Questions people ask

Act3 is a personal storytelling platform that lets you preserve and share meaningful conversations and memories with the people you love. You can create stories through video conversations, voice recordings, text, or by uploading audio and video files you already have.

Pick whatever feels easiest. Call someone on the book and swap memories on a video call, our favorite, because one memory always sets off another. Sit side by side and tell it together in person. Or go solo: talk it out loud, type it, or both. Add photos any time. However you tell it, Act3 puts it together into one story.

Because the best stories come out when someone’s there to say “wait, tell me about the time…” A call turns telling into catching up. You get the story, and you get some time with someone you don’t see enough.

Anyone, or any group, you love telling stories about. Your mom. Your college gang. The road trip of 1998. Your book club. You choose when you start, and yes, it can be about you.

Three kinds of people. The loved one (or two loved ones, if the book is about a couple) the stories are about or for. One account holder, who runs the book. And as many contributors as you like, the people who were there.

Absolutely. Each book is its own, bought separately: one for Mom, one for the college gang, one for the trip that still comes up at every dinner.

Not even a little. Bring a memory and some enthusiasm, and we’ll handle the rest. Talk it out like you’re telling it over dinner. Act3 writes it down and keeps the recording, so you never have to wrestle with a blank page. Perfection is the enemy of a locked up memory!

Shorter than you think. The best ones pack a punch: one moment, one laugh, one “you won’t believe what happened next.” Don’t overthink it. Nobody ever finished a book by waiting to feel ready.

It’s where a story gets made. Think of it as a workbench for one memory: you talk, type, add photos, or call someone, and everything gathers in one place until you’re ready to turn it into a story. Every story starts here.

Press Add a story, choose who’s telling it (just you, someone sitting beside you, or someone joining on a video call), and you’re in. That’s it. No forms to fill, no blank page.

Mix and match, in any order. Speak and watch your words appear as you talk (we keep the recording too). Type. Add photos with a name and a date. Upload audio or video you already have, like that voicemail from Grandpa. Or start a video call and tell it together.

Annie is the friend who asks “and then what?” at exactly the right moment. She does two jobs. While you tell, she asks gentle questions, so you remember more than you expected to. Then, when you press Put it together, she takes everything from the session (the talking, the typing, the photos) and writes it up as a story, in your words. Prefer to tell it without her questions? Turn her off. She’ll still write it up at the end, and she won’t take it personally.

Only the bits nobody misses. When you talk, Annie tidies away the “umms” and long pauses and shapes the conversation into a story, but every line is still something you said, the way you said it. Your voice stays your voice.

Yes, and it’s our favorite way. Two ways to do it: a video call, just you and one other person on the book, wherever they live. Or in person, with up to three of you around the table. Two people remember twice as much, and argue about the details, which is half the fun.

It’s the magic button. Annie takes everything from the session (the conversation, the recordings, the typing, the photos) and writes it up as one story. Whoever started the session presses it, so agree with your co-teller first. Then it’s in the book, ready to read.

Yes. You can tidy up what was typed or transcribed right there in the session. And once it’s a story, you can edit it any time.

Of course. Remembered something in the shower? Two easy ways to get it in. Pop back into the story session, add it, and put it together again; any edits you’ve made stay put. Or, if it’s just a line or a name, open the story, tap Edit and add it right where it belongs.

A smartphone, or a computer with a camera. The first time you press Speak, your phone or browser will ask to use the microphone. Say yes, and you’re set.

For recording, yes. If your Wi-Fi drops mid-recording, the recording can be lost, and that is a heartbreak we’d like to spare you. Find your strongest signal first. Typing is much less fussy.

Annie reads the finished story aloud, so you can sit back and listen. It’s her voice, not the original recording. Don’t worry, the original recordings are all saved too.

Anyone who was there, or wishes they had been. Family, old friends, the neighbor who saw everything. Invite them by email, or tell stories with them in person.

Open the menu in the top left corner, or scroll to the bottom of your book. Add their email and we’ll send the invite. For someone telling stories in person beside you, there’s nothing to send.

Read every story, leave comments, and tell stories of their own. They can edit and move their own stories, but not anyone else’s. Give someone full access and they can do almost everything you can, so choose wisely.

Yes. You’re in charge of who’s on the book, and you can remove someone any time.

Only people joining online. Grandpa telling stories next to you on the sofa needs nothing but a good memory and maybe a cookie.

Never. One price covers the whole book. Nobody pays to join, ever.

Go first. Tell one story yourself, then share it with them by email or text. Nothing gets people talking like reading your version and thinking “that’s not how it happened.” A short, funny story works better than a long, careful one. Then make it personal: “You were there, what do you remember?” beats “please contribute” every time.

Totally normal. Life is busy, and memories don’t come on demand. Give them a nudge with something specific: share a story they’re in, or point them to a line they’ll want to comment on. Even better, pick up the phone and tell one together on a video call. Twenty minutes of chatting and the story is done, and nobody had to “find the time to write.”

Tell them the secret: it doesn’t have to be good, or long, or written at all. They can just talk, and they can keep it to one small memory. If they’d rather not go alone, sit with them in person or start a video call so it feels like a chat, not a performance. Reading a story and leaving one comment is a perfectly brave first step too.

Make it a treasure hunt. Ask for one specific photo, like “the one of us at the beach in ’82,” rather than “any photos.” A phone camera is all they need, so there’s no scanner required. Add a photo to a story yourself and watch what happens: one picture shakes loose ten memories, and suddenly everyone is in the attic.

Only the people you invite. No strangers, no algorithms, no ads.

Press Share on the story and send it by email or text. Perfect for “remember this?” moments.

A handful of stories (or lots of them) pulled from the book and made ready to share more widely. A birthday, a reunion, a retirement. Anyone with the link can read it, and everyone on the book can see it.

Yes. You choose exactly which stories go in. What happened in Goa can stay in the book.

Yes. Stories are never set in stone. Fix a date, add a name, and the edition picks it up.

We’d love that. If there’s a story you’re proud of and you’re happy for the world to see it, send it to stories@act3.app and tell us a little about it. (That’s the only way we’ll ever see it. We don’t read the stories in your book.) We can’t feature everyone, but we read every one you send, and the ones that make us laugh or reach for the tissues might just end up on our home page. Nothing goes up without your say-so.

Not yet, but it’s coming. Printed copies will be an add-on when you publish an edition. Your bookshelf is about to get jealous.

$100 a year. One price for the whole book, however many people pile in.

No. We’ll always ask first. No surprise charges, no sneaky fine print.

Yes, if you change your mind within 30 days of buying your book. Just delete the book and the refund happens on its own. Heads up: a refunded book is gone for good and can’t be restored. The refund lands back with you within 7 business days. After 30 days, your plan simply carries on until your renewal date.

Nothing disappears. Your book and editions stay, and you can still read every story. You just can’t add new ones until you renew.

None at all. Tell as many as you like.

Up to 10 hours of calls together a year, which is a lot of “wait, who was driving?” Recording, typing and in-person sessions have no limit, and your call hours start fresh when you renew.

Yes, and we take it personally. Your book is private: only the people you invite can see it. A story only goes further if you put it in an edition and share the link. Nobody at Act3 reads your stories, ever, unless you send one to us yourself. We never sell them, never show you ads, and never use your memories to train AI. These are your people’s stories, not our product.

Yes. Everything is stored in the cloud and copied automatically, so a broken phone never means lost stories.

Yes, any time.

It’s deleted for everyone on the book: stories, photos, recordings, the lot. Changed your mind? You have 30 days to bring it back, no questions asked. (One exception: if you delete it within 30 days of buying it, you get a full refund instead, and the book can’t be brought back.) If you just want to take a break instead, stop renewing. The book stays, and everyone can still read it.

Your books don’t have to go with you. Before you leave, you can pass each one on to someone else on the book. They take over the plan and carry on where you left off, so the stories keep growing without you lifting a finger. Any book you don’t pass on is deleted, with the same 30 days to change your mind.

The stories they told stay in the book. They’re part of it now. Their comments stay too, so nothing is left with a hole in it.

We’re not going anywhere if we can help it. But if Act3 ever closes, you’ll get plenty of notice and a way to download every story, photo and recording first. Your memories are yours, not ours. That was the whole point.

Because someone wants your memories in this book. You were there, you know these people, or you tell it better than anyone. No pressure.

Nope. Joining is free, always.

No. Reading and leaving a comment help just as much. Being the person who says “that’s not how it happened” is a valuable role.

Not at all. If you already know what you want to tell, go straight to Add a story. The stories already there are just a spark for whenever you want one.

It’s where a story gets made. You talk, type, add photos, or call someone, and it all gathers in one place until it becomes a story.

Press Add a story and choose how. Start a video call with someone else on the book (the most fun), tell it with someone sitting beside you, or go solo by talking or typing. Add photos whenever you like. When you’re done, press Put it together and it becomes a story. That’s really it.

Speak and watch your words appear (we keep the recording too), type, add photos with a name and a date, or upload audio or video you already have. Any order you like.

Nope. All you need is a memory and the itch to share it. Talk the way you would at the dinner table, and bring the energy. Act3 writes it down and keeps the recording, so the getting-it-on-paper part is our job. A memory told with gusto beats a perfect sentence every time.

Short is good. One memory, told your way, is plenty. The best stories are often the ones that take two minutes and get the biggest laugh.

Yes, please do. Start a video call, just you and one other person on the book, wherever they live. Or tell it in person, with up to three of you around the table. Stories flow easier together, and you get a proper catch-up out of it.

Your storytelling sidekick. She asks gentle questions while you tell, so more memories come back. Then she takes the whole session and writes it up as a story, in your words. Rather tell it without her questions? Turn her off and she’ll just write it up at the end.

When you talk, Annie clears out the “umms” and pauses and shapes the conversation into a story, but she keeps your words and the way you tell it. Your story, your words.

Annie takes everything from the session and writes it up as one story. Whoever started the session presses it. Then it’s in the book.

A smartphone, or a computer with a camera. When you first press Speak, say yes to the microphone.

For recording, yes. If Wi-Fi drops mid-recording, the recording can be lost, so find your best signal first. Typing is much more forgiving.

Highlight the words you want to talk about, then write your comment. It stays attached to that exact line, so everyone knows what you mean.

Wonderful. Say so in a comment, or tell your own version. Both belong in the book, and the truth is probably somewhere in between.

Annie reads the story aloud, so you can listen with your eyes closed. It’s her voice, not the original recording.

Yes, any time. Change your own stories, fix that date you got wrong, or move a story to a different chapter.

No. You can read every story and comment on any line, but only the person who told it can change it, unless you’ve been given full access.

Everyone on the book, plus anyone reading an edition your story ends up in.

Told one you’re proud of? Send it to stories@act3.app with a line about it. We never read the stories in a book, only the ones people send us. We read every one, and a few that make us laugh or cry end up on our home page. Nothing goes up without your say-so, and the book’s owner too.

Then you’re the star. Everything works the same way, and you can add chapters and edit stories too. It’s your book as much as anyone’s.

Yes. The book is private: only people invited to it can see it. Nobody at Act3 reads your stories unless you send one to us yourself. We never sell them, never show ads, and never use your memories to train AI.

You can leave any time, no hard feelings. The stories you told stay in the book, because they’re part of it now and the people who invited you will treasure them.

If Act3 ever closes, the book’s owner gets plenty of notice and a way to download every story, photo and recording. Nothing you told is lost.