Like most people here, I’ve spent a lot of time uncovering names and dates in census records
Hi everyone,
Like most people here, I’ve spent a lot of time uncovering names and dates in census records, but I always struggled with the "living" side of family history. I wanted a way to capture my parents' actual voices and stories before those memories faded, but every time I asked them to "write a memoir," they got overwhelmed and gave up.
I’m a developer, so I decided to build something to make it a low-pressure habit: LifeStory Recorder.
It’s an iOS app that breaks the memoir process down into a month-by-month habit. Instead of a blank page, it gives them gentle prompts. They can just speak their answers, and the app transcribes them into a formatted "chapter" with floral templates (so it actually looks like a book they’d be proud of).
I’m looking for a few people in this community to try it out. I really want to know:
- Are the prompts "deep" enough for real family historians?
- Does the "monthly" structure actually help your relatives stay consistent?
- What features are we missing for serious legacy preservation?
I’m an indie dev, not a big company, so I’m really just looking for honest feedback from people who care about this stuff as much as I do.
If you’d like to test it, let me know in the comments and I’ll send over a link/code!
Many Thanks