GrandkinsA video call app for grandparents and grandchildren, even across languages
What grandparents need from a video call app
- Answering has to be easy. One tap to answer. The phone can say out loud who’s calling, and for someone who finds answering hard, calls can pick up by themselves while the app is open (off unless you turn it on).
- No accounts to forget. Grandparents join with a 6-letter code. No email, no password.
- A way to ask for help. An "Ask for help" button tells the family organizer they need a hand.
- Their own phone. iPhone or Android, in any country.
Something to do besides "how’s school?"
Video calls with small kids often fizzle after two minutes. Giving them something to do together helps:
- Read together. Tap Book and pick one of 62 picture books for ages 2 to 9. You both see the same page and the pages turn together. How reading together works.
- A question every Sunday. Like "Who was your best friend in school?" It’s an easy way to get a grandparent telling stories.
- Video messages. Record a short video for someone who’s asleep on the other side of the world; they watch it when they wake up.
- A regular call on the calendar. Set a weekly call and everyone gets a reminder ten minutes before, in their own time zone.
When grandparents and grandkids don’t share a language
This is what Grandkins was built for. Each person speaks their own language and hears everyone else translated into theirs, with captions, on one-to-one and whole-family calls. Messages are translated too. It covers 36 languages in any pairing, including Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Filipino, Arabic, Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu.
Common questions
Is it safe for young kids?
A parent adds each child, with consent for anyone under 13, and children can reach only the family members the organizer allows. There are no ads, and calls are never recorded.
Can the whole family be on one call?
Yes. Calls can be one-to-one or the whole family together, and everyone hears the others in their own language.
Does Grandma need to install an app?
She installs the same Grandkins app as everyone else, on iPhone or Android, taps "Join my family" and types the 6-letter code you send her. No email, no password. If you’re not with her, read her the code over an ordinary phone call. A relative who only joins now and then can use a guest link that opens one call in a web browser.
Do we need translation if everyone speaks the same language?
No. Translation only runs when it’s on, and calls without translation don’t use any of your plan’s translated minutes.
How much does it cost?
Starter is $9.99 a month or $99 a year with 100 translated minutes a month; Family is $14.99 a month or $149 a year with 200; Family Plus is $19.99 a month or $199 a year with 300. One plan covers up to 15 people, and every family starts with a free trial: 14 days or 60 translated minutes, whichever comes first.
Try it with your own family
Setup takes a few minutes: add your family, pick each person's language, and send each of them a 6-letter code. Plans start at $9.99 a month for the whole family, and every family starts with a free trial of 14 days or 60 translated minutes.
Start your family's free trial