Do I need to be tech-savvy to use Echoes?
Not at all. Echoes is designed to be intuitive for anyone, including grandparents and older relatives. Download the app, sign in, and start talking. Setup takes under a minute — no technical skills required.
Help center
Questions, answered
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Getting Started
What devices does Echoes work on?
Echoes is an iPhone app. You record on your phone, and your stories are stored securely in your Echoes account as well as on the phone.
Does Echoes work on Android?
Not today. Echoes is an iPhone app, so the storyteller records on an iPhone. The family doesn't need one: you send them the finished Audio Memoir and PDF memoir as files.
Is there an age requirement?
Yes. Echoes is for adults. The person who sets up the account and the storyteller must both be 18 or older, and Echoes is built for people in the United States.
Can I record offline?
No — the conversation happens live, with the interviewer listening and responding in real time, so Echoes needs an internet connection while you record. Each session is saved when you finish it.
How do I set up an account?
Download the app and sign in with Apple, Google, or an email address — it takes under a minute. If someone gave you Echoes, you created your account when you claimed the gift, so just sign in.
The Experience
Is the interviewer a real person?
No. The interviewer is an AI, informed by decades of research into how good listeners ask. It's patient, it remembers what you've told it, and it never pretends to be a person. It is not a therapist, and your stories are never used to train it.
How long are recording sessions?
As short or as long as you like, up to an hour at a time. There is no minimum and no quota — the interviewer adapts to your pace, and you can come back as often as you want.
Can I edit or re-record conversations?
You can't edit a recording, but you can record the story again in a new session, or delete a recording from its page in your Library.
What if I don't know what to say?
The interviewer handles that. It asks thoughtful questions, listens to what you share, and adapts based on your answers. Think of it as a conversation partner — you don't need a script. If you'd like a head start, our guide to the questions worth asking has fifty of them, grouped by life stage.
How often should I record?
There's no set schedule. Record weekly, monthly, or whenever inspiration strikes. Each session starts with notes on what you've already shared, so the interviewer can pick up the threads. Most people find their own rhythm.
The Audio Memoir
When does my Audio Memoir get produced?
Once five chapters are complete — a chapter completes after ten minutes of recording, across as many sessions as you like — Echoes can produce your Audio Memoir, built from your real recordings in the style you choose: raw, narrated, or documentary style weaving the two together. You listen to it in the app.
Can I keep my own copy?
You can keep your own copy of the words and the finished Audio Memoir: the app exports your memoir and each story's transcript as PDFs, and sends the Audio Memoir as an audio file. Your recordings stay in your Echoes account for as long as your retention setting keeps them.
Can I share my Audio Memoir with family?
Yes. Send the finished Audio Memoir and PDF memoir to the people you love, straight from the app. They don't need an Echoes account to listen or read.
Privacy & Security
Who has access to my recordings?
You, and the members of your family group, for the stories you share with the group. Your recordings are encrypted in transit and at rest. While you record, the storyteller's voice also goes to the service that runs the interviewer, so it can listen and respond. Within Echoes, only the people who need to run the service and help you can reach your information. Our Privacy Policy explains the rest, including the companies that help us run Echoes.
Are my recordings encrypted?
Yes. All recordings are encrypted in transit and at rest. This helps protect your data from interception and unauthorized access.
Will Echoes use my stories for training or advertising?
No. We never use your stories to train the interviewer or any other model, to improve products, or for advertising. Your voice and stories are sacred and belong only to you.
What happens to my stories if I delete my account?
Your recordings, transcripts, and stories are deleted, as described in our Privacy Policy. For stories you shared, your family group may still see the title, a short preview, and any comments. Export your memoir and transcripts from the app first if you would like to keep a copy — deletion is permanent and cannot be undone.
Can I designate who inherits my stories?
There's no setting for that today. The closest thing is sending the finished Audio Memoir and PDF memoir to the people you love, so each of them keeps a copy of their own. You also choose how long Echoes keeps your recordings — indefinitely, or deleted automatically after three years or one year.
Gifting
Does a gift code expire?
No. Gift codes don't expire — there's no deadline to redeem, so there's no rush to find the right moment.
Can someone use a gift code if they're not in my country?
Echoes is built for people in the United States — pricing is in U.S. dollars and the safety resources we show are U.S. hotlines. We can’t promise it works well elsewhere, so we’d suggest gifting it to someone stateside.
What if the recipient doesn't want to use their gift?
If the code hasn't been redeemed yet, contact us within 30 days of purchase for a full refund. After it's been redeemed we look at refunds case by case — just reach out and we'll talk it through.
Pricing & Billing
Is Echoes a subscription?
No. You pay once — $199 for Echoes Complete — and there is nothing to renew. No monthly charges, no surprise fees.
What's included?
Everything — there are no tiers. Echoes Complete includes the full guided interview across every journey path, transcripts of every session, the produced Audio Memoir built from your real recordings, and the print-ready PDF memoir, both ready to send to the whole family.
Can I buy Echoes for myself on the website?
Yes. Echoes Complete is the same one-time $199 whether you buy it on our pricing page or inside the app on iPhone. Buying on the web sets up your account before you even download the app.
What's your refund policy?
Purchases made on this website are refundable within 30 days — for gifts, as long as the code hasn't been redeemed. Purchases made inside the app are handled by Apple through its own refund process. Either way, nobody's recordings are deleted. The full details are in our Terms.
Can't find what you're looking for? Send us a message — a person reads every one.