TalkingParents: Co-Parent App Reviews

by Dazed & Confused80

When I 1st started using this application, you could have multiple accounts using different emails and passwords of course, although you had to pay for both subscriptions you could log out and log in very easy. Now for some reason that does not work anymore and you’ll just get error messages yet they’ll still charge you for both subscriptions. Then if you try to contact Support they don’t know the issue, aren’t helpful and just blame it on Apple subscriptions without trying to resolve your issues.

Hopefully no one needs this application to talk to two different people because you’ll be very disappointed and stuck.

To the developers please fix this issues ASAP.

by Hot Tanya

Looked up this company as a referral from my Family Law Attorney to be able to communicate with the Father of my children. The service online is free unless you need something in much more detail then then there’s a fee. The downloadable app only works if you pay a Monthly subscription fee of $5.00. Now I now it’s only $5.00 but if it’s supposed to be a free then it should be I myself only use it to text/email you can’t attach any pictures and you can’t make phone calls through TalkingParents . So in reality you’re just better off using regular text or email or just down load a free txt app that also keeps track of any messages between parties. It’s hard enough to be a single parent trying to raise two kids.

by Captn Angry

This is the only way I’ll talk to my ex, it keeps her outbursts to a minimum. It worked great until they added the call record feature. After that it repeatedly crashed when it did open. It stopped sending notifications to my phone and every message I posted had resulted in TalkingParents completely crashing every time. Supports solution was to uninstall an download it again. Get your updates corrected and make sure your servers and the endpoint can actually handle the features you’re adding. It’s a good thing this keeps the plaintiff under control or you would no longer have my monthly service fee. Also, if I want to download a conversation please make it so I can select the tab that it is organized into instead of your current method. I want to organize the document by the conversation, sorting through every single message is tedious and time consuming.

by Runr02

Unfair pricing for the non custodial parent who must pay premium to initiate calls. The custodial parent can get away with paying $15 less by asking the non custodial parent to call back to avoid having to initiate calls. Then custodial parent opts not to call the kids during the few days (maybe a weekend) they are with other parent. Please revise your costs so that it’s equal for both parents (and $25 for both parents is excessive). I will be asking my attorney to request TalkingParents dropped simply because of cost.

Department of Children and families should create an app if we are gonna be charged these ridiculous prices as they have a payment system.

Then on top of that they are limited to 120 minutes. So if the parent goes over those minutes they have to pay more. Calls over the internet, really? Are we back in 1998 buying minutes? Not even Netflix $9.99.

by Brett OnAsches

The system works pretty good. However the developers decided to take advantage of our situations some being court ordered and change it to a monthly subscription. This raises the price pretty significantly and also they got rid of the payment in full for the year, looks like we’re stuck with a monthly subscription fee which I am totally against doing. Some of us are on limited income and have to pay child support and alimony and are already hurt In the pockets. Totally unfair for people who have already been using TalkingParents . Yeah I know the website is free, unfortunately I’m sure a large percentage of us don’t carry computers around with us while we’re at work and the other parent needs to contact us with important updates. I would not recommend TalkingParents to anyone at this point. And I will be contacting our court to have the designated app switched to another.

by 2x_Daddy

I have been using Talking Parents for over two years. It’s simple and straightforward but there were some major flaws I had to live with due to the court order. When I reached out to TP’s support to make some suggestions, I never got a response. My issues with TalkingParents :
1) No app password option. Really? This was hugely problematic because my kids use my phone and guess what happened? Yep, my 8 year old daughter read pages and pages of conflict between her mom and dad. It’s so simple and why not give the customer the option. 2). Calendar is basically useless since you can enter recurring events which would be really handy when entering the repetitious custody schedule 3). There are ton of other glitches and UX issues. Fortunately, our new co-parenting therapist asked us to move to Our Family Wizard, literally today. All my headaches are now gone.

by Canis Lupus Arctos

This was court ordered for which I would rather my money go towards my child than waste on a platform my ex uses to harass me. I went to settings to accept video calls from the other parent and the site automatically takes you to sign up for a 30 day trial or to purchase a subscription; you have to choose one before you are able to receive video calls. It does state that free users are allowed to receive free video calls, but again you have to choose between the trail or the paid version before you can. We never used this feature because of that issue and opt for continuing to FaceTime instead. This platform is very deceiving and money hungry which takes advantage of people’s situations. Thankfully I don’t have to use this website very often.

by Scalasi

I really like TalkingParents. When it comes to the messages, it great that everything is time stamped. Even when the other co-parent views the message. That’s a great feature. This way there’s no saying that “oh I didn’t get the message”. It’s nice to be able to upload images to send the other co-parent. The calendar is a great feature too.
What I don’t like is there is a fee to have TalkingParents in your phone. You can get free access to it on-line only. That’s an inconvenience. Some of us cannot afford the fee and hardly use it but have to because of the other co-parent. I wish that would change-the fee. Or at least make the fee less per month.

by Extremely Frustrated Customers

we have been using TalkingParents since February 2019. In the beginning it was fine and we had no issues. But when they changed it from being $4.99 a month for the basic (which included app access) to being $5.99-$9.99 to have app access, we have had a problem EVERY month! We get charged the subscription and then 2-3 days later we get kicked out of TalkingParents and told we don’t have app access with our plan, it take 2 days to get anyone to email us back, after they review our bank charges, we get app access back. Then the next month SAME DANG THING! So frustrated with it, makes me wish I hadn’t requested the judge to order this as the only means of communication. My attorney had recommended we use TalkingParents because the other party liked to lie and say she didn’t send stuff, even though I still had the text. Or she would call 15-20 times a day and say nothing, deny it was her but the phone records proved it was them. It’s a big mess but sometimes I would rather deal with that than to keep paying for something that keeps messing up.

by I Am DRASTIC

I just downloaded TalkingParents . Though I feel it will serve its purpose and it’s something I need, I don’t understand why you promote a $5.99 price plan and as soon as purchase, it’s actually $9.99. It’s misleading. And unless I failed to read the details properly, which I’ll take fault for, it’s not very clear what the differences are, especially since you don’t immediately offer a $9.99 plan on your site. Either way, I’ll be using this and can return with more feedback soon. Would love to hear from the developer on this.

by CSchlundt

My family has used TalkingParents for 3.5 years coparenting with my husbands extremely difficult ex. While I do love that we can obtain certified transcript copies and use them in court, which we’ve done on multiple occasions, I wish there was a “tone meter” and a function to help with finances - keeping track of amount and payments, etc. While I’m so thankful we can use these transcripts in the courtroom, a tone meter will help alleviate a lot of the back and forth: we deal with an excess of degradation and derogatory comments and have to continuously go to the judge with it because she finds her language and comments acceptable.

by Dick1405

TalkingParents seems to work ok. I paid for the premium access so I can use TalkingParents on my phone. More often than not, TalkingParents will crash whenever I try to attach a picture or video. I have even made the extra attempt to shorten a video down to just 4 seconds. After a few attempts I can usually get a picture to send but after almost a month I've never been able to send a video. I'm really trying to do whatever I can to stay on his mom's good side by making sure she doesn't miss out on anything he's doing. Obviously not a huge deal but since I'm technically not allowed to text her phone number, it'd be nice to be able to send videos as well as pictures without so much hassle. It's also a bit frustrating that the red notification symbol doesn't disappear even after viewing the message.

by The Innocent Victim

You are being forced to use TalkingParents because you are a decent human being and your spouse has turned crazy or is being extremely immature. TalkingParents won’t fix your spouse but will help prove they are crazy and immature.

It’s an expensive alternative to text messaging. One Benefit is you can see when your spouse reads your message, they get an alert and an email. So when they don’t read a message for 24 hours you know they are are being a child and ignoring you. Another benefit is that you can get a pdf of your conversation. Unfortunately your spouses evil lawyer will instead carefully select screenshots of the conversation and send them to your children’s lawyer to try to make you look bad. Fortunately you can send the lawyer the entire conversation and let him know that he is being misled.

by Riliam

This helps the ex-wife and I to talk in a civilized manner. I like that I can she when she read a message, this way I know if she got it and is just mulling things over or whatever. I would like to have a little flexibility to change color or look of TalkingParents . Also, I’m not sure TalkingParents have the same level or quality of encryption as WhatsApp or messenger. The last thing I would like is for TalkingParents to sound when I do get a message. I don’t like that the only notification is the window I have on my screen or the number next to TalkingParents . If my sons mother is trying to send me a massage that my kid is sick, I want to know now. Not at some random point I look at my phone and see a notification.

by Darlene Claire

I was having a really difficult time… And I still am with communicating. My soon to be ex-husband was being extremely challenging with basic respectful communication with regard to our children. I had wanted to use TalkingParents in the past but I could never get him to agree. Finally, we are using TalkingParents .

It gives me a sense of security knowing there is a record of our conversations. I like the features like Calendar and Journal.

by Lupita8369

I wish there was a way to limit the use of the person by telephone number instead of email. My sons father let his girlfriend download TalkingParents on her cellphone and now they both harass me. I never know who I’m talking to. Some days it’s her and some days it’s him. But they are both always attacking me. It’s mentally exhausting. I’ve stopped checking my messages, and he’s accused me with the court of ignoring him. So now that I have proof that the girlfriend has TalkingParents on her phone, I’ve notified the court so they know why I’ve chosen to ignore their constant harassment and why I’ve chosen my mental health over their constant arguments and fights with me. I don’t know what to do now as far as communication goes since I cannot tell who is reaching out to me. I get anxiety attacks just seeing the notifications. Amazing that people can find anything to use as a weapon to harass and disturb your mental health. Until there’s a way for the girlfriend to be blocked, I will not be using any of these apps but TalkingParents was great and I have nothing but great things to say about it. So thank you to the developers. Hope you can fix it to make it be allowed one phone number downloadable rather than email. Thank you

by ElCocodrillo

I have custody with a narcissist and this helps keep track of all communication. He tends to lie and say he wasn’t made aware of things and TalkingParents helps me prove that he was. Nothing can be deleted and it’s so easy to find something you need. All you need to do is type in a key word and it brings up all the threads relating to it. So much easier than reading through tons of texts and emails. I cannot make my ex respond, or respond in they way I would like, but if we need to go back to court, I have proof of his lack of response and controlling responses.
I would recommend this to anyone having trouble with “co-parenting “ with an ex. They may not like it, but it will help you keep your sanity and maybe cut down on the nastiness.

by Leopardfam

UPDATE: Sign up was super glitchy and messed up on my iPad Pro, causing me to have to change my password and head in for another round of glitches, leaving me locked out but not telling me so. I gave up for several days in frustration and tried other apps, but found them disappointing. Finally came back to this one, and haven’t had a problem since.
Developer super sweet and responsive, I just can’t remember enough details to help them.
App is expensive, but worth it. Something about the structure is making my conversations with my ex much better. I did specifically ask him to be kind and friendly on TalkingParents , as it can lead to sort of cold and functional responses - but cold and functional would be a dream compared to the situations some people are in.

by Bigpapa303

First this was recommended by my attorney due to my ex and I can not communicate with out it leading to a fight. In the last 2 years of using it it has protected me and my ex. It keeps us in check knowing these cannot be altered or deleted. Also each message that is sent will tag when the other person reads it. So no games or last min games can be played. All communication goes through talking parent and a permanent record is created.

After reading some of the reviews. Some advice!!!

If your at the point of using TalkingParents or any similar co parenting app. Block the the other person phone, emails, friends, family. All communication goes through talking parent. This way there is no issues. It’s recorded for life. The judge will have no issues. As long as there is away to communicate that’s all that matters.

by Enjoytalikngnow

When I committed to communication with my separated spouse only through this app all games and name calling and bitter attitudes stopped in a day. Communication improved and we accomplished in a week agreements it had taken over a year and a half to make. Fewer conversions are necessary now and the free exchange of children is happening. We are working on a joint settlement custody agreement and no one is seeking an advantage now. The agreement is nearly ready to submit to court. While we have not said it aloud, I mused that if things go this well should we even divorce? I almost started communicating again through text messages but I resisted it and continue only through the this app app because it keeps us honest and respectful knowing the courts will have full access to our conversations and we don’t want to appear petty.

by Samichebib

How the heck does this messenger app have 4.5 stars? Latency is severe, the server is slow, notifications are not always accurate. Sometimes the little red notification dot doesn’t go away for several hours. Other times, I have to log out of TalkingParents completely to refresh my messages, and even then I will still get a “server error.”

For $5/month, you are not performing as efficiently as Facebook messenger, or WhatsApp, or Viber. This is a court mandated computer application, so I would encourage you to increase your efficiency and correct the latency issues.

by Loving_dad91

According to the courts this was supposed to be a free app as a way for parents to be able to communicate. So I create my account and wait for the other parent to sign up. Upon the sign ups being finished, I open TalkingParents to be told I HAVE TO UPGRADE TO A PREMIUM ACCOUNT in order to use TalkingParents . Doesn’t give you a choice in the matter. $5 per month, .05 cents to get a text notification, and then they automatically charge you when you get below $1.00. TalkingParents is a joke and very unfair. You want to charge someone for your services charge the courts instead of the parents. Not everyone wanted to use TalkingParents . Some are forced to do it.

by Mamag619

I’ve been using this for a few months which is court ordered with my very difficult daughter’s father. It has made communicating easier but I Wish this had a section for finances and bills to pay directly and child profile with name, weight, height etc.

Also I wish the calendar had an option for the other parent to agree or disagree for scheduling events? It should also have an option to repeat events so I don’t have to schedule it for each week for instance his schedule is alternating weekends.

by M0nk13p0o

- calendar is slow to load, I use it to track my sons gtube feeds because he is special needs but because it takes so long to load or sometimes doesn’t connect to server I can’t. Then his father can’t see when he was last fed.
- server keeps crashing or not connecting that I need to remove TalkingParents and reinstall
- I think an additional caregiver or guardian in the account would be great so they can add things too.

by Cassie_24!

I love TalkingParents it really help with conversations and tracking any problems your situation is having but the calendar is crazy! Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t. It freezes and won’t let me click on the day I’m trying to add into calendar. It drives me crazy. I really need this fixed or else I’m afraid father will stop using it. Otherwise great app.

by Sje47

I wish the calendar would let me schedule across multiple days at once (i.e. for fathers weekend time) without having to schedule individually each day. Adding in an “all day” option to override the time entry as well would be helpful!

Other than that everything is going smoothly thus far.

by Momma Bear Of Twins

TalkingParents got me off the hamster wheel I’d been running on with my Ex through our 18 month super dysfunctional custody case of trying to keep track of all the different texts and emails he’d send saying one thing in one thread and another thing in other threads, ignoring me,deleting the threads I tried taking to trial & the list goes on. Using this service solves ALL those issues and more. It’s AMAZING, it’s the solution I so badly needed, it’s affordable & it’s easy to use. THANK YOU. Thank you SO FREAKING MUCH.

by Xray_chic

Before I got the court to order my ex to use TalkingParents only I received abusive phone calls from my ex, even abusive text messages. He knew nothing was solid in court.
Now, no more abuse. He is cordial even. We have to stay in contact due to child custody. So there is no way to stay away from communicating with him. Now I don’t have to be yelled at or called names. No manipulation. It is wonderful. I can get back to having a life.
So I wanted to say thank you. TalkingParents saved me.

by Yogatechnomad

Honestly, TalkingParents itself is a little glitchy. There are some hiccup with copying messages and reloading things. But, TalkingParents has improved my life so much that none of the glitches matter. The court ordered my ex and I to use TalkingParents most likely because he was an abuser. Communicating via Talking Parents is the nicest he has been to me ever. It’s great.