As a parent in today‘s digital world, you likely take hundreds if not thousands of photos of your kids. From first steps to first days of school to family vacations, our phones and cameras are full of precious memories. But what‘s the best way to store all those photos and videos securely? And how can you easily share them with loved ones without plastering them all over social media?
Enter Tinybeans – a private photo sharing app designed just for families. I‘ve been using Tinybeans for the past year to chronicle my son‘s growth and milestones, and it‘s become an invaluable tool for staying connected with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends who live far away.
In this in-depth Tinybeans review, I‘ll share everything you need to know about this top-rated family photo sharing app. Find out how Tinybeans works, what features it offers, how much it costs, and why it‘s the best solution for storing your family‘s memories safely. Let‘s dive in!
What is Tinybeans?
Founded in 2012 by Stephen O‘Young and Sarah-Jane Kurtini, Tinybeans is a private photo sharing app and website that allows you to upload photos and videos, record milestones, and share special moments with a select group of family and friends.
With Tinybeans, you can snap a photo or video on your phone, add it to your family journal in the app, and it‘s instantly shared with your invited "Beans" via email or push notifications. Instead of texting photos one-by-one or posting them to Facebook, Tinybeans provides a central hub to easily and securely store all your memories.
Some of the key features of Tinybeans include:
- Unlimited photo and video storage
- Easy uploading from your phone, computer, or other photo services like Google Photos
- Automatically organized into a calendar format
- Add captions, stickers, and text to photos
- Track milestones like first foods, first haircuts, lost teeth, etc.
- See how your child is growing and changing with the Flashback feature
- Print custom photo books directly from the app
Over 4 million parents in 200+ countries use Tinybeans to record their children‘s lives. The app has over 150,000 5-star reviews and has been featured in major publications like The New York Times, Forbes, and USA Today.
Why Use Tinybeans?
There are numerous benefits to using Tinybeans to store and share your family photos and videos:
1. Private and secure – Tinybeans uses bank-level encryption to keep your data safe. Photos are only visible to the people you invite, so you don‘t have to worry about strangers seeing pics of your kids. You maintain complete control and ownership of your photos.
2. Easy to use – The Tinybeans app has an intuitive interface that makes uploading and organizing photos a breeze, even if you‘re not tech-savvy. Adding photos on the go is simple, and they‘re automatically backed up.
3. Keeps loved ones connected – Whether the grandparents live across town or across the country, Tinybeans allows them to stay up-to-date on your child‘s daily life and milestones. Friends and family love getting notifications when you post new pics.
4. Saves phone storage space – By backing up your photos and videos to your Tinybeans journal, you can free up valuable storage space on your device. No more worrying about running out of room for new memories.
5. Beautiful memory keeping – Tinybeans automatically organizes your photos into a calendar, so you can easily look back and see how your child has grown. The Flashback feature shows you photos from the same date in previous years. It‘s a virtual baby book!
6. Create custom prints – Turn your digital photos into treasured keepsakes with custom Tinybeans photo books, calendars, and prints. These make wonderful gifts for grandparents.
"I love Tinybeans! I‘m a first time mom and I didn‘t realize how fast time would go by and how quickly I would forget the little moments. Tinybeans has helped me document and remember so many things from my daughter‘s first year of life. It‘s also an easy way for me to share photos and videos with friends and family without having to post on social media. I can‘t recommend this app enough!" – Sarah L., Tinybeans user
How Much Does Tinybeans Cost?
Tinybeans offers a free version of the app with limited storage (100 photos and 5 videos per month). However, to really take advantage of all the features Tinybeans has to offer, you‘ll want to upgrade to a premium plan.
Tinybeans Premium gives you unlimited photo and video storage, the ability to add multiple children to your account, and access to premium photo editing tools and filters. You can try Tinybeans Premium free for 14 days to see if it‘s right for you.
After the free trial, Tinybeans Premium costs:
- $6.99 per month, billed monthly
- $49.99 per year (save 40% compared to monthly)
For the peace of mind that comes with knowing your family photos are stored securely in the cloud, the cost of Tinybeans is well worth it. Plus, it‘s much more affordable than buying extra iCloud storage or a separate cloud photo service.
Getting Started with Tinybeans
Ready to start preserving your family‘s precious memories with Tinybeans? Follow these simple steps to get started:
Step 1: Download the app
First, download the Tinybeans app on your iOS or Android device. You can also sign up on the Tinybeans website.
Step 2: Create your account
Open the app and tap "Sign Up." Enter your name, email address, and a password. Agree to the terms of service and privacy policy, then tap "Sign Up" to create your account.
Step 3: Set up your family
Next, you‘ll set up your family profile. Enter your partner‘s name and email address if you want to add them as a co-owner of your Tinybeans journal.
Then add your child‘s name, gender, and birthdate. You can add multiple children if you have more than one.
Step 4: Start adding photos and videos!
Now comes the fun part – start uploading photos and videos to your Tinybeans journal! You can add them from your phone‘s camera roll, take new ones in the app, or import them from other cloud storage services.
Tap the camera icon to snap a new photo or video. You can add filters, crop the image, and add text or stickers. Select which child the memory pertains to, add a caption if you want, and tap "Post."
Step 5: Invite family and friends
Finally, it‘s time to invite loved ones to view your Tinybeans journal. Go to "Settings", then "Manage Family and Friends." Tap "Invite Family or Friends," enter their name and email address, and select whether you want them to be able to view the journal or add their own photos too.
That‘s it – you‘re officially a Tinybeans user! Start documenting those everyday moments and milestones, and your family and friends can follow along no matter where they are in the world.
Is Tinybeans Right for Your Family?
Tinybeans is an excellent solution for any parent or family member who wants a secure, easy way to store and share photos and videos of their children. It‘s ideal for:
- Parents who want to limit their kids‘ digital footprint and maintain privacy
- Families who live far apart and want an easy way to share photos and stay connected
- Anyone who wants to free up storage space on their phone
- Parents who want to document milestones and create a virtual baby book
If you‘re comfortable posting all your family photos on social media, or you prefer creating physical photo albums, Tinybeans may not be necessary. But for most modern parents, the app is a game-changer.
"The photos of my grandkids are hands-down one of my greatest joys – and getting them via Tinybeans is incredibly simple. Tinybeans is high quality and allows comments to be made by those who are invited to join the photo sharing! Worth every single penny of the subscription cost." – Robert S., Tinybeans user
Tinybeans Alternatives
While Tinybeans is one of the most popular family photo sharing apps, it‘s not the only one on the market. Other Tinybeans alternatives include:
- Family Album – Has a similar interface and features to Tinybeans. Offers a free plan with unlimited storage.
- Cluster – A private group sharing app that allows you to create "spaces" for different groups, like family, friends, or sports teams.
- FamilyAlbum – An app specifically for sharing photos and videos with family. Has a family newsfeed and commenting feature.
- iCloud, Google Photos, Amazon Photos – Cloud storage solutions that allow you to upload photos and share albums, but lack the specific family-oriented features.
Personally, I‘ve found Tinybeans to be the most user-friendly and comprehensive family photo sharing app. The beautiful calendar layout, milestone tracking, and ability to create custom photo books sets it apart.
Tips for Using Tinybeans
To get the most out of your Tinybeans experience, try these tips:
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Set up your journal before your baby is born. That way you can start documenting memories right away and won‘t miss a moment.
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Take advantage of the milestone feature. In addition to adding photos, use Tinybeans to keep track of important dates and milestones like first steps, first words, and first haircuts.
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Make it a habit. Try to add photos to your Tinybeans journal daily or at least a few times a week. It only takes a few seconds, and you‘ll be so glad to have all those memories preserved.
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Add captions to your photos. Years from now, you may not remember the context of a certain photo. Add a short caption to describe what‘s happening or any special details you want to remember.
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Create a photo book each year. At the end of each year (or on your child‘s birthday), create a custom photo book with all the highlights from the past 12 months. It‘s an easy way to turn your digital photos into a tangible keepsake.
"Tinybeans has been such a special gift to our family. I have a mother with Alzheimer‘s and the joy she gets from seeing her great-grandchildren in action, hearing their voices, is priceless. She asks to see her ‘tiny people‘ every day. I will always be grateful to Tinybeans!" – Susan H., Tinybeans user
The Bottom Line
In today‘s social media obsessed world, parents are rightfully concerned about their children‘s digital privacy. With Tinybeans, you can have the best of both worlds – an easy way to store and share all the photos and videos you take of your kids, without sacrificing security or control.
After using Tinybeans for the past year, I can confidently say it‘s a must-have app for any parent or grandparent. The peace of mind that comes with knowing your memories are backed up and organized is priceless. And the ability to share photos privately with loved ones helps keep everyone connected, even when you‘re far apart.
Yes, there is a cost associated with Tinybeans Premium, but it‘s a small price to pay for the features and benefits you get. When you consider the cost of buying extra phone storage or a separate cloud storage subscription, Tinybeans is a bargain.
If you‘re a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or anyone else who loves documenting family memories, give Tinybeans a try. With a free 14 day trial, you have nothing to lose – and so many special moments to gain.
