How to Preserve Family Memories: A Practical Guide
3 sections · Expert-curated · Free
Voice and Video
Use story prompts to guide the conversat...
Record on your phone — quality matters l...
Start with easy questions and build to d...
Even 5-minute recordings are invaluable
Written Memories
Keep a family journal
Write down recipes with the stories behi...
Create a family timeline of major events
Record family sayings, jokes, and tradit...
Digital Preservation
Scan old photos at high resolution
Store digital copies in multiple locatio...
Use a platform like NowWhat to organize ...
Set delivery rules: who gets what, and w...
Track your progress — assign tasks, check things off, share with family
Get my planVoice and Video
The most powerful way to preserve someone.
Use story prompts to guide the conversation
Tap “Get my plan” above for detailed how-to instructions, questions to ask, and insider tips for this step.
Record on your phone — quality matters less than capturing it
Tap “Get my plan” above for detailed how-to instructions, questions to ask, and insider tips for this step.
Start with easy questions and build to deeper ones
Tap “Get my plan” above for detailed how-to instructions, questions to ask, and insider tips for this step.
Even 5-minute recordings are invaluable
Tap “Get my plan” above for detailed how-to instructions, questions to ask, and insider tips for this step.
Written Memories
For those who prefer writing.
Keep a family journal
Tap “Get my plan” above for detailed how-to instructions, questions to ask, and insider tips for this step.
Write down recipes with the stories behind them
Tap “Get my plan” above for detailed how-to instructions, questions to ask, and insider tips for this step.
Create a family timeline of major events
Tap “Get my plan” above for detailed how-to instructions, questions to ask, and insider tips for this step.
Record family sayings, jokes, and traditions
Tap “Get my plan” above for detailed how-to instructions, questions to ask, and insider tips for this step.
Digital Preservation
Make sure memories survive technology changes.
Scan old photos at high resolution
Tap “Get my plan” above for detailed how-to instructions, questions to ask, and insider tips for this step.
Store digital copies in multiple locations
Tap “Get my plan” above for detailed how-to instructions, questions to ask, and insider tips for this step.
Use a platform like NowWhat to organize by person and event
Tap “Get my plan” above for detailed how-to instructions, questions to ask, and insider tips for this step.
Set delivery rules: who gets what, and when
Tap “Get my plan” above for detailed how-to instructions, questions to ask, and insider tips for this step.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best way to digitize old photos?
For large collections, use a photo scanning app on your phone (Google PhotoScan is free). For high-quality scans of important photos, use a flatbed scanner at 600 DPI. Some services will scan entire boxes of photos for you.
You don’t have to figure this out alone
Get a personalized, interactive checklist that tracks your progress and lets you assign tasks to family members. Free to start.
Start your personalized plan