ContextQMD
Back to Ente

Family Setup Guide

docs/docs/locker/getting-started/family-setup.md

2.0.348.0 KB
Original Source

Family Setup Guide

This guide walks you through setting up Ente Locker for your family. You'll learn how to organize important documents, share them securely with family members, and set up Legacy for digital inheritance.

Overview

A typical family Locker setup includes:

  1. Individual accounts for each family member
  2. Shared collections for documents everyone needs access to
  3. Private collections for personal items
  4. Legacy contacts so family members can recover each other's accounts

Step 1: Set up accounts for family members

Each family member needs their own Ente account to use Locker. There are two ways to set this up:

Option A: Separate free accounts

Each family member creates their own free Ente account. This is the simplest approach and works well for most families.

For each family member:

  1. Install Ente Locker on their device
  2. Create an account with their email address
  3. Important: Help them save their recovery key securely
  4. Enable lock screen protection in Settings > Security

With free accounts, each person gets 100 items and 1GB storage for Locker.

Option B: Ente Family plan (shared subscription)

If you have an Ente Photos subscription, you can add family members to share your storage quota across Ente products. The Family plan is managed through Ente Photos.

To set up a Family plan:

  1. Subscribe to an Ente Photos plan (if you haven't already)
  2. Open Ente Photos on your device
  3. Open Settings > Subscription > Manage family
  4. Invite family members by email

Family members share the Photos storage quota and get increased Locker limits (1000 items and 10GB storage each).

Note: The Family plan requires an Ente Photos subscription and is managed through Ente Photos, not Locker. Learn more about Family plans.

Tip: For children, consider storing their recovery key in a parent's Locker as a secure note.

Step 2: Plan your collection structure

Before adding items, plan how you'll organize them. Here's a recommended structure for families:

Shared collections (accessible to all family members)

  • Family Documents: Birth certificates, marriage certificates, family records
  • Medical: Insurance cards, vaccination records, emergency medical info
  • Home: Property documents, mortgage info, home insurance
  • Vehicles: Registration, insurance, maintenance records
  • Emergency Info: Emergency contacts, important phone numbers

Individual collections (private to each person)

  • Personal IDs: Passport, driver's license, social security
  • Financial: Bank accounts, credit cards, investment accounts
  • Work: Employment documents, professional credentials
  • Passwords: Account credentials for personal accounts

Step 3: Digitize and upload important documents

Gather your family's important documents and upload them to Locker.

Essential documents to digitize

Identity documents:

  • Passports (all family members)
  • Birth certificates
  • Social security cards
  • Driver's licenses
  • Marriage certificate

Financial documents:

  • Bank account information
  • Insurance policies (health, home, auto, life)
  • Tax returns (recent years)
  • Investment account details
  • Mortgage/lease documents

Medical documents:

  • Insurance cards
  • Vaccination records
  • Medication lists
  • Doctor contact information
  • Medical power of attorney

Legal documents:

  • Wills
  • Powers of attorney
  • Trust documents
  • Property deeds

How to upload

  1. Use your phone's camera or a scanning app to create clear images or PDFs
  2. Open Ente Locker and tap +
  3. Select Documents
  4. Choose the scanned file
  5. Add a descriptive title (e.g., "John Passport - Expires 2028")
  6. Add to the appropriate collection
  7. Tap Save

Step 4: Share collections with family members

Share collections so family members can access important documents. In Locker, you share collections (not individual items) with other Ente users.

Sharing a collection

  1. Open the collection you want to share
  2. Tap the share button
  3. Select Share with Ente user
  4. Enter your family member's Ente email address
  5. Tap Share

All items in the collection will be shared with that person.

Sharing individual items

To share a single item (like a specific document), create a public link for that item.

CollectionShare with
Family DocumentsAll family members
MedicalAll family members
HomeAdults
VehiclesAdults
Emergency InfoAll family members
Kids' DocumentsParents

Step 5: Set up Legacy for account recovery

Legacy ensures family members can recover each other's accounts if needed. This is essential for:

  • Accessing a family member's account if they're incapacitated
  • Digital inheritance after death
  • Emergency account recovery

Setting up Legacy

  1. Open Ente Locker
  2. Open Settings > Account > Legacy
  3. Tap Add Trusted Contact
  4. Enter your family member's Ente email address
  5. They must accept the invite in their Ente app
  • Spouses: Add each other as trusted contacts
  • Parents: Add adult children as trusted contacts
  • Adult children: Add parents or siblings as trusted contacts

Learn more about Legacy.

Step 6: Create an emergency information sheet

Create a Personal Note with critical information that family members might need in an emergency:

Suggested content:

FAMILY EMERGENCY INFORMATION

Emergency Contacts:
- [Name]: [Phone] (relationship)
- Family doctor: [Name, Phone]
- Pediatrician: [Name, Phone]

Insurance Information:
- Health: [Company, Policy #, Phone]
- Home: [Company, Policy #, Phone]
- Auto: [Company, Policy #, Phone]

Medical Information:
- [Family member]: [Allergies, medications, conditions]

Important Locations:
- Safe deposit box: [Bank, Branch, Box #]
- Home safe: [Location, combination in separate note]
- Important documents: [Physical location]

Financial Contacts:
- Bank: [Name, Phone]
- Financial advisor: [Name, Phone]
- Accountant: [Name, Phone]

Share this note with all adult family members.

Best practices for families

Security

  • Each person has their own account: Don't share login credentials
  • Store recovery keys securely: Consider storing children's recovery keys in a parent's Locker
  • Enable lock screen: Protect the app on each device
  • Review sharing regularly: Check who has access to what

Organization

  • Use consistent naming: "John Passport" not just "Passport"
  • Include expiration dates: "Driver's License - Expires 03/2026"
  • Update promptly: When documents are renewed, update Locker
  • Note physical locations: For items like passports, note where the physical copy is stored

Communication

  • Tell family members about Locker: Make sure everyone knows it exists
  • Explain Legacy: Help family members understand they can recover your account if needed
  • Keep emergency info current: Review the emergency sheet annually

Checklist

Use this checklist to ensure your family setup is complete:

  • Each family member has their own Ente account
  • Recovery keys are stored securely
  • Lock screen is enabled on all devices
  • Collections are organized by category
  • Essential documents are uploaded
  • Relevant collections are shared with family members
  • Legacy contacts are configured
  • Emergency information sheet is created and shared
  • Family members know how to access Locker in an emergency