Frequently Asked Questions

How does voice cloning work?

With your consent, we create a synthetic model of your own voice from a recording you choose in Settings. It’s then used to read written stories aloud in your voice. Every generated clip is labeled AI-narrated, both audibly and in the vault.

Can I turn it off?

Yes, anytime, in Settings. Revoking deletes the voice model within 24 hours.

What if I don't want to use my own voice?

Storyteller mode still works - stories are narrated in a default AI voice instead, still labeled AI-narrated.

Can someone clone my voice without my permission?

No. Only you can consent to and choose the recording used for your own voice, and only you can generate narration in it.

What's the difference between owner, steward, and member?

All three can record, write, and use every feature, including storyteller mode. Owners and stewards can additionally approve or decline invite requests, rename the vault, change vault-wide settings, choose the legacy heir, and manage billing. Members can propose invites, but they need an owner or steward’s approval before the invite actually goes out.

Can I belong to more than one family vault?

Yes - if you’ve been invited into more than one, a switcher appears at the top of the Vault page so you can move between them.

What is “write something for later”?

A way to leave a voice recording, note, or photo for one specific person, timed to arrive on a future date - a birthday, a milestone, whenever you choose. It’s not part of the shared family feed: only the person it’s addressed to (plus the vault’s owner or steward, for oversight) can ever see it, and only once that date arrives.

What if I forget my password?

Click “Forgot your password?” on the sign-in page and we’ll email a link to set a new one - or skip passwords altogether and use “Email me a sign-in link” instead, right there on the sign-in page.

What's a recovery contact?

Someone you choose in Settings who can let our support team know if you’ve lost access to your account entirely - useful if you can’t get into your email either. They can only ask support to look into it; they can never reset your password themselves or see anything in your vault that isn’t already shared with them.

What if I can't get in at all - lost the email too?

Ask your recovery contact (if you’ve set one) to let support know from their own account in Family, or reach out to support directly. We verify it’s really you before doing anything, and the only thing this ever does is send a fresh sign-in link to your own email - it can’t be used to see or change anyone else’s memories.

What does it cost?

$79/year or $9/month - your choice, picked when you sign up. Either way you get the same unlimited access: no caps on AI-narrated storytelling or storage.

Is there a free trial?

Yes - 5 days, free, the first time a vault subscribes, on either plan. We ask for a card to start the trial, but you’re only charged if you keep it past day 5. Cancel anytime before then in Settings and you won’t pay a thing.

If a subscription lapses, does restarting it get another free trial?

No - the trial is a one-time thing per vault, not something that resets each time. If a vault’s plan ends and an owner or steward restarts billing later, it charges right away instead of offering a second trial.

Who can start or manage billing?

Only the vault’s owner or a steward. Everyone else has full access to the vault, but can’t start, change, or cancel the subscription.

Do family members I invite need to pay or add a card?

No. Billing belongs to the vault, not to each person in it. Once an owner or steward has an active plan, everyone they invite gets full access right away - no separate payment, trial, or card required on their end, ever.

If the person who's been paying stops, can someone else take over?

Yes - once a subscription is canceled, any owner or steward can start a new one. It’s tied fresh to whoever pays, not the original subscriber.

What happens if a payment fails, or the trial ends without a valid card?

Access pauses until it’s fixed. Any owner or steward - not necessarily the original payer - can update the payment method in Settings to restore access; nothing recorded in the vault is ever lost while access is paused.

What does a $79 gift actually give someone?

A full year of unlimited access, paid for upfront, no trial or card needed on their end - they just claim it and start recording. It’s a one-time payment from you, not a subscription.

Can I buy a vault for myself here instead of gifting one?

This page is for gifting a vault to someone else. To get one for yourself, sign up directly - you’ll get a 5-day free trial first, then $79/year or $9/month.

What happens after the year is up?

The recipient keeps everything they’ve recorded, but needs to start their own $79/year or $9/month plan to keep adding to it or listening to storyteller narrations. We email them as soon as the year ends with a link to continue.

Does the recipient need an account to receive a gift?

No. You can buy a vault for someone with just their name (and email, if you’d like us to deliver it for you) - they only create an account when they claim it.

Can I deliver the gift myself instead of by email?

Yes - choose “I’ll deliver it myself” at checkout and we’ll skip the email. You’ll get a printable gift card with a personal claim link instead.

Can I schedule delivery for a specific date?

Yes, if you’re having us email it - pick a delivery date at checkout (e.g. a birthday) and it goes out that day instead of right away.

What if the recipient already has a vault?

The claim link detects their existing account and asks them to sign in rather than create a new one - the year of access applies to their current vault instead of making a duplicate.

What is legacy release?

An optional setting that passes access to your vault to a person you choose, under our Terms of Service, if you go inactive for an extended period - meant to make sure your family’s memories don’t become inaccessible if something happens to you. This is an access transfer within the app, not a legal transfer of ownership, inheritance, or estate planning.

Can I choose more than one heir?

You choose one primary person, plus an optional backup in case the primary is no longer part of your vault when the time comes. Access only ever goes to one person at a time.

How long before it triggers, and what counts as activity?

By default, a vault needs 12 months of no activity before anything happens - signing in, recording a memory, or clicking “I’m still here” in a check-in email all count and reset the clock. After that: a check-in email goes out, then a second warning (plus a text, if you’ve added a phone number) after 30 more days, then your chosen person is notified that access may transfer after another 30 days, with a final 30-day window for you to check in and stop it. Every step is logged.

Can I turn it off?

Yes, anytime, in Settings.

What if I come back before it triggers?

Any activity resets the clock at any point in the sequence - no warnings or transfer happen after that.

What if access transfers and it was a mistake?

Contact our support team. Once we verify it’s really you, we can restore your access - nothing is destroyed or made unrecoverable by a transfer.

Can I take my memories with me if I stop using DigiXVault?

Yes, always. “Export my vault” in Settings packages every recording, note, and photo in the vault into a ZIP file you can save anywhere - no account, no app, and no internet needed to open it later. This is free on every plan, including if a subscription has lapsed, because leaving with your family’s memories is never something we’ll hold behind a paywall.

What format is everything in?

Audio as uncompressed WAV, notes as both plain text and PDF, photos at their original resolution, plus a simple offline page (index.html) that links to everything so it’s easy to browse without any special software.

How long does it take, and how do I get the file?

Larger vaults can take a few minutes to package. We email you a download link as soon as it’s ready; the link stays active for 7 days.

Does exporting delete or change anything in the vault?

No - exporting only reads your vault. Everything stays exactly as it was, for you and everyone else in the vault.

What is a Memory Book?

A print-ready keepsake PDF built from your vault - photos and letters laid out on the page, an optional photo on the front cover, and a QR code on every voice memory that plays the real recording when scanned. Create one in Settings: pick a title, an optional dedication, an optional cover photo, and check off which family members and memory types to include - AI-narrated Storyteller readings are unchecked by default, but nothing is off-limits if you want it in.

A vault can have hundreds of memories - how do I find the ones I want?

Check off family members and memory types (voice, note, photo, or AI-narrated story) instead of scrolling a long list - checking a name or type immediately includes everyone or everything that matches, and you can optionally narrow to a date range first so a checkbox picks up less. A collapsible “Review individually” list underneath still lets you fine-tune - uncheck or add back any single memory - without disturbing the rest of your picks.

Can I add an AI-written introduction?

Optionally, yes - a checkbox in the book form asks Claude to write a short opening page grounded only in real facts you provide (the title, dedication, contributors, and date range), not any invented stories. It’s off by default; your own words stay front and center unless you ask for the extra framing.

Does it cost anything?

No - like exporting, this is never held behind a paywall. Any vault can generate a full Memory Book at any time, whether its subscription is active, trialing, or lapsed.

How do the QR codes work?

Each one links to a simple, private page with just that recording’s title, author, and an audio player - no login needed, but the link itself is an unguessable address, not something a stranger could stumble onto. The owner or a steward can revoke every link in a given book from its page in Settings at any time; once revoked, those QR codes stop working.

Can I get a printed copy?

Yes, once a book has enough pages - our print partner Lulu has a physical minimum of 24 interior pages for hardcover and 32 for softcover, since a book that thin can’t actually be bound. Include enough memories to clear that (voice and photo memories are one page each; notes share pages, so it usually takes more of them), and a “Get this printed” link appears next to that book. Choose softcover or hardcover and we’ll have it printed and mailed to you, with the exact price shown, including shipping, before you pay. A book below the minimum can still always be downloaded as a PDF yourself and taken to any print-on-demand service that supports an 8.5″×8.5″ square format.

Who prints and ships my book?

We use Lulu, a real print-on-demand company, to physically print and mail your copy. The finished PDF and the shipping address you provide are sent to them solely to fulfill your order.

Does making a book change or delete anything in the vault?

No - the same as exporting, it only reads your vault. Nothing recorded is changed, and you can generate as many books as you like.

What happens to my memories if I delete my account?

They stay in any shared family vault - your family keeps the stories - but are no longer attributed to your name.

Can I delete my account if I own a shared vault?

You’ll need to promote another steward to owner first, so the vault is never left without one.

Is my data private?

Yes - every vault is scoped so only its own members can see it. See the Privacy Policy for what’s collected and who processes it.