Why write the list together
Every household has invisible jobs: noticing that the dishwasher tablets are running out, remembering the dentist appointment, knowing when the car insurance renews. When these live in one person's head, the other simply doesn't see them. Writing the list together makes the whole picture visible to both of you — and that alone often makes sharing the load feel easier.
A starting list for two
Go through it together, cross out what doesn't apply and add what's missing.
Kitchen and food
- Plan the week's meals
- Keep the grocery list up to date and do the shopping
- Cook, wash up, wipe counters
- Clean out the fridge
Cleaning and laundry
- Vacuum and mop
- Clean the bathroom
- Laundry: wash, dry, fold, put away
- Change bed sheets
- Take out the rubbish and recycling
Money and paperwork
- Pay rent or mortgage and regular bills
- Submit meter readings
- Renew insurance, track contract end dates
- Sort post and documents
Home and car
- Small repairs and calling tradespeople
- Replace filters, light bulbs, batteries
- Car service, tyres, inspection
- Water plants, garden, balcony
People and plans
- Birthdays, presents and cards for both families
- Doctor, dentist and vet appointments
- School and activities, if you have children
- Pets: food, vet, walks
- Holidays: booking, packing lists
How to agree on who takes what
Couples who are happy with how they share the housework rarely aim for an exact 50/50 split of every task. What tends to help:
- Start from preferences. One of you may like cooking and the other doesn't mind the bathroom. Take the jobs you mind least first.
- Agree on what “done” means. “Clean the kitchen” can mean very different things. A short checklist inside the task removes the guessing.
- Share some jobs, swap others. Groceries can stay a shared list both of you add to; bigger jobs can alternate week by week.
- Look at it again in a couple of weeks. The first version of the plan rarely survives real life — adjust it together.
- Leave room for busy weeks. When one of you has a hard week, the other picks up a few jobs, and it evens out later.
Keep the list in one shared place
A list in a notebook or a group chat is hard to keep current. In Family Errands each chore is an errand that both of you see and can edit.
Invite your partner
In the family section, send an invitation link with a 6-digit code through any messenger. Your partner installs the app, signs in and confirms joining with one tap.
Add chores as errands
In the calendar, create an errand for each job, with a checklist if it has several steps — so “clean the kitchen” means the same to both of you.
Share them
Tap your partner's avatar on an errand to share it. It is now an errand for both of you: you both see it and can both edit it.
Set repeats
Weekly, monthly or yearly chores repeat on their own — bins every Tuesday, the boiler service once a year.
Each of you sets your own reminder
The errand's time is the same for both, but reminders are personal: one of you can be reminded an hour before, the other ten minutes before.
When plans change
- Pass an errand on. If you can't make the vet appointment, hand the errand over to your partner: it becomes theirs and leaves your list.
- Know it was seen. When you share or hand something over, your partner can mark that they've seen it, so you know the message arrived.
- Everyone sees what's left. When one of you completes an errand, the other is notified; ticked checklist items update on both phones, and the calendar shows what's still open for the day.
For a full chore list sorted by frequency, see Household chores list: daily, weekly and monthly. For groceries, see Shared grocery list app.
Questions
What household chores should couples share?
Usually all of them can be shared: cleaning, cooking, laundry and groceries, but also bills, appointments, repairs and family birthdays. Writing everything down first helps you see the full list.
Does sharing chores have to be 50/50?
Not necessarily. Many couples aim for a split that feels fair to both over time, based on preferences and how busy each of you is.
Can we both edit the same chore list?
Yes. In Family Errands every errand shared with your partner can be edited by both of you, and changes show up on the other phone automatically.
Is Family Errands free?
New accounts start with a free trial. After the trial, one subscription, monthly or yearly, covers the whole family of up to 5 people: family members who join don't need a subscription of their own.
Does it work on iPhone?
Family Errands is available on Android now; the iPhone version is coming.
