A little care.
Clear expectations.

Start with one small check-in.

1. Agree on the plan. A caregiver adds an everyday check-in in Plan, then chooses coverage in Turns. Choose something together, such as an afternoon walk.
2. Reply in your own time. Open Ask Kin, or use your linked Echo. Say or choose Done, Not yet, or Skip. Review the proposed change before confirming.
3. Catch up without chasing. The family sees the response in Today. If a follow-up is listed, the caregiver can acknowledge it separately from completing the check-in.

Sign in to an existing circle to use these views. A roster name alone does not give someone access. Phone alerts also need a connected phone and enabled delivery; assigning a turn is not enough.

A check-in is someone’s response.

Done, Not yet, and Skip record what a person tells Kin. They are not independent proof that care happened. Not yet keeps the task open and starts a fresh grace period from the later of the due time or the reply.

A name identifies the account used.

Shared history records the signed-in Kin account, not a verified human speaker. Anyone using a linked Echo may be able to report through that account. Kin does not recognize which person spoke. Link only the intended account, explain this to everyone using the device, and disconnect it when access should end.

One person takes the next turn.

A duty assignment identifies the caregiver responsible for new follow-ups. A handoff does not redirect an alert already queued. Next-week proposals preserve existing assignments and fill uncovered days by fewest assigned days, then longest since the previous turn.

These counts describe scheduled responsibility, not time spent caring or anyone’s contribution to the family.

Routing, sending, and acknowledgment are different.

Phone alerts require a consented destination and enabled delivery. A provider-accepted message is not proof that a phone received it. Delivery can fail, and uncertain retries can produce duplicates. Acknowledgment records that a caregiver has taken responsibility; it does not complete the check-in or cancel a message in progress.

Kin’s notification text omits care details. Open the authenticated workspace for the shared update. Device notification previews are controlled by your phone settings.

The weekly notes stay close to the evidence.

Every observation links to a recorded event. When enabled, Amazon Bedrock selects from those facts; Kin validates its selections and supplies the wording. If generation fails, the factual summary remains available. Response timing uses recorded provider acceptance, not handset delivery, and missing timing is labeled.

Access belongs to people, not roster names.

Adding a person to Circle does not create their account, invite them, or subscribe a phone. An invitation is tied to a verified account and requires that person’s acceptance. Closing a workspace session does not revoke membership. Organizers can review eligible memberships in Access.

Two ways to use your voice.

The browser conversation uses a simulated Alexa+ interface and real MCP calls. Kin also has a separate classic Alexa development skill for linked test Echo devices. This is not native Alexa+ toolkit integration or a published skill available to everyone.

On a configured Echo, say “Alexa, open kin family.” Your Kin account must be linked before the skill can read the family plan. Check-ins and reminders require confirmation.

With your reminder-sync consent and synchronization enabled, Kin attempts to cancel its own reminders when their check-ins no longer need them. Cancellation is not guaranteed: check the Alexa app if Kin reports an uncertain result. Moving a check-in does not move its reminder or create another one; a new reminder needs fresh consent.

Optional browser dictation starts only on request, may use the browser’s speech provider, and fills a draft for review.