Questions, answered

Tandem is a communication coach for couples and families. It shows how a message might land before you send it, offers a kinder rewrite, and helps you see what a message from someone you love may really mean.

Yes. Each person has their own login and joins the same circle with a 6-character invite code. That lets the coach know who is writing, who is reading and what will land well for each of you.

Share your circle’s 6-character invite code, or send an invitation email from inside the app. Each person also has a personal referral link for inviting friends to Tandem. See Invite someone to your circle.

No. A circle can be a couple (2 people) or a family of up to 5.

Not yet. The apps are on the way. Tandem works now in any web browser, on a phone or computer, at talkintandem.app.

No. Live coaching with real speech comes with the phone apps, because on-device speech-to-text needs them. In the web app the Talk tab runs a demo conversation, and the app says so.

No. Tandem only listens during a live session that everyone agreed to on their own phone. Speech is turned into text on the phone, and audio is never uploaded or saved. The text of a live session is deleted when it ends, and a summary is kept only if you choose to keep it.

The people in your circle. In a family, one-to-one chats are visible only to the two people in them. Tandem staff cannot read message text.

Your circle. Your communication style and the guides you fill in are shared so people know how to talk with you. Private reflections, journal entries, check-ins and feelings you keep to yourself are visible only to you.

Text only, such as a draft message or recent lines of a live conversation, plus the relevant communication profiles, sent through Tandem’s own servers. Never audio.

Only if you turn on “Help improve Tandem,” which is off by default. If you do, examples are saved without your name or account and with personal details removed. Data from teens is never used this way. Per our privacy policy, the AI provider does not train its models on data sent for coaching.

Yes. Delete your account any time in the app (Me tab) and your account, profile, private notes and check-ins are permanently deleted. If you are the last member of a circle, its messages are deleted too. See Delete your account.

No. It is designed to help both people be understood, not to win. It will not help anyone pressure, guilt, threaten or manipulate another person.

It looks at the recent messages and at how that person texts. It can recognize teasing, venting and brush-offs, and it reports how confident it is. It can still be wrong, so treat it as a suggestion, not a verdict.

No. For every draft you can use the rewrite, edit it, or send your own words. You are always in charge of what gets sent.

No. You choose what to send. Tandem’s notifications and emails never include the text of a message.

Tandem’s coaching content is reviewed by a licensed California clinician (LCSW / LMFT). That is a review of the wording and guidance. It does not make Tandem therapy, and it is not clinical treatment.

Adults, and teens 13 to 17 in a family circle that includes a parent or guardian. Nobody under 13.

No. A teen aged 13 to 17 can only join a family circle with a code from that circle. Only adults can create circles, and a parent or guardian in the family can confirm the teen’s age.

No. In a family, the family room is shared by the whole circle, but a one-to-one chat is readable only by the two people in it.

No. Training data is never recorded for teens.

Yes. Each is a switch in the Me tab, as are push notifications and email reminders. If you turn read receipts off, you also stop sending them.

A welcome email, invitation emails, a password reset, and reminder emails only for people who cannot receive push notifications. Emails never contain the text of a message and carry the crisis lines. Every reminder has a one-click unsubscribe.

Every notification is also saved in the app, so nothing is lost if push is off. The bell, tab badges and activity list show new messages, reactions, matches and goals. Opening the related screen marks a notice read.

Tandem is free during the beta, with every feature included for everyone in your circle. No payment details are needed. Paid plans will come later and will be announced in the app before the beta ends. No price has been announced. See Pricing.

A Couple circle for 2 people and a Family circle for up to 5 people. Every feature is included in both during the beta.

Yes. Choose Light, Dark or Match phone in the Me tab. It is saved per device.

In the app, open the Me tab and choose “Report a bug or share an idea.” You can attach up to two screenshots.

No. Tandem is a communication coaching tool. It is not therapy, counseling or mental-health care, and it does not replace a licensed professional. If you are in danger or crisis, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or call or text 988.

When a message or conversation shows signs of danger or crisis, the coach shows support resources, including the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233) and 988, instead of communication advice. Tandem does not contact anyone on your behalf. In immediate danger, call 911.

No. Tandem is not the right tool in that situation. Please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (free, confidential, 24/7), or a licensed professional.

No. It never listens outside a live session, no one can start listening alone, every participant agrees on their own phone, and anyone can end the session.