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iOwnIt User Guide

Stop helping. Start owning.

iOwnIt is a Progressive Web App (PWA) designed to help couples and individuals manage household responsibilities with clear ownership. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to use the app effectively.

Table of contents

  1. Getting started
  2. Creating an account
  3. Installing the app
  4. Choosing your mode
  5. Understanding ownership
  6. Full ownership principle
  7. Departments and tasks
  8. Solo mode
  9. Setting up your departments
  10. Daily task management
  11. Household mode
  12. Creating a household
  13. Inviting your partner
  14. Dealing departments
  15. The household dashboard
  16. Re-deal sessions
  17. Workload insights
  18. Daily usage
  19. The today screen
  20. Completing tasks
  21. Photo proof
  22. Weekly summary
  23. Task history
  24. Inventory tracking
  25. Vacation mode
  26. Notifications
  27. Subscription & promo codes
  28. Settings
  29. Tips for success

Getting started

Creating an account

  1. Open the iOwnIt app in your web browser
  2. Click Sign up on the login screen
  3. Enter your first name, last name, email, and password
  4. (Optional) If you have a promo code, click "Have a promo code?" and enter it
  5. Click Create account

You'll start with a 14-day free trial. After that, you can:

  • Apply a promo code (if you have one from a coach or partner)
  • Subscribe to a plan (Solo $9/year or Household $19/year)

Free trial: Every new account starts with a 14-day free trial with full access to all features - no credit card required. Choose a plan before it ends to keep your data.

Installing the app

iOwnIt is a Progressive Web App (PWA), which means you can install it on your device for a native app-like experience.

On Android (Chrome):

  1. Open the app in Chrome
  2. Tap the menu icon (three dots)
  3. Select "Add to Home Screen"
  4. Confirm the installation

On iOS (Safari):

  1. Open the app in Safari
  2. Tap the Share button
  3. Scroll down and tap "Add to Home Screen"
  4. Tap "Add" to confirm

On Desktop (Chrome/Edge):

  1. Look for the install icon in the address bar
  2. Click "Install"
  3. The app will open in its own window

Choosing your mode

iOwnIt offers two modes:

Mode Best For Features
Solo Mode Individuals managing their own tasks Personal task tracking, reminders
Household Mode Couples sharing responsibilities Department ownership, partner visibility, re-deals

You can switch modes in Settings, but switching from Household to Solo will remove you from your household.

Understanding ownership

iOwnIt is built on the principle of clear ownership - when you own a department, you fully own it.

Full ownership principle

When you own a department, you own everything about it:

  • Thinking: Decide what needs to be done and when
  • Planning: Organize and prepare for the task
  • Doing: Actually complete the task

This means:

  • No reminding your partner about their tasks
  • No micromanaging how they complete them
  • Full autonomy and accountability

Departments and tasks

Tasks are organized into Departments (categories):

Department Example Tasks
Home & Cleaning Laundry, Dishes, Vacuuming, Tidying
Meals Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Meal Planning, Groceries
Kids School Pickup, Homework Help, Bedtime Routine
Finance Bills, Budget, Investments
Health Medical Appointments, Medications
Relationships Family Events, Friend Gatherings

Each task can be:

  • Daily - Needs to be done every day
  • Weekly - Needs to be done once per week (optionally on a specific day)
  • Monthly - Needs to be done once per month (optionally on a specific date)
  • Quarterly - Needs to be done once per quarter (optionally on a specific date)

Solo mode

Solo mode is perfect for individuals who want to track their own household responsibilities.

Setting up your departments

  1. After registering, you'll enter the onboarding flow
  2. Choose "Use Department Templates" or "Start Fresh"
  3. Browse and select the departments you want to track
  4. Customize each department:
  5. Set the frequency (daily/weekly/monthly/quarterly)
  6. For weekly tasks: optionally set the day of week
  7. For monthly/quarterly tasks: optionally set the day of month
  8. Add time estimates for workload tracking
  9. Choose notification times
  10. Add a custom emoji if desired

Time estimates

Time estimates help balance workload between partners:

  1. Go to Settings > expand a department
  2. Edit a task and set Time in minutes
  3. The app calculates weekly workload per partner

How it's calculated:

  • Daily tasks: minutes × 7 days/week
  • Weekly tasks: minutes × 1
  • Monthly tasks: minutes ÷ 4 weeks
  • Quarterly tasks: minutes ÷ 13 weeks

The Household Dashboard shows:

  • Each partner's estimated hours per week
  • A balance bar showing the split (aim for 50/50)
  • Alerts if imbalance exceeds 60/40

Daily task management

Once set up, your daily workflow is simple:

  1. Open the app each morning
  2. View your tasks for the day on the Today screen
  3. Complete tasks throughout the day
  4. Mark each task as done when completed
  5. Add notes to tasks if needed
  6. Skip or defer tasks you can't complete today

Household mode

Household mode enables two partners to share responsibility for household tasks while maintaining clear ownership boundaries.

Creating a household

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Switch your mode to Household
  3. Tap Create Household
  4. Enter a name for your household (e.g., "Smith Family")
  5. Your household is now created and you're the owner

Inviting your partner

  1. In the Household screen, tap Invite Partner
  2. An invite code will be generated (valid for 7 days)
  3. Share this code with your partner
  4. Your partner should:
  5. Create an account
  6. Go to Settings > Household
  7. Tap Join Household
  8. Enter the invite code

Dealing departments

The department dealing process is where you and your partner decide who owns each area of responsibility:

  1. Once both partners are in the household, start the Department Deal
  2. You'll see one department at a time
  3. For each department, choose:
  4. Partner A (you)
  5. Partner B (your partner)
  6. Shared (both partners share responsibility)
  7. Unassigned (not applicable to your household)
  8. Continue until all departments are assigned
  9. Review the final distribution
  10. Confirm to complete the deal

Important Principles:

  • Each partner should own roughly equal workload (by hours, not count)
  • Consider each person's strengths and preferences
  • Be honest about capacity and availability
  • Remember: full ownership means thinking, planning, AND doing

The household dashboard

The Household Dashboard shows:

  • Partner Progress: Each partner's completion rate for the day/week
  • Workload Balance: Hours per week each partner is responsible for
  • Department Balance: How many departments each partner owns
  • Today's Activity: Recent task completions from both partners
  • Conflict Prompts: Alerts for imbalances or low completion rates

Key Rule: You can see your partner's progress, but you CANNOT:

  • Add tasks to their list
  • Send them reminders
  • Mark their tasks as complete
  • Modify their departments

This "visibility without control" is intentional and core to clear ownership.

Re-deal sessions

Life changes, and so should department ownership. Re-deal sessions allow you to redistribute departments when needed.

When to Re-deal:

  • A new job or schedule change
  • A new baby or family change
  • Seasonal changes (kids in/out of school)
  • One partner feeling overwhelmed
  • Quarterly check-ins (recommended)
  • When workload imbalance alerts appear

How to Start a Re-deal:

  1. Go to the Household Dashboard
  2. Tap Start Re-deal Session
  3. Both partners should be present (ideally)
  4. Go through departments one by one:
  5. Keep current owner
  6. Transfer to other partner
  7. Change to Shared
  8. Remove from household
  9. Review all changes before confirming
  10. Confirm to apply the new distribution

Re-deal Tips:

  • Schedule re-deals in advance
  • Approach with curiosity, not blame
  • Focus on capacity, not fairness
  • Document why changes were made

Workload insights

The Workload Insights feature helps you understand workload distribution trends over time.

Accessing Workload Insights:

  1. Go to the Household Dashboard
  2. Tap View Insights in the workload section

What You'll See:

  • Weekly Comparison: Side-by-side hours per partner
  • 4-Week Trends: How the workload split has changed over time
  • Balance Indicator: Visual bar showing the current split percentage
  • Imbalance Detection: Alerts when distribution exceeds 60/40

Using Insights for Re-deals:

  • Review insights before starting a re-deal session
  • Identify which partner has been overloaded
  • Look for trends (is it getting better or worse?)
  • Use data to guide objective discussions

Daily usage

The today screen

The Today screen is your daily command center:

Header Section:

  • Current date
  • Overall progress for the day

Progress Card:

  • Visual progress bar
  • "X of Y tasks" completed
  • Turns green when all tasks are done

Unscheduled Items Banner:

  • Shows count of tasks without a specific scheduled day
  • Links to Settings to set schedules
  • Helps keep "Due Today" focused on immediate tasks

Task Sections: The Today screen organizes tasks into collapsible sections:

Section What appears here
Due Today Daily tasks + tasks scheduled for today
This Week Weekly tasks (collapsed by default)
This Month Monthly tasks (collapsed by default)
This Quarter Quarterly tasks (collapsed by default)

Tasks without a specific day show "Any day" and appear in their respective section until completed.

Department Groups: Within each section, tasks are grouped by department:

  • Shows department emoji and name
  • Displays completion count per department
  • Auto-collapses when all tasks are done

Task Cards:

  • Checkbox to mark complete
  • Task name
  • Scheduled day badge (e.g., "Thursday", "15th", "Any day")
  • Time estimate (if set)
  • Note indicator (if notes were added)
  • Photo indicator (if proof was added)
  • Skip/Defer options for tasks you can't complete

Completing tasks

  1. Find the task in your Today list
  2. Tap the checkbox or the task card
  3. A checkmark animation confirms completion
  4. The task fades slightly to show it's done

Undoing a Completion: If you marked something complete by mistake:

  1. Tap the completed task
  2. Confirm you want to undo
  3. The task returns to active state

Photo proof

For some tasks, you might want to document completion with a photo:

  1. Complete the task as normal
  2. Tap the camera icon on the task
  3. Take a photo or select from gallery
  4. The photo is saved with the completion record

Photo proof is optional but useful for:

  • Tasks with specific outcomes (clean room, organized shelf)
  • Building trust during early household mode usage
  • Personal satisfaction and motivation

Task notes

Add context or comments to completed tasks:

  1. Complete a task
  2. Tap the note icon (pencil) that appears on completed tasks
  3. Type your note (e.g., "Dishwasher was broken, washed by hand")
  4. Tap Save

When to use notes:

  • Record special circumstances
  • Track what was actually done
  • Leave reminders for next time
  • Document issues for later discussion

Notes are visible in the Summary screen when you tap on a day to see details.

Skip & defer tasks

When you can't complete a task today:

Skip a Task:

  1. Tap the skip button (>>) on an uncompleted task
  2. Optionally add a reason why
  3. The task shows "Skipped" and won't count against your completion rate

Defer a Task:

  1. Tap the calendar button on an uncompleted task
  2. Select a future date
  3. Optionally add a reason
  4. The task will reappear on the selected date

Undo Skip/Defer:

  • Tap the "Skipped" or date badge to undo the action

Skip Patterns: If you skip the same task 3+ times in two weeks, a conflict prompt will appear suggesting you discuss whether the task should be reassigned or removed.

Weekly summary

The Summary screen shows your weekly performance:

Weekly Overview:

  • Total tasks completed
  • Completion percentage
  • Comparison to previous week

Daily Breakdown:

  • Bar chart showing each day
  • Highlights best and worst days
  • Shows patterns in your habits

Department Performance:

  • Which categories you're completing most
  • Areas that might need attention

Streak Tracking:

  • Current streak of days with 100% completion
  • Longest streak achieved

Task history

The History screen lets you view and analyze past task completions over any date range.

Viewing history

  1. Go to History from the main menu
  2. Select a date range (default: last 7 days)
  3. View the timeline of completions

Filtering options

Filter Description
Date Range Select custom start and end dates
Department Filter to a specific department
Partner Filter to a specific partner (household mode)

Understanding the summary

The summary section shows:

  • Total Tasks: Number of tasks in the period
  • Completed: Number of tasks completed
  • Completion Rate: Percentage completed
  • By Department: Breakdown per department

Exporting data

  1. Set your desired filters
  2. Tap Export CSV
  3. A CSV file will download with all completion data

Export includes:

  • Task name
  • Department
  • Completion date/time
  • Who completed it (household mode)
  • Any notes added

Use cases for exports:

  • Personal records
  • Sharing with partners
  • Tracking trends over time
  • Identifying patterns

Inventory tracking

The Inventory feature helps you track household supplies:

Adding items

  1. Go to the Inventory screen
  2. Tap Add Item
  3. Enter the item details:
  4. Name (e.g., "Paper Towels")
  5. Current quantity
  6. Low stock threshold
  7. Unit (rolls, bottles, etc.)
  8. Optionally link to a task card (auto-creates restock task)

Managing stock

  • Adjust Quantity: Tap +/- buttons to update count
  • Quick Restock: Long-press to reset to full stock
  • Status Indicators:
  • Green: In stock
  • Yellow: Low stock
  • Red: Out of stock

Linked tasks

When inventory drops below threshold:

  1. A restock task is automatically created
  2. Appears in your Today list
  3. Completing it prompts you to update quantity

Vacation mode

Vacation mode lets you temporarily pause your household responsibilities while you're away.

How it works

Solo Mode:

  • All your tasks are automatically skipped during the vacation period
  • No action required from anyone else
  • Tasks resume when vacation ends

Household Mode:

  • Choose which departments to skip vs. transfer to your partner
  • Partner must accept transferred tasks before vacation activates
  • Shared tasks remain visible to both partners
  • Notifications are suppressed during active vacation

Setting up a vacation

  1. Go to Settings > Vacation Mode (or navigate to /vacation)
  2. Select your start date and end date
  3. For household mode: For each of your departments, choose:
  4. Skip: Tasks won't appear during vacation
  5. Transfer: Partner takes temporary ownership
  6. Tap Request Vacation

Vacation states

State Description
Pending Waiting for partner to accept (household mode)
Scheduled Partner accepted, waiting for start date
Active Currently on vacation
Completed Vacation period ended
Declined Partner declined the transfer request
Cancelled You cancelled the vacation

Partner approval (household mode)

When your partner requests vacation with transferred tasks:

  1. You'll see a notification banner on the Today screen
  2. Go to the Vacation page to review the request
  3. See which departments would be transferred to you
  4. Choose to Accept or Decline
  5. If declining, you must provide a reason

During active vacation

For the person on vacation:

  • Today view shows no tasks (or only shared tasks)
  • Notifications are suppressed
  • Can end vacation early if needed

For the covering partner:

  • Transferred departments appear in your Today list
  • Tasks show a "covering" indicator
  • Complete tasks as normal

Ending a vacation

Vacations end automatically when the end date passes. To end early:

  1. Go to the Vacation page
  2. Tap End Vacation Early
  3. Confirm the action
  4. Departments return to normal ownership

Tips for vacation mode

  • Plan ahead: Request vacation a few days before you leave
  • Communicate: Discuss with your partner before requesting transfers
  • Be fair: Don't transfer too much - consider skipping some departments
  • Return the favor: Be willing to cover when your partner goes on vacation

Notifications

Push notifications help you stay on top of tasks:

Setting up notifications

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Enable Push Notifications
  3. Your browser will ask for permission - allow it
  4. Set your preferred Reminder Time (e.g., 09:00)

Notification options

Setting Description
Reminder Time When daily reminders are sent
Repeat Interval How often to re-remind (in hours)
Stop Time When to stop sending reminders for the day

Per-task notifications

You can customize notifications for individual tasks:

  1. Tap on a task in your Today list
  2. Scroll to notification settings
  3. Set a custom reminder time
  4. Enable/disable for this task only

Subscription & promo codes

iOwnIt uses a simple subscription model to keep the service running.

Free trial

Every new user gets a 14-day free trial with full access to all features. During the trial:

  • A banner shows how many days remain
  • All features work normally
  • Your data is saved regardless of subscription status

When your trial ends

If your trial expires without a subscription or promo code:

  • A "locked" overlay appears
  • You cannot access the app's features
  • Your data is NOT deleted - it's preserved and waiting for you
  • Apply a promo code or subscribe to regain access

Applying a promo code

Promo codes are provided by coaches, partners, or workshop organizers to give you temporary access.

During Registration:

  1. Click "Have a promo code?" on the registration form
  2. Enter the code
  3. If invalid, you'll see a warning but can still create your account

After Registration:

  1. Go to Settings > Subscription
  2. Enter the promo code in the input field
  3. Click Apply
  4. Your access will be extended for the code's duration (e.g., 14 days, 30 days)

Subscription plans

Plan Price Features
Solo $9/year Individual use
Household $19/year All household features

Both plans are billed as annual subscriptions.

Viewing your status

Go to Settings > Subscription to see:

  • Your current plan (Trial, Solo, Household)
  • Days remaining (for trial or promo)
  • When your trial/promo expires
  • Option to apply a promo code

Settings

Profile

  • Username: Your display name
  • Email: For account recovery (optional)
  • Password: Change your password

Preferences

  • Timezone: Affects when daily tasks reset
  • Mode: Solo or Household
  • Theme: Light mode (dark mode coming soon)

Notifications

  • Enable/Disable: Master toggle for all notifications
  • Default Time: When reminders are sent
  • Repeat Interval: Re-remind frequency
  • Stop Time: End of reminder window

Household (household mode only)

  • Household Name: Edit your household name
  • Invite Partner: Generate new invite code
  • Leave Household: Exit the household (requires confirmation)
  • Delete Household: Remove household entirely (owner only)

Account

  • Export Data: Download your data
  • Sign Out: Log out of the app
  • Delete Account: Permanently delete account and data

Tips for success

For individuals (solo mode)

  1. Start Small: Begin with 3-5 essential departments, add more gradually
  2. Be Realistic: Don't add tasks you know you won't do
  3. Use Reminders: Set notification times that work for your schedule
  4. Review Weekly: Check your Summary every Sunday
  5. Adjust as Needed: Remove or modify departments that aren't working
  6. Use Skip/Defer: Don't let missed tasks pile up - skip or reschedule them

For couples (household mode)

  1. Have the Conversation: Before using the app, discuss expectations
  2. Balance Workload: Use time estimates to balance hours, not just department count
  3. Trust the Process: Give your partner space to own their departments
  4. No Nagging: If you're tempted to remind them, don't
  5. Schedule Re-deals: Put quarterly re-deals on your calendar
  6. Celebrate Wins: Acknowledge when things go well
  7. Address Issues Promptly: When conflict prompts appear, have the conversation
  8. Define Standards: Agree on what "done" means for each department

Building habits

  1. Same Time Daily: Check the app at the same time each day
  2. Morning Planning: Review your tasks each morning
  3. Evening Closure: Mark remaining tasks complete before bed
  4. Weekend Reset: Prepare for the week on Sundays
  5. Visual Reminders: Keep the app icon prominent on your home screen

Common pitfalls to avoid

Pitfall Solution
Taking on too much Start with fewer departments, add gradually
Checking partner's tasks Trust them to manage their own departments
Skipping the re-deal Schedule regular re-deal sessions
Ignoring notifications Either act on them or adjust settings
Not using skip/defer Use these features instead of letting tasks pile up
Ignoring workload imbalance Address it during re-deal sessions

Frequently asked questions

Q: Can I use iOwnIt offline? A: Yes! The app works offline once installed. Changes sync when you're back online.

Q: What happens if I forget to mark a task complete? A: Uncompleted daily tasks don't carry over. Start fresh each day. Use Skip or Defer if you know you won't complete something.

Q: Can I have more than one household? A: No, each account can only belong to one household at a time.

Q: What if my partner doesn't complete their tasks? A: The app intentionally prevents you from intervening. Watch for conflict resolution prompts that suggest a check-in conversation.

Q: Can I add custom departments? A: Yes! You can create custom departments beyond the pre-loaded templates.

Q: How do time estimates work? A: Set estimated minutes per task. The app calculates weekly workload per partner and shows balance in the Household Dashboard.

Q: What are conflict prompts? A: These are automatic alerts that appear when:

  • Completion rate is below 50% (shows from Thursday onwards)
  • Workload is imbalanced (worse than 60/40 split)
  • Tasks are frequently skipped (3+ times in 2 weeks)
  • It's been 2+ weeks since your last check-in conversation

Dismissed prompts won't reappear for 3 days.

Q: Is my data private? A: Your data is stored on your own server (self-hosted). We don't have access to it.

Q: How does vacation mode work? A: In solo mode, all tasks are skipped during your vacation. In household mode, you choose which departments to skip vs. transfer to your partner. Your partner must accept transferred tasks before your vacation activates. Notifications are suppressed during active vacation.

Q: What if my partner declines my vacation request? A: They must provide a reason. You can then either modify your request (transfer fewer departments) or plan for a different time. Communication is key!

Q: Can I see my task history from previous months? A: Yes! Go to the History page and select any date range. You can filter by department or partner, and export the data as CSV.

Q: What are Workload Insights? A: Workload Insights show how task hours are distributed between partners over time. It helps identify imbalances and trends, making re-deal discussions more objective.

Q: How do I suggest a new feature? A: Contact the developer or submit an issue on the project repository.

Q: What happens to my data if my trial expires? A: Your data is preserved! You just can't access it until you subscribe or apply a promo code. Nothing is deleted.

Q: Where do I get a promo code? A: Promo codes are distributed by coaches, workshop organizers, or partners who work with iOwnIt. Ask your coach or check if your organization provides access.

Q: Can I use multiple promo codes? A: You can only have one active promo at a time, but you can apply a new code when your current one expires.

Q: What's the difference between Solo and Household plans? A: Solo ($9/year) is for individual users. Household ($19/year) includes all household features like partner management, department dealing, and workload insights.

Getting help

If you need assistance:

  1. Check this user guide first
  2. Review the FAQ section above
  3. Contact your household administrator
  4. Submit an issue on the project repository

iOwnIt - Because ownership starts at home.