In our home, it seems everyone in the house has either an iPhone, iPod Touch, or an iPad, and half of them constantly need help from me to use them. I'm looking for an iOS app with a companion Mac/web app that would allow me to push custom notifications out, either to specific devices or all devices on the network. The notifications would include a custom message and custom buttons with a specified calendar event, contact card, app, website, or settings pane associated with them.

Example: If I'm aware of a change in our household calendar, our contact list, an update for iOS, or even an interesting news story, I could push out a notification instructing them to check it out and link them directly to it.

Is there such an app out there? How much would it cost?

Hm, well, if you put them all on an iCloud account (doesn't have to be the same one as the iTunes account), you could share a Calendar or Reminders list. You do that from the iCloud.com site, using the account that you want to control the Calendar or Reminders list.

I'm not certain how it would work, but I'm guessing you could add a calendar event or reminder with an alert that would pop a notification on all the devices.

You would probably have to go into settings on each device and make sure the Calendar or Reminders notifications were set the way you want.

So, no app needed. Just a free iCloud for each, or a group of devices.

Apple IDs and iCloud


Be kind of noisy around the house for a few seconds if you turn on sounds, as all the devices let go with a beep or boob at the same time.

In addition to Twerppoet's excellent advice, could you maybe utilise iMessage, as I believe it allows multiple recipients, so you could send everyone in the group a message, even if they are not in the house with you. Once you have done it once you can go back to the same conversation in the iMessage app and send further messages without having to re-enter the addresses each time.

The Archangel

Originally Posted by Gabriel1

could you maybe utilise iMessage, as I believe it allows multiple recipients, so you could send everyone in the group a message, even if they are not in the house with you.

That's an even better solution. I wonder if iMessage would work with a MailShot group? Probably not, but worth looking into.

Originally Posted by twerppoet

That's an even better solution. I wonder if iMessage would work with a MailShot group? Probably not, but worth looking into.

I guess you would at least need to make sure that everyone in the MailShot group had both Apple ID's and were iMessage compatible, at least by creating a group within iMessage you can maintain that group by just going back to the same conversation thread each time.

The Archangel

True, that would probably be easiest.

Hard for me to test. I don't have anyone to send messages to but myself, and that rather limits what I can I can try out. My family tends towards Luddism, the lot of them.

Me too, none of my family use iMessage and I know only one other person whom I use it with.....hard to make multiple group threads to test it that way.

Maybe someone who has friends (!) will try for us!

The Archangel

Waiting. {insert Jeopardy melody here}

Hi guys. I have just sent a group message to my three daughters. You can add the names by just pressing +.
After the message has been sent it will appear on the left side still as a group. So yes you can just go to the group without having to set it ip again. You can also send photos by the copy and paste method. Anything else you'd like me to try? Great idea!!

Sent from my iPad using iPF

Originally Posted by leelai

Hi guys. I have just sent a group message to my three daughters. You can add the names by just pressing +.
After the message has been sent it will appear on the left side still as a group. So yes you can just go to the group without having to set it ip again. You can also send photos by the copy and paste method. Anything else you'd like me to try? Great idea!!

Sent from my iPad using iPF

Thanks Leelai, so if you then created another message thread, say to two of your daughters, it would also show up in the left hand pane effectively allowing you to create different user groups within iMessage...if that's correct then it could be a very powerful tool indeed.

The Archangel