One of the ideas leading to wanting to build Cronicle was that there has never been more potential to pass on family history. There is so many digital memories being created every day and each generation now has countless ways to capture their lives.
But we also wanted to make sure it was much (much!) more than just bringing memories into a folder on a computer drive. Stories and reflections need to be captured, connected and shared if they are to truly be passed down. Otherwise, important details of our lives will be lost, with the bigger family story left incomplete and the huge potential of digital and AI being untapped.
The Problem: Digital Separation
One challenge is that every generation now tends to use different tools to capture their lives. Parents might use iCloud or Google Photos. Grandparents might still rely on physical prints or USB sticks. Kids live on Snapchat or TikTok.
This kind of digital separation isn’t just about different apps or devices. It makes it harder for stories to flow naturally between people. A parent’s photo might sit unseen in a cloud account. A grandparent’s memory might stay locked in a drawer. A child’s video might vanish when the app they used goes out of fashion. And that is to say nothing of telling stories versus just capturing photos.
What If Sharing Could Be Simple and Meaningful?
Cronicle is being built to make multigenerational memory sharing not only possible but easy, private, and worthwhile.
That means:
You can start a memory with a photo or journal entry, and invite a parent, sibling, or grandchild to add their version of it.
A child can ask their grandparents to record stories about a photo they never knew the background to.
You can create a shared “collection” of memories from one person’s life, adding voices and reflections from others who were there.
You can flexibly group memories by theme (like holidays, pets, recipes, favourite places) and let everyone contribute their part. AI can help to make connections.
Some apps doing some of these things at present, but they can be cumbersome and far from comprehensive and flexible.
A Digital Home for Family Legacy
With Cronicle, families will be able to build a living record, something that grows, evolves, and can be handed down.
And because everything sits together, you don’t need to worry about chasing down old accounts or juggling devices. Digital separation gives way to digital togetherness, where the story belongs to everyone, not scattered across platforms.
One of the objectives will be that, over time, these small acts of sharing build a deep sense of connection. Kids see themselves in the people who came before them. Elders feel heard. And everyone gets a clearer sense of where they come from and where they’re going.
We’re Still Building
Intrigued? Cronicle isn’t finished yet. But our aim is simple: to make it easier for families to tell their story together.
If you’ve ever wanted a better way to bring your family memories together across ages and devices, we’d love you to follow along.
Join the waitlist to learn more as we develop Cronicle, and take our short (5 minute) questionnaire to provide valuable input to help us build Cronicle into something that is worthy of your memories.