
• Check usage dashboard
• Deactivate unused displays

Monthly Review

Monthly Optimization:

• Review all content items
• Archive old photos
• Check integration usage
• Adjust for next month

Smart Family Rules

Usage Guidelines:

• One person uploads photos
• Delete before adding new
• Seasonal content rotation
• Share management duties

Troubleshooting

"Storage Full" Message

Quick fixes:

1. Delete largest videos first
2. Remove duplicate photos
3. Clear test content
4. Empty trash/archive

"Display Limit Reached"

Solutions:

1. Check for forgotten displays
2. Deactivate unused rooms
3. Share displays when possible
4. Consider upgrading

"Can't Add Widget"

Try:

1. Remove unused widgets
2. Combine similar content
3. Check content item count
4. Prioritize essentials

Upgrade Indicators

When to Consider Family Plus

✓ Need 2-3 displays ✓ Storage over 75% regularly ✓ Want both parents to manage ✓ Need more than basics

When to Consider Family Max

✓ Want 4-5 displays ✓ Large photo collection ✓ Complex family schedules ✓ Kids want to participate

Getting Help

Usage Support

Free Resources:

• This guide
• Community forums
• Video tutorials
• FAQ section

Email Support:

• Family Plus: [email protected] (24hr)
• Family Max: [email protected] (4hr)

Community Tips

Join other families at community.familycast.app:

• Share optimization tricks
• Learn from other families
• Get creative ideas
• Find usage tips

Next Steps

• Account Settings - Manage your account
• Pricing & Plans - Compare plans
• Billing - Payment management
• Display Setup - Optimize displays
• Storage Tips - Photo best practices