Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I lose my device?
If you’ve made an encrypted backup, you can restore everything — every profile, every record, every attached file — onto a new device. If you’re setting up a brand-new device from an existing install, the “Transfer to New Device” flow uses a one-time transfer code to move your full install over. Note that a transfer is a full replace of the new device’s data, not a merge — by design.
Can my family get in if something happens to me?
Partly, and it’s worth being precise about the line. The Emergency Access button on the login screen opens a printable medical summary — blood type, allergies, medications, emergency contacts — without needing a PIN, for a first responder or caregiver in the moment. It does not open the rest of your vault: your documents, financial accounts, passwords, and legal documents still require your PIN or your one-time recovery code.
The practical step: store your recovery code somewhere a trusted family member or executor can find it — with your will is a common choice. Family Ark can’t grant emergency access to everything else on your behalf, by design; there’s no company, no support desk, and no server that could do it even if we wanted to.
Is this a subscription?
No. It’s a one-time purchase, priced per platform or as a bundle covering both. Bug fixes and minor feature additions are free, forever. A future major version — a genuine redesign with new functionality, not a routine update — would be offered as a separate paid upgrade.
Does this replace a will?
No. Family Ark is where you organize and store information and wishes — it isn’t a legal instrument, and it doesn’t create a will, trust, or power of attorney on its own. We’d recommend working with an attorney to execute those documents, then keeping track of them here.
What if I switch devices, or lose my recovery code?
Use the same backup/restore or Transfer to New Device flow to move to a new device. If both your PIN and your recovery code are lost with no backup available, we want to be upfront: there’s no way to recover that data. Nothing about Family Ark is recoverable from our end, because nothing is ever stored on our end.
Refunds?
If you are not satisfied with Family Ark, for up to 14 days you can contact us for a full refund. You need to use the contact form and explain why you would like a refund.