My Opinion on FAMILEO: the Family Journal to Stay Connected!

There’s nothing easier today than staying in touch with loved ones, thanks to instant messaging services and video calls! Despite this apparent ease, it often happens that part of the family finds themselves isolated: indeed, very few older adults use WhatsApp or social media.

To keep your entire family connected, companies like Famileo have developed a concept of a family newsletter that each family member can add to with their photos and updates, which will then be printed and sent directly to the recipient. In the past few months, I had the pleasure of testing a Famileo box, and I’d like to share my thoughts on it with you.

What is Familéo?

👍 I Loved It

• The concept of Famileo has captivated my entire family.
• Seeing my grandmother delighted and being able to discuss her newsletter with her.
• The ease of use of the Famileo app.
• The attractive pricing and the ability to share the payment.
• The final appearance of the newsletter.
• The option to adjust the subscription according to one’s budget.

❌ What I Liked Less

• The quality of the paper is rather average,
• 30 messages can sometimes feel a bit limited if there are many of us!

How Does Famileo Work?

Famileo offers to send a printed newsletter to someone of your choice every month, twice a month, or weekly, featuring 30 messages and photographs. This service can be used in many situations, but it is primarily designed to keep your parents, grandparents, or even great-grandparents updated.

Every family member who wants to participate can download the app or directly log into the website, and then enter their family code, which is provided to the person who registers the family during the sign-up process. After that, it’s easy to create your newsletter by uploading photos and adding messages of your choice.

Everyone in the family can join in: there is a limit of 60 people who can contribute to each newsletter. So, don’t hesitate to create a personal account to make the content diverse and friendly.

👉 For example, you can send a photo from a family celebration, a place you visited on vacation, or a moment that reminds you of your grandfather or grandmother.

Excerpt from a Famileo newsletter

The layout is handled automatically, and the newsletter is sent directly to the recipient, by mail, regardless of which country they live in.

💌 With the first newsletter, the recipient receives a letter explaining what it’s all about. This makes it a perfect way to surprise your loved ones!

📅 Each family member who helps write the newsletter will receive an email three days before it is published, giving them time to complete their contributions.

💲 Famileo offers a group gifting system: anyone can easily contribute to the subscription without the hassle of transfers or money exchanges.

📱 Finally, each participating member can view the completed newsletter to stay updated on family news!

✅ Famileo is an amazing invention that helps your entire family stay connected, allowing older relatives to receive updates from the people who matter most to them. Be careful, it can be a bit addictive: grandparents love getting the newsletter and always want more!

Who is the Famileo Gazette for?

A Famileo subscription is a true family gift. Of course, the newsletter is primarily intended for the elderly person to whom it is sent. If they live alone, they will be delighted to learn about the latest adventures of their family members and will feel very connected. As a couple, your grandparents or great-grandparents can discuss their newsletter together.

Finally, if your loved one lives in a nursing home or a assisted living facility, you can definitely subscribe them to this newsletter to brighten their day and show them that you’re thinking of them.

How much does Famileo cost?

Famileo offers three different pricing plans:

These subscriptions are commitment-free: you can pause or cancel your plan whenever you want.

👉 If you’re on a tight budget, the monthly plan at $5.99 is a great option. It allows you to give a nice gift without breaking the bank!

👉 If you have a large family, the $17.99 per month offer allows you to send out a newsletter every week. This is perfect if many people are involved in the newsletter, as it gives everyone the chance to post messages regularly.

In any case, you can very easily upgrade your subscription and adjust it based on your needs and capabilities. Simply go to the “My Account” section, then “Subscription Management,” and click on “Change Plan.” The changes will take effect from your renewal date.

What Does a Famileo Gazette Look Like?

The Famileo newsletter is described as a small newspaper in A4 format (similar to a standard printer sheet). It starts with a front page that includes the date, upcoming holidays and anniversaries, and the family members who contributed to this edition of the newsletter.

On the following pages, the messages are presented one after another, each time:

• A large format photograph printed in color,
• A message written by a loved one, easy to read (in large print),
• The author’s name of the message clearly indicated, along with a small photo.

The first page and a random page from a Famileo newspaper

How to Gift a Famileo Subscription or a Single Box? 🎁

To gift a Famileo subscription, you have two options:

🔸 Subscribe the intended recipient of the newsletters directly from the website by choosing your preferred subscription option (monthly, bi-monthly, or weekly). In this case, each person added to the family group can then choose to contribute to the payment pool if they wish.

🔸 Give a six-month gift box for $39:

This gift set is very convenient if you want to make your present tangible: in addition to six months of monthly subscription to the newsletter, the recipient will also receive a box to store their newsletters. You can order it directly from the homepage of the website.

📚 After a year, you can also have all the newsletters printed in a beautiful hardcover book. There’s no better way to preserve your lovely memories and share them with your loved ones!

➡️ Who Should Receive Famileo?

👵 The Famileo box makes a perfect gift for older adults who aren’t very connected on social media and messaging apps. It’s an ideal present for your parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents. It’s also a great choice for your in-laws or uncles and aunts.

👩‍🦽 The Famileo journal can also be sent to a disabled person residing in a care facility or a person who is hospitalized for an extended period.

🌍 If your family is spread out across the globe, the Famileo newsletter is a fantastic way to stay connected and share your daily adventures. In fact, Famileo ships worldwide!

What Do Subscribers Think? Discover Customer Reviews on Famileo!

Whether you’re looking to give a gift or treat yourself, customer reviews are an invaluable indicator of whether the product meets your expectations. To help you get a sense of what people are saying about Famileo, I’ve summarized customer feedback from various online platforms for you.

About the Famileo Website

On the homepage of the site, you can find video reviews that give an overview of customer satisfaction:

🔸 The recipients of the newsletters express their excitement about receiving the magazine each month and the joy of feeling connected with the rest of their family.

🔸 Families who write to Famileo praise the ease of use, the joy of seeing their loved ones happy, and the happiness of getting updates from the entire family each month in the newsletter.

On the Famileo Brand’s Facebook

The platform where Famileo customers leave the most reviews is Facebook.

The excellent rating for Famileo and the large number of reviews suggest that most customers are satisfied with this newsletter.

💚 Customers Loved

• Keep their loved ones happy by sharing updates regularly,
• The practicality of Famileo,
• The easy-to-use nature of the app and website, even for those who aren’t tech-savvy,
• The communication with the very efficient customer service,
• The affordability of the subscription,
• The fact that it is a French company.

Example of a positive review from the Famileo Facebook page

❌ They Liked It Less

• The fact that the newsletter does not allow writing in Asian characters or Arabic,
• The quality of printed photographs (only affecting a minority of users, and it seems they have recently changed their printing service),
• Some delivery delays caused by postal services.

Example of a mixed review from the Famileo Facebook page and the response provided by another user

About Trustpilot

There are currently very few reviews of Famileo on the verified review site Trustpilot. The feedback received is average, mainly due to a negative review from someone who experienced delivery issues (primarily due to the carrier), which lowers the overall rating. However, there are also very positive reviews that balance out this negative experience.

Famileo on Social Media

You can find the company Famileo at:

• Instagram, featuring examples of newsletters in photos, contests, personal experiences, and more…

Excerpt from Famileo’s Instagram account

• Facebook, with over 50,000 followers, where you can find contests, updates on the latest news from your newsletter, and more.
• Twitter, for direct interaction and to send your questions straight to Famileo.
• And finally, YouTube, featuring quick and comprehensive tutorials (available on YouTube Shorts) along with videos about the Famileo concept and its benefits for seniors.

Can We Trust the Company Famileo, or Is It a Scam?

Famileo has been around since August 2015. The service was launched by the French startup Entourage Solutions. According to the official site “Société.com,” this company has been in existence since 2014, which ensures a degree of stability. It employs about thirty staff members and has over 700,000 active users.

Excerpt from Société.com about Entourage Solutions, the company behind the Famileo service

The company takes the time to respond to customer reviews and questions on Facebook and via messaging, and has a customer service team available by phone, using a normal rate number. Moreover, the quality of this support is praised by users in Facebook reviews.

Finally, the company has won two prestigious awards in the field of entrepreneurship:

• “France is Committed” in 2017,
• “Pass French Tech” in 2019.

✅ Famileo is a part of a French company that is easy to reach and offers reliable customer service, which ensures trustworthiness.

My Verdict on Famileo

I chose to use Famileo to stay in touch with my grandmother, who lives over three hours away from me. Initially, it was more of a personal project because I was concerned that other family members, particularly my mother, wouldn’t be able to contribute content to the newsletter.

However, as soon as the first newsletter arrived, the rest of my family wanted to know how to get involved in creating this journal. I first shared the family code with my sister, then with my mother, and also with my aunt and uncle. Each of them chose the option that suited them best. The mobile app is very convenient for those who have a smartphone: it’s very user-friendly, allowing people to easily add photos and text without any prior computer skills.

When it comes to payment, we’ve recently started using a group fund system that allows us to split the costs. It’s very convenient and works great!

My grandmother is always thrilled to receive her newspaper. She enjoys flipping through it and looking it over from time to time. When we visit her, she shows it to us, and it’s a great conversation starter! So far, we haven’t had any delivery issues.

Source: Instagram (@labulledesevy, @odrai_et_louis, @louiseetleskids)

Some of the photos are truly beautiful, and the journal format isn’t always ideal for showcasing them. I’m considering reprinting them on photo paper. I also noticed that Famileo offers to reprint the newsletters in a bound book after a year, so I might go that route as well.

Finally, this subscription had an unexpected effect: in addition to staying connected with my grandma, we all now enjoy the newsletter that we can download with each issue. This helps us keep up with what’s happening in the family and the daily lives of everyone: it’s very unifying!

✅I highly recommend the Famileo experience, especially for families who are geographically distant. It’s an adventure to share together, easy to use, and helps bring all family members closer! 😉

Famileo FAQ: I’m Answering YOUR Questions!

👉 In the following lines, I will answer the questions you may have about Famileo. If you can’t find the answers you’re looking for, feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this page to contribute your thoughts. I would be happy to assist you!

How to Log in to Famileo?

If you already have a Famileo account, just visit the website and log in by clicking on “My Account” in the upper right corner. You can also download the app available for Android and iPhone.

If you want to join your family who is already subscribed to Famileo, you will need a family code that was sent to the person who subscribed. Then, simply scroll all the way to the bottom of the homepage, click on “I join my family”, and follow the instructions. This can also be done from the app!

Finally, if your loved one lives in a partner facility of Famileo, they should provide you with a code that you can also enter on the website, on the homepage, in the section titled: “Does your loved one reside in a subscribed facility?”.

Who prints Famileo?

When you subscribe, the company Famileo takes care of printing and sending the newsletter directly. Once it’s filled with your photos and messages, you don’t have to do anything else. 😉

How can I obtain a Famileo promo code?

When you sign up, you can enter the promo code “COUPDEPOUCE”, which gives you 70% off the first month. This offer is applicable to monthly and bi-monthly subscriptions. It’s a great deal if you want to try Famileo for a month without any commitment, as it will only cost you about $1.80.

Does Famileo offer a referral system?

Yes! Famileo has set up a referral program. Just ask the person who is referring you for their referral code, which they should have received via email and is also available in their “My Account” section. By entering this code when you sign up, you will receive one month free. Additionally, the grandparents of the referrers can win prizes!

Source: Instagram (@welovecharliandcapucine, @magicaroh, @cynthiakanaie)

What happens to the personal data (photos, messages, etc.) that we send to Famileo?

Famileo is committed to not selling your data: photos, messages, personal information… The site is ad-free and promises to remain that way. Your data is stored securely on dedicated servers for Famileo’s services and is encrypted.

If you would like to delete your data after canceling, you can contact Famileo and request that they erase it. This will be done quickly and at no cost to you.

How to Contact Famileo?

There are several options available to you:

• Through social media, on Facebook or Instagram,
• Directly on the website, via the form,
• By email at: contact@famileo.com,
• By phone at 📞02 46 84 02 82 (local call rate).

Is there a commitment with Famileo?

No, Famileo is no commitment. This means you can cancel at any time.

How to Cancel Famileo?

Only the family member who is the manager (by default, the one who created the subscription) can cancel it. This person just needs to log into their account, go to the “subscription management” section, and unsubscribe.

👉 If you have any remaining funds in your account, feel free to reach out directly to Famileo’s customer service to find out how to retrieve that money.

Are you a professional in senior care? How to become a Famileo partner facility?

Famileo allows facilities that care for elderly individuals (nursing homes, long-term care services, retirement homes, etc.) or people with disabilities to provide their residents with a way to stay connected with their families through the Famileo newsletter. If this type of service interests you, feel free to reach out to Famileo directly, either by phone at 📞02 46 84 02 82 or by email at contact@famileo.com.

👉 At the bottom of the homepage, you’ll find a link to a section titled “Famileo for Professionals“, which will provide you with detailed information about the offerings for institutions.

For Professional Establishments: What Logging Service Does Famileo Offer?

If you work in a facility that cares for seniors or individuals with disabilities, you can also use Famileo to quickly and easily create a newsletter to share what’s happening in your organization. It’s a fantastic way to strengthen connections between your residents and their loved ones, as well as to highlight your engagement initiatives.

I hope you found answers to all the questions you had about the Famileo service. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments, or to share your experience! 😉