Help & FAQ

Yes! PlanningInSync is 100% free for personal planning. You can create and manage unlimited private events at no cost. To plan with others, new accounts include 2 free shared events so you can invite helpers and plan your first events together. When you need more shared events, you can upgrade to a paid plan at any time from Settings → Plans.

No, not to RSVP! When you send an event link, your guests can RSVP directly in their web browser — no download or account required.

For more features, guests can download the app and create a free account. Once signed in, they can view the basic event details and see any last-minute changes to the date, time, or location.

Guests who want to help plan the event can tap the "Request Helper Access" button on the Helpers tab inside the app. This sends a request to the organizer, who can approve it with one tap — instantly granting full Helper access to tasks, food, and the shared photo gallery.

Cloud storage is a feature of Shared Events. Every shared event includes 500MB of cloud storage, which is enough for hundreds of high-resolution photos. Photo uploads are included; video uploads unlock once you add extra storage to an event.

You can add storage to any shared event with a one-time purchase: +1GB, +5GB, or +15GB. Prices are shown at checkout and on our pricing page.

Yes. PlanningInSync needs an internet connection to save your updates, receive RSVPs from guests, and upload photos or videos.

Organizing an event — guests, tasks, food, and memories — is done in the PlanningInSync app for iOS and Android. There is no web version for planning.

Your guests never need the app, though: they open the RSVP link you send and respond right in their browser, with no download and no account.

There is no limit on the number of guests you can invite to an event!

Yes! You can edit your event details at any time, even after you've invited helpers or sent out guest RSVP links. Changes are synced instantly for everyone involved.

PlanningInSync creates a personal RSVP link for each guest. Tap Invite next to a guest and your phone's share sheet opens, so you can send their link however you like — by text, email, WhatsApp, or any other app.

Guests simply tap the link and RSVP right in their browser — no app download or account needed.

Guests can RSVP up until your event's start time. After the event begins, the RSVP form closes so your final headcount stays locked in.

The invitation link still works, though — guests can always reopen it to see the event details they need, such as the date and location (handy for directions on the day). If they have a question after RSVPs close, the page reminds them to contact the host.

Each guest on the Guests tab shows their response — Attending, Declined, Will Join Later, or No Response — along with their party size (adults, children, and infants) and any note they left. Tap the filter icon to show just one status.

The event's Info tab gives you the totals at a glance: how many guests you've Invited, and how many are Attending, Declined, or still undecided, plus a running headcount.

The guest list also shows how many times each invite has been sent (e.g. "Sent 2x"), so you can see who might need a friendly reminder.

Yes. As long as the event hasn't started yet, a guest can reopen their RSVP link any time to update their response — switching between Yes, No, or Maybe, adjusting how many adults, children, or infants are coming, or editing their note. Their most recent response is always what the host sees.

Once the event's start time passes, responses are locked in, but the link still shows the event details.

PlanningInSync offers two ways to manage your dashboard:

• Archive: Hides the event from your main dashboard and calendar and turns off its notifications. Use this for events you're done with or don't need to check every day. You can bring archived events back any time — switch the dashboard filter to Archived, open the event, and restore it.
• Delete: Permanently removes the event and all associated data (guest lists, tasks, and media) for everyone. Only the Organizer can delete an event.

Yes. When you create or edit an event, tap the cover photo area to pick an image from your library or take one with the camera. It shows at the top of the event and on your dashboard, and you can replace or remove it any time from the edit screen.

Tasks and food items can have their own cover photos too — see "Can I add photos to Task or Food items?"

Open your event, go to the Helpers tab (the group icon), and tap Add Helper. You can invite someone two ways:

• By Email — they receive an invitation email with a link to join.
• By Link — generate a shareable link and send it however you like (text, WhatsApp, and so on). Anyone with the link can join as a helper, so only share it with people you trust.

Once they join they can manage tasks, food items, and the guest list, and add photos and videos to the shared gallery. Active helpers can invite more helpers too, and guests can request access themselves — see "Can my guests volunteer to help?"

When you invite a Helper, they get permissions to coordinate the event with you. They can:

• Manage Guests: Add or edit guests and track RSVPs.
• Plan Items: Create, edit, and assign Tasks or Food items.
• Upload Media: Upload and view photos and videos in the shared gallery.
• Helper List: See other active helpers.

*Note: Only the Organizer can delete the event or transfer ownership of the event.*

As the Organizer, you can transfer full ownership of an event to one of your active Helpers. Open your event, go to the Helpers tab, and tap the three dots (⋮) next to the Helper you want to make the new owner, then select Transfer Ownership.

Important Note: This action cannot be undone. The selected Helper will become the new Organizer with full control over the event (including the ability to delete the event or remove other helpers). Your role will automatically be changed to a regular Helper, meaning you will retain access to the event but no longer have Organizer privileges.

Yes! Guests can volunteer directly from the mobile app. After downloading the app and creating a free account, they open the event and go to the Helpers tab, where they can tap "Request Helper Access". They can also tap the "Become a Helper" shortcut shown on any locked tab (Tasks, Food, or Memories) to be taken there directly.

• Approval: This sends a request to your Helpers Inbox in the app, linked to their account.
• Granting Access: You can review these requests and tap the checkmark to approve them. Once approved, they are instantly promoted to a Helper with full permissions.

Requests from guests who want to "chip in" appear in your Helpers Inbox (Helpers tab -> Needs Action). You have full control to approve or archive these requests. Approved volunteers instantly become Helpers.

The Calendar tab provides a consolidated view of all your events and responsibilities.

The PlanningInSync calendar helps you visualize your schedule at a glance. Small colored dots below each date tell you what's happening that day:

• Green dot — a food item is due that day.
• Purple dot — a task deadline falls on that day.
• Indigo dot — an event is scheduled or spans that day.

• Daily View: Tap any date to see the specific items due that day. You can jump directly to an event or task by tapping it in the list below the calendar.

Yes! When editing an event, you can tap the "Import" icon to bring over guest lists, task templates, or food menus from any of your past events to save time.

Here's exactly what carries over and what gets reset:

• Guests — names and party sizes are copied; RSVP status, email addresses, and app-account links are cleared so each guest starts fresh on the new event.
• Tasks & Food — titles, categories, notes, and spending budgets carry over; actual spending is reset to zero, assignments and due dates are cleared since those are event-specific.
• Cover photos — not copied. Photos are tied to the original event's storage and can't be transferred.

On your main Dashboard, use the filter in the top header to select "All". This shows a complete list in date order of every event you have organized, helped with, or attended.

• Tasks: Used for logistics (e.g., "Bring folding chairs," "Setup music").
• Food: Specifically for potluck coordination (e.g., "Soda," "Birthday Cake").

Both allow Helpers to claim and coordinate items, so you don't end up with five bags of chips and no plates!

Yes. When creating or editing a task or food item, you can specify a date and time. The Organizer and Helpers will see these deadlines.

Absolutely! For every task and food item, you can set a Spending Budget and record the Actual Spending. PlanningInSync automatically calculates your totals on the main Event Info page, helping you stay on top of your party costs.

You can add a Cover Photo to any task or food item. This is great for showing exactly which brand of soda to buy or how to set up the gift table. Tap the photo to see the full-size image and zoom in.

In the Memories tab, tap the Upload button. Only the Organizer and Helpers can upload and view photos on the shared gallery. If you have upgraded your event storage, you can also upload and share videos.

PlanningInSync uploads photos and videos in their original quality — we don't shrink or compress them. Large videos may take longer to upload depending on your internet speed.

To keep storage costs down, here's how long your files are kept:

• Post-Event Period: Shared memories and photos are available for 60 days after your event ends. This gives you and your helpers plenty of time to download and save your favorite memories.
• Hard Limit: Even with storage upgrades, all files are deleted 18 months after they are uploaded. This keeps the app fast and costs low for everyone.
• Personal Backup: We always recommend organizers download their event gallery to their device or a cloud backup service.

For a single item, open it full-screen in the Memories tab and tap the Download button to save it to your device.

To save several at once, tap Select at the top of the gallery, choose the photos and videos you want, and tap Download.

You can sign in with your email and password, or with Google or Apple. If you forget your password, tap Forgot Password? on the login screen and we'll email you a secure reset link. You can also change your password any time from Settings → Security.

No. Your guest list is private and only visible to the Organizer and invited Helpers. Your events won't show up on Google or other search engines.

As a host, you can further protect your guests' privacy by choosing the "Private" app access setting. Detailed below, this ensures guests only see their own attendance status.

When you create or edit an event, under Guest & Sharing Settings you can choose how much information guests see when they join the event via the mobile app. Planning features (Tasks, Food, and Memories) are always locked for guests unless they become a Helper.

• Private: Our most private setting. Guests using the app can only see their own RSVP. The attendee list, tasks, food, and memories are all hidden from them.
• Standard: Guests can see who else is coming to the event. Planning tools (Tasks, Food, and Memories) are still Locked for them. If they want to help plan, they can ask to become a Helper from any locked tab.

The same section has a Let Guests View Memories switch. Turn it on and guests can browse the event's photos and videos without becoming a helper — they still can't add, edit, or delete anything in Memories.

To remove a specific guest's access to the event app, simply delete them from your guest list. This removes their app access and disables their RSVP link. You stay in full control of who can see your event.

Start from Settings → Security → Delete Account in the app, or go straight to our Account Deletion page. Enter your account email and we send you a confirmation link by email.

Once you click that link, your account is deactivated right away and permanently deleted — along with your events, guest lists, and memories — after a 30-day grace period.

Delete: start from Settings → Security → Delete Account or our Account Deletion page, confirm through the link we email you, and your account and its data are removed after a 30-day grace period.

Get a copy: we don't have a self-service export yet. If you'd like a copy of the personal data associated with your account, reach out from our Contact page and we'll put one together for you.

Never. ILLYRIA Solutions LLC does not sell, rent, or trade your personal data to third parties. We use your information only to run and improve PlanningInSync.

PlanningInSync currently supports English, Spanish, and French across the entire application, including automated guest invitations and planning reminders. We are working on adding more languages soon!

By default, PlanningInSync follows your device's system language. To change it, go to Settings → Language. You can use your phone's default language or pick English, Spanish, or French.

There are two levels:

• Your default — set it in Settings → Time Zone. New events start from this, and it's what you see times in around the app.
• Per event — each event has its own time zone under Guest & Sharing Settings when you create or edit it. It defaults to your device's zone; change it if the event is somewhere else.

Guests always see event times in the event's time zone, so the date and time on an invitation are correct no matter where the guest is.

Organizers and Helpers receive instant notifications for:

• New guest RSVPs.
• Updates to Tasks or Food items.
• Important schedule changes (Title, Location, Date, or Time).
• New photos or videos being uploaded to the gallery.

Tapping a notification takes you directly to the right place in your event — for example, a new RSVP notification opens the Guests tab, and an event change notification opens the Event Details page.

You can control exactly which notifications you get. In the app, go to Settings → Notifications and toggle each type on or off:

• RSVP Responses — when a guest responds or changes their answer.
• Event Changes — when the title, date, time, or location changes.
• Helper Updates — when helpers join, leave, or a request needs your approval.
• Guest List Changes — when guests are added or edited.
• Task Changes — when tasks are created, assigned, or completed.
• Food Item Changes — when potluck items are added or claimed.
• Media Uploads — when new photos or videos are added to the gallery.

You can also turn off all notifications for the app in your phone's system settings.

Yes. PlanningInSync uses gentle vibrations to confirm actions like checking off a task or selecting photos, so the app feels more responsive. There's no in-app switch for it — it follows your phone's system haptics setting, so turning that off disables it here too.

Once your 2 free shared events are used, you can no longer create new shared events without a plan. Your existing events and all your personal events remain fully accessible. To keep hosting shared events, go to Settings → Plans → View Plans.

• Single Shared Event — A one-time purchase that adds 1 shared event to your account. Great if you only need to host occasionally.
• Annual Plan — 6 Events — A yearly subscription that gives you 6 shared events per year. Best value for regular hosts. Your event counter resets each renewal period.

Pricing is shown in your local currency at checkout. Go to Settings → Plans → View Plans to see current prices.

Go to Settings → Plans. You will see your current plan, how many events you have used, and a View Plans button to browse and purchase an upgrade.

If a payment fails, your subscription enters a grace period (up to 16 days) during which you keep full access while the App Store tries again on its own. During this time you will see a warning banner in Settings → Plans with the date your access will end if payment is not fixed.

To fix it, update your payment method directly in the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android). Once the payment succeeds, the warning disappears and your subscription continues normally.

Yes. Go to Settings → Plans → View Plans and tap Restore Purchases. This will re-link any previous purchases tied to your App Store or Google Play account.

Refunds are handled directly by Apple (App Store) or Google (Play Store). We can't handle refunds directly. Please contact Apple or Google for help.

Go to Contact Support and mention "Bug Report" in your message. Including details like your device model and what you were doing when the issue occurred is very helpful.

We're here to help! Visit our Contact page and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

If something goes wrong, our support team might ask you to share a diagnostic log. This log has technical details about what happened, but never your photos or personal content.

To share a log, turn on Debug Mode in Settings, restart the app, make the problem happen again, and then tap Share Logs to send the file to our support team.

1. Go to the Settings tab.

2. Tap Debug & Diagnostics.

3. Toggle on Enable Debug Mode (you may need to restart the app).

4. After the issue occurs, tap Share Log File to send it to our support team.

*Note: Your email and login info are removed from the log before it's sent.*

• Personal Event: A standard event meant for your own planning. You can manage everything yourself, and it is 100% free forever.
• Shared Event: An event where you want to invite Helpers. These events include a shared memories gallery and collaborative planning tools. An event becomes shared the moment you add its first helper, and you can add as many helpers to it as you like at no extra cost — the quota counts events, not helpers. Your first 2 shared events are free!

• Organizer: The creator and owner of the event. They control all settings, can delete the event, and invite helpers.
• Helper: Someone the Organizer invites to help plan the event. Helpers can edit tasks, food lists, manage guests, and share memories.
• Guest: Someone invited to attend the event. Guests do not need an account or the app; they can RSVP and view details directly in their web browser.

• Tasks: Things that need to get done for the event (e.g., "Set up chairs", "Secure venue"). Tasks can be assigned to any Helper.
• Food: Items related to the menu or potluck (e.g., "Soda", "Main Course"). Both guests and helpers can see these lists.