Frequently Asked Questions

Our AI analyzes the availability patterns you set for your children and compares them with your connected families' schedules. It identifies overlapping free times and suggests optimal playdate slots, even recognizing recurring patterns like "every Wednesday after school." The more you use it, the smarter it gets at predicting the best times for your family.

You can invite existing friends via email or phone number, or use our neighborhood discovery feature to find families with children of similar ages and interests within a radius you set. All connections require mutual approval — no one can see your profile unless you both agree to connect.

Most parents complete their profile in under five minutes. You'll add your children's ages and interests, set your general availability, and choose your privacy preferences. You can always add more detail later — allergy information, favorite activities, and location preferences can be filled in as you go.

Our matching algorithm considers age compatibility (we suggest children within 18 months of each other for under-5s, and up to 2 years for older kids), shared interests from your child's profile, proximity, and your historical scheduling patterns. It learns from which suggested matches you accept and improves over time.

Yes — recurring playdate automation is available on Premium plans. Once a playdate is confirmed, you can set it to repeat weekly, fortnightly, or monthly. The app will check both families' calendars before each occurrence and send a gentle confirmation request if anything has changed.

You can cancel or reschedule a confirmed playdate directly in the app at any time. The other family receives an instant notification, and the AI will immediately suggest alternative times based on both families' updated availability. We know life with kids is unpredictable — the app is built around that reality.

Absolutely. If you have more than one child, you can manage their social calendars separately or together. The AI understands that a playdate for your 4-year-old and a playdate for your 7-year-old might need to overlap — or might need to be kept apart.

We use AES-256 encryption for all stored data and TLS 1.3 for data in transit — the same standards used by major banks. Your home address is never shared with other families; only a general neighborhood area is shown. You control exactly what information is visible to connected families vs. the broader community.

Every account requires a verified email address and phone number. We also offer optional identity verification for parents who want an extra layer of trust in their community. Verified parents are clearly marked on their profile, and you can filter discovery to show only verified families.

Yes — this is one of the features parents tell us they value most. Our Health & Safety profiles let you document allergies (including severity), dietary restrictions, fears, medical conditions, and any special accommodations your child needs. This information is automatically shared with playdate hosts when a date is confirmed, so they can prepare before your child arrives.

By default, connected families can see your children's first names, age ranges, and interests. Health and safety information is only shared once a playdate is confirmed. You can customize visibility settings for each piece of information in your privacy dashboard.

We offer a generous free tier that includes core scheduling, up to 10 family connections, and manual playdate planning. Premium plans unlock AI-powered suggestions, unlimited connections, recurring automation, location recommendations, and priority support. We'll always keep a meaningful free tier — we want every family to benefit, regardless of budget.

Premium includes: unlimited family connections, AI playdate matching, recurring scheduling automation, location and venue suggestions, calendar sync (Google, Apple, Outlook), advanced privacy controls, and priority customer support. Premium members also get early access to new features.

Yes — we offer a 30-day free trial of Premium for all new accounts. No credit card required to start. If you decide Premium isn't right for you, you'll automatically roll back to the free plan with no charge.

theplaydate.ai is available on iOS (App Store) and Android (Google Play), with a full-featured web app at theplaydate.ai for managing schedules from your laptop or desktop. All versions stay in sync in real time.

Yes — Premium members can sync with Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, and Outlook. When a playdate is confirmed, it's added to your calendar automatically. Existing calendar events are read (but never modified) to check for conflicts before suggesting times.

Yes. You can add trusted co-managers to your family account — a partner, grandparent, or regular caregiver. Co-managers can view the calendar, confirm or decline playdates, and communicate with other families on your behalf. You set exactly what permissions each co-manager has.

Yes — our location feature (Premium) suggests kid-friendly venues near both families: parks, soft-play centres, cafés with play areas, and more. Suggestions are based on proximity, age-appropriateness, and ratings from other parents in your community.