HomeboardGive the tablet in your drawer a job.
Turn your old iPad, Android or Fire tablet into a family calendar. Everyone's plans together, with chores, photos and phone notes to try with Plus.
It probably works on yours
No app store needed. Homeboard runs in the tablet's browser, including Safari on iOS 12. Check your tablet below, then follow the setup guide.
- iPadiPad Air, iPad mini 2 and every iPad since, from 2013 on
- AndroidSamsung Galaxy Tab and other tablets with Android 8 or later, in Chrome or Samsung Internet
- Amazon FireFire tablets from 2018 on, in Silk
See every supported model
iPad Air, iPad mini 2 and every iPad since work with iOS 12 or later. Android tablets need Android 8 or later; Amazon Fire tablets need Fire OS 6 or later.
Too old: the first iPad, iPad 2, the 3rd and 4th generation iPad, the first iPad mini, Android 7 and older, and Fire tablets from before 2018.
Full model list and how to check your versionA day on the wall
A made-up family's Friday, on real Homeboard screens. The calendar, weather and picture themes are free. Chores, phone notes and your own photos are part of Plus, all included in your first 30 days. Tap a moment to see it.
Setting it up
- Make a free accountOn your phone or computer. Anyone in the family can have their own login to the same home.
- Add your calendarsCopy each calendar's subscription link (an iCal or ICS link) from iCloud, Google or Outlook and paste it in. Setup shows you where to find them, and Google needs a computer once to copy its link. Keep the links private, like a password; Homeboard only reads them. No calendar to link? Add events in Homeboard from your phone instead.
- Put it on the tabletScan the QR code your phone shows, or type its six-digit code on the tablet. No password to type there. Add it to the home screen so it opens full screen.
- Put it on the wall, plugged inKeep it plugged in. On an iPad, set Auto-Lock to Never so the screen doesn't switch itself off; the setup page shows the steps for Android and Fire. Homeboard refreshes each night and can dim at bedtime.
“Everything was pretty simple to set up. Loving it so far!”
Angie
Choose what belongs on your wall
Start with everyone's plans. Add children's chores and rewards, your family photos and notes from your phone with Plus.
Free
- All your calendars together
- Clock, weather and picture themes
- A login for everyone at home
Everything included
- Every family member's calendar, in their own colour
- The time, the weather and the week ahead
- Picture themes: beaches, mountains, the night sky and more
- News, countdowns and bin days
- A message board on the wall
- Night mode for a bedroom or hallway
- Ready-made layouts, or your own
- A login for everyone in the family
Free with no time limit.
Plus
- Everything in Free
- Chores and rewards for children
- Your own photos and notes from your phone
- Wall displays in more rooms
Everything included
- Everything in Free
- Put a display in more rooms, each with its own layouts
- Your own family photos on the wall, up to 300
- Children tick off chores and earn points towards rewards
- Birthdays, meals and to-do lists
- Send a note from your phone for everyone at home to see
- Extras: smart-home switches, sports fixtures, stocks and more
30 days to try it. No card, no subscription.
Who makes it
I built Homeboard for the old iPad on our own kitchen wall, and it runs there now. It's made and looked after by one person in England, so if something doesn't work, your email comes to me and I'll answer it.
Luca
Questions
Do I need to install an app?
No. Homeboard runs in the tablet's web browser, which is why it still works on older tablets. You add it to the home screen so it opens full screen like an app, and it stays signed in.
Does it work on Samsung, Android and Fire tablets?
Yes: Android tablets from Android 8 on, in Chrome or Samsung Internet, and Amazon Fire tablets from 2018 on, in Silk. Homeboard asks their browsers to keep the screen on while it shows your display, since most can't be set to never sleep. You can mix them: an iPad in the kitchen and a Fire tablet in the hall share the same home.
Which calendars can I show?
Any calendar that gives you an iCal subscription link: iCloud, Google, Outlook, and most school, club and team calendars. Each person's calendar can have their colour. Homeboard reads calendars and never changes them. You can also add events in Homeboard from your phone, with nothing to link.
Can the children tick off chores on the wall?
Yes, with Plus. They tap a chore to tick it off and earn points. You can set a parent PIN that the wall asks for before a reward is claimed or, with child lock on, before a job is unticked. It's a child lock, not strong security. Every new home can try it free for 30 days.
Is it safe to leave an old tablet plugged in all the time?
An old battery kept full for years can swell. Samsung tablets can stop charging at 80 to 85% (Protect battery, in Settings). For other tablets, a cheap smart plug that charges for a few hours a day helps, and it is worth checking the back of the tablet now and then. The guides have more on this.
What happens after the 30-day trial?
Your home moves to the free plan: one wall display and the everyday blocks, for good. Nothing is deleted: Plus blocks show a short note, and photos you added stay. You can buy Plus from the Account page whenever you like.
Who can see our family's information?
The people in your home. Homeboard has no adverts or advertising trackers and never sells your data or shares it for advertising. The privacy page says exactly what is kept.
How do I get help?
Email hello@homeboard.uk and a person will answer within two working days. The guides for iPads and Android and Fire tablets cover setting up step by step.