How can we help?
Getting started
What do I need?
An iPhone or iPad, and an Apple or Google account to sign in with. Once is available in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand.
How do I add more than one child?
Add each child with their own name and age — if you type several names into one box, the app offers to add them as separate children. More than one child is part of premium.
What should I put in Your World?
The people, pets, places and things in your child’s life, each on its own. Put the name a child uses in the name — “Grumpy” — and who they are in the description — “Grandpa, loves golf carts and cake”.
Reading
What do Gentler, More and Sleepy do?
They write the next part of the story in that direction. Gentler calms it down, More keeps it going, and Sleepy starts bringing it in to land. On the free plan, More can be used 3 times per story; Gentler and Sleepy are never limited.
Why did the story close by itself?
When a story reaches its end and the room goes quiet, Once drifts off to a dark goodnight screen, and any music fades out. Tap “Drifting off” to stay, or tap the dark screen to go home.
Do stories work offline?
Stories you’ve already made are kept on your phone and read without a connection. Writing a new one needs a connection.
Family and sharing
How does family sharing work?
A parent invites others from Profile › Your Family. Up to 4 grown-ups share the same children, Your World and shelf of stories, and one premium subscription covers them all.
How do I send a story to a grandparent?
Open the story and share it. They get a private link that opens in any browser, with nothing to install. Links stop working after 30 days, and you can turn one off at any time.
Can I use Once on the website?
Yes. Sign in at getonce.app with the same Apple or Google account as the app to read your stories, add to Your World, invite family and manage your account. New stories are made in the app.
Account and subscription
What’s free?
A new story every night for your family’s first week, then one new story a week, shared by everyone in the household. Stories you’ve made stay on your shelf to read again. Premium is 45 stories a month — a story every night — for every child.
Can I give Once as a gift?
Yes — 3 or 12 months of Premium for any family, bought in the Once app and sent as a code. How gifts work.
How do I redeem a gift code?
In the app, go to Profile › Redeem a gift, or redeem it here after signing in. Everyone in your family gets Premium.
How do I cancel my subscription?
Subscriptions are handled by Apple. On your iPhone open Settings, tap your name, then Subscriptions, and choose Once. Cancel at least 24 hours before it renews.
How do I delete my account?
In the app, go to Profile › Settings › Delete account. What gets deleted, and when.
How do I stop my family’s details being sent to the AI?
Profile › Settings › Stories written by AI › Withdraw permission. New stories stop until you allow it again; the stories you have stay readable.