Frequently asked questions
What Hobson does, how it’s different from a shared calendar, what it costs, and how it keeps your family’s data safe.
- What does Hobson actually do?
- Hobson connects to your calendars (Google, Apple) and uses AI to spot patterns and gaps — like an overdue dentist visit, a missing date night, or soccer registration opening soon. It sends you nudges so things don't slip through the cracks.
- How is Hobson different from a shared Google Calendar?
- A shared calendar shows you the events you already put in. Hobson sits above your calendars and adds judgment: it flags conflicts before they happen, asks who's driving the Tuesday carpool 48 hours ahead, notices the things you forgot to schedule, and turns a photo of a school flyer into calendar events. It's the layer that tells you what needs doing, not just what's already booked.
- Is my calendar data safe?
- Yes. Hobson reads your calendar events to generate nudges but never shares your data with third parties. All AI processing happens through secure edge functions. We never sell your data, and we don't use your content to train AI models.
- What are Circles?
- Circles let you coordinate with your partner, family, or co-parent. When you share a nudge to your circle, members can accept, decline, or propose alternative times. Think of it as shared family awareness.
- Does it work for co-parents and separated families?
- Yes. A Circle can be just you and a co-parent, without sharing your full calendars. You choose what to coordinate — carpools, activities, specific events — so two households can stay in sync on the kids without merging everything.
- Can Hobson coordinate rides and carpools?
- Yes, two ways. “Schedule a ride” is for a single trip where you want peace of mind — one person drives, and when they tap “arrived safely” everyone gets a reassurance notification (ideal for getting an elder or a child somewhere). “Carpool” is for recurring runs like soccer practice — Hobson asks “Who’s driving?” ahead of time and members claim seats. Household plans also add shared medication refill reminders.
- Is Hobson free?
- Yes — Solo is free forever. Nudges, circles, carpool coordination, conflict alerts, calendar sync, and Talk to Hobson are all included, with a generous monthly limit on heavier AI actions. Need more? Household covers up to 6 people with unlimited AI for $8.99/month (or $79.99/year), and the first 1,000 members can lock in Founders pricing at $39.99/year for life.
- Which platforms are supported?
- Hobson (App Store name: Get Hobson) is currently available on iOS via TestFlight, with the public App Store release imminent. An early Android beta is available as a direct download from this site, with Google Play to follow. The app works with Google Calendar and Apple Calendar for event sync, and optionally connects to Strava and Apple Health for activity tracking.
- Is Hobson on Android?
- Yes, as an early beta. Tap the Android Beta button on this page to download the app directly (it's not on Google Play yet). Your phone will ask permission to install apps from your browser — allow it, open the downloaded file, and sign in with Google or email. The Android beta covers nudges, circles, carpools, and Google Calendar sync; Apple Calendar and Apple Health remain iOS-only.
- What is the Carpool Coordinator?
- Hobson detects recurring kids' activities shared across your circle — like soccer practice every Tuesday — and automatically asks who's driving 48 hours ahead. Parents tap 'I'll Drive' with their seat count, 'Need Ride,' or 'Not Going.' Carpool Karma tracks who drives most to keep things fair.
- What is the flyer scan?
- Snap a photo of a paper flyer — a school notice, a birthday invite, a practice schedule — and Hobson reads the dates and details and turns them into calendar events for you, so the pile of paper on the counter stops becoming missed appointments.
- What is Sync Score?
- Your Sync Score shows how well Hobson knows your life on a scale of 0-100. Connect calendars, join circles, act on nudges, and link fitness apps to improve it. Find it on your Profile tab.
Launching soon on the App Store
Get Hobson is in private beta on TestFlight while we finish the App Store release.
Join the beta on TestFlight