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Quick Start Guide

Get your first family display up and running in 15 minutes! This guide will walk you through creating a simple family calendar and photo display.

What You'll Need

Hardware:

  • A tablet, smart TV, or computer to use as your display
  • Stable WiFi connection

Accounts (Optional but Recommended):

  • Cozi account (for family calendar)
  • Google Photos account (for photo sharing)

Step 1: Create Your Account

  1. Visit familycast.app
  2. Click Sign Up
  3. Enter your email and create a password
  4. Verify your email address
  5. Complete family profile setup

Time: 3 minutes


Step 2: Connect Your Family Calendar

Let's start by connecting your Cozi or Google Calendar so your family can see everyone's schedule.

  1. Go to Integrations in the menu
  2. Click Connect Cozi
  3. Log in to your Cozi account
  4. Click Allow Access
  5. FamilyCast will sync your family calendar

Option B: Connect Google Calendar

  1. Go to Integrations in the menu
  2. Click Connect Google Calendar
  3. Choose your Google account
  4. Select which calendars to sync
  5. Click Allow

Time: 2 minutes


Step 3: Connect Google Photos (Optional)

Add family photos to your display:

  1. Go to IntegrationsGoogle Photos
  2. Click Connect Google Photos
  3. Log in to your Google account
  4. Select albums to display
  5. Click Allow Access

Tip: Create a "FamilyCast" album in Google Photos specifically for display content.

Time: 2 minutes


Step 4: Create Your First Layout

Layouts control what appears on your displays. Let's create a simple family hub layout.

  1. Click Layouts in the main menu
  2. Click Create Layout
  3. Enter name: "Family Hub"
  4. Choose template: Family Calendar + Photos

The template includes:

  • Large calendar view (70% of screen)
  • Photo slideshow (30% of screen)
  • Weather widget
  1. Click Create Layout

Time: 1 minute


Step 5: Customize Your Layout

The layout designer lets you customize what appears on screen.

Calendar Area

  1. Click the Calendar area
  2. Select your connected calendar (Cozi or Google)
  3. Choose view: Week View (recommended)
  4. Click Save

Photo Area

  1. Click the Photos area
  2. Select Google Photos album
  3. Set transition: Fade (10 seconds per photo)
  4. Click Save

Weather Widget

  1. Click Weather widget
  2. Enter your zip code or city
  3. Choose temperature unit (F or C)
  4. Click Save

Time: 3 minutes


Step 6: Create Your Display

Now let's set up the physical device that will show your content.

  1. Click Displays in the menu
  2. Click Create Display
  3. Fill in details:
    • Name: "Kitchen Display" (or your preferred location)
    • Type: Family Hub
    • Location: Where the display is located
  4. Click Create

You'll receive a 6-character registration code (example: FAM123)

Important: This code expires in 24 hours!

Time: 2 minutes


Step 7: Register Your Device

On the device you want to use as a display:

  1. Open a web browser (Chrome or Safari recommended)
  2. Go to: display.familycast.app
  3. Enter your 6-character registration code
  4. Click Register Device

What happens next:

  • Display connects to FamilyCast
  • Downloads your "Family Hub" layout
  • Starts showing your calendar and photos
  • Begins automatic updates

Time: 2 minutes


Step 8: Assign Your Layout

Connect your layout to your display:

  1. Back in the FamilyCast dashboard
  2. Go to Displays
  3. Click on your "Kitchen Display"
  4. Under Active Layout, select "Family Hub"
  5. Click Update

Your display should immediately show the new layout!

Time: 1 minute


You're Done!

🎉 Congratulations! Your family display is live!

What You Just Created

✅ A family calendar showing everyone's schedules ✅ A photo slideshow from your Google Photos ✅ Current weather information ✅ A cloud-managed display that updates automatically

Next Steps

Add More Family Members

Expand Your Setup

Customize Further


Tips for Success

Display Placement:

  • Kitchen: Perfect for family calendar and meal planning
  • Entryway: Great for daily schedules and reminders
  • Kids' Rooms: Individual schedules and chore charts
  • Living Room: Family photos and shared calendar

Content Strategy:

  • Keep calendars current (sync happens automatically)
  • Update photo albums regularly
  • Add family members so everyone can contribute
  • Check displays weekly to ensure they're online

Common First Steps:

  1. Start with one central display (kitchen recommended)
  2. Get the family comfortable with viewing the calendar
  3. Add more displays once everyone's on board
  4. Gradually add features like messages and kids' schedules

Troubleshooting

Display not showing content?

  1. Check that display is online (green status)
  2. Verify layout is assigned to display
  3. Ensure calendar/photos are connected
  4. Try refreshing the display browser

Calendar not updating?

  1. Check integration is still connected
  2. Verify calendar has events
  3. Wait up to 15 minutes for sync
  4. Reconnect integration if needed

Photos not appearing?

  1. Verify Google Photos album has photos
  2. Check that album is selected in layout
  3. Ensure internet connection is stable
  4. Try different album if issues persist

More help: Common Issues


What's Included in Your Free Plan

✅ 1 family hub ✅ 3 displays ✅ Unlimited family members ✅ Cozi integration ✅ Google Calendar integration ✅ Google Photos integration ✅ Basic weather ✅ Email support

Upgrade to Premium for:

  • Unlimited displays
  • Advanced scheduling
  • Custom layouts
  • Priority support
  • Additional integrations

Ready to do more? Check out the Display Setup Guide to add displays throughout your home.