What is Family Ready?
Family Ready is a free iPhone app for building a family emergency plan. You start with an Emergency Card (who to call first, allergies, medications, important health notes) that opens offline in a large-text Emergency Mode. Then you fill in the rest of the household plan whenever you have a calm hour.
01 · THE MOMENTWhy we built the emergency contact card first
The scene we kept designing around: a neighbor is watching your kids, one has a puffy lip after a snack, and she is trying to remember which allergy you mentioned at the door.
We didn’t want page one to ask for insurance policy numbers, so version 1.2 puts the card first. Six questions, and the part that matters in the next ten minutes exists. Insurance, documents and passwords can wait for a quieter Sunday.
Card now. Everything else when you’re ready.
02 · HOW IT WORKSHow to make a family emergency plan in three steps
- Make the card.
Answer six questions for yourself, your child, a parent, a partner or someone you care for. The card saves on your iPhone and opens in Emergency Mode offline.
- Fill in the household plan.
Plain sections for contacts, health, documents, money and insurance, home, dependants and pets, care, and digital life and wishes. Any order.
- Print it and keep it current.
Print a free, dated Emergency Snapshot PDF and pick a review every 3, 6 or 12 months.
FAQFamily emergency plan app questions
What should be on an emergency contact card?
At minimum: who to call first, allergies, current medications and any condition a stranger would need to know about. Those are the questions Family Ready asks, plus any children or pets who depend on you.
Does Family Ready work without internet?
Yes. The Emergency Card is saved on your iPhone, so it opens in Emergency Mode without a connection, once you are past the passcode. No account is needed to start.
Is Family Ready free?
Yes, to download and for the essentials: the Emergency Card, Emergency Mode, offline access, the household plan, the kit checklist, encrypted backup and the Emergency Snapshot PDF. Family Ready Plus is an optional monthly or annual subscription for invitations, household sync, guided reviews, reminders and extra printable packs.
Is this the same as Medical ID on iPhone?
No, and we suggest using both. Apple’s Medical ID can show on the Lock Screen when you turn on Show When Locked. Family Ready holds a fuller household plan, and its card opens after the passcode.
Will Family Ready call 911 for me?
No. Family Ready never calls or messages anyone automatically. In Emergency Mode you tap a contact to start a call yourself. In an emergency, contact your local emergency number.
Where is my information stored?
Encrypted on your device. It is uploaded only if you sign in to share with people you invite. No ads, no cross-app tracking.
What goes in a family emergency kit?
Ready.gov starts its basic list with water (one gallon per person per day for several days), a several-day supply of non-perishable food, a battery or hand-crank radio, a flashlight and a first aid kit. The app’s checklist adds optional sections for children, older adults, pets and rural homes.
Can I make an emergency card for my parent?
Yes, with their permission. You can also make cards for yourself, your child, a partner or someone you care for.
03 · HONEST LIMITSWhat an offline emergency information app can’t do
- It is not an emergency, medical or monitoring service, and it never calls or texts anyone on its own. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.
- Emergency Mode opens after the passcode, not from the Lock Screen. For that, also set up Apple’s Medical ID.
- Phones get lost or go flat. Keep the printed Snapshot somewhere obvious.
- The Encrypted Backup File can’t be opened without its recovery code, by you or by us. Store the two apart.
- Invitations, household sync, guided reviews, reminders and packs such as Caregiver Handoff are in the paid Plus subscription. Your information stays if it ends.
04 · TRY ITEmergency kit checklist: start with water
Ready.gov’s kit page (checked November 2026) suggests one gallon of water per person per day, for several days, for drinking and sanitation. Here is what that means in bottles.
12 gallons
0 of 4 ready
05 · NOT FOR EVERYONEWho should pick something else
- You want automatic alerts after a fall or crash. Family Ready doesn’t do that. A personal emergency response service does.
- You only need allergies and blood type on your Lock Screen. iPhone’s built-in Medical ID may be all you need.
- Your household is all on Android. Family Ready is iPhone and iPad only.