We keep arguing about whose turn it was
Bins, filters, litter tray, the thing nobody remembers doing. A shared log seems like the fix, but TimeSince is single-device by design, and that is worth understanding before you start.
The short answer
TimeSince cannot share a household. There is no account and no server, so counters live on your phone and sync only to your own iCloud. What it does solve is the argument's actual cause: nobody knows when the thing was last done. One person keeping an honest log, visible on a widget, usually settles it, because the dispute is rarely about fairness in the abstract. It is two people with different memories of last Tuesday.
A small setup
- 1
Pick the three chores that actually cause friction
Not every chore. The ones you have genuinely argued about, which is usually a much shorter list than the ones you do.
- 2
Make one phone the record
Since counters do not sync between people, decide whose phone holds the log. The point is one source of truth, not a fair division of admin.
- 3
Put them on a home screen widget
A log nobody can see settles nothing. The widget shows the elapsed time without anyone opening the app, and taps once to log.
- 4
Add a note when it matters
A log entry can carry text, so the specific detail you argue about sits with the date rather than in somebody's memory.
The situation
Shared chores that recur every few weeks have no natural record. Each person remembers their own contributions vividly and the other's dimly, so the disagreement is genuine on both sides.
What gets difficult
The chore gets done twice, or not at all, and a question with a factual answer turns into a recurring argument about effort.
How TimeSince helps
A counter per chore gives the question a date instead of a memory. A widget on the home screen makes that date visible without anyone opening an app or being asked.
A request on the feedback board describes it exactly: a household of stuff that has to get done, and a wish to delegate it or be notified when somebody else finishes.
It is not built, and the reason matters more than the answer.
Why there is no shared household
The developer's reply:
Sharing a household between people needs an internet service in the middle, and that's a big change to how the app keeps your data private, so we're not adding it right now. Let's see if this gets a lot of attention, and we will include it in the app or build a separate solution/app.
That is the whole architecture in one sentence. There is no account, no sign-up, and no server holding your counters. They are encrypted on your phone, and sync, if you turn it on, goes to your own private iCloud. A shared household would need somewhere in the middle for two people's data to meet, and that somewhere would have to be run by somebody.
So this is a real limitation, and it is the direct cost of a design decision you may well want. Note the second half of that reply, though: it is a not-right-now rather than a never, and it is on the board where you can add your voice to it.
What actually ends the argument
Here is the part worth noticing: the dispute is almost never about fairness in principle. It is about two people with honest, incompatible memories of when something last happened. Nobody is lying. Everyone remembers their own turns better than the other person's.
That part does not need sharing. It needs a date.
One counter per contested chore, on one phone, on a widget where both of you can see it. Eleven days is not an opinion, and it is remarkably hard to argue with.
Where this stops working
If you need assignment, notifications, or two people both logging to the same list, this is the wrong tool and no amount of arrangement will fix it. Use something with accounts. That is not a criticism of either app. It is a straight trade between shared state and having no server at all, and you cannot have both.
For the chores themselves, tracking what recurs on no fixed schedule covers choosing which ones are worth a counter.
What TimeSince helps with
- Replaces two conflicting memories with one logged date
- Makes the interval visible at a glance on a widget
- Records the detail in a note on the log entry, if you want it
What TimeSince will not fix
- It cannot share counters between people or phones
- It will not notify your partner when you finish something
- It has no household, roles, assignment or delegation
- Two people each keeping their own log will not stay in step
Explore the feature: Home screen widget
Frequently asked questions
Can two people share a counter?+
No. There is no account and no developer-run server, so there is nowhere for a shared counter to live. Sync goes to your own private iCloud and is visible only to your devices.
Is household sharing coming?+
It is the most-requested feature on the public board and has been declined for now. The reason given is that sharing between people needs an internet service in the middle, which would change how the app keeps data private.
What is the nearest workaround?+
One phone holds the log and a widget makes it visible. You can also share a counter's card as an image from the app, which covers the occasional question by message without any sync.
What this is based on
- Collaborate or share categories and entire households, request and reply — TimeSince feedback board
Remember the last time
Three counters are free. Come back whenever you need them.
