The best apps to record your family's stories in 2026

The best app to record your family's stories depends on what you want to end up with. If you want a printed book, services like StoryWorth and Remento send your parent questions and turn the answers into a hardcover. If you want their voice for free, your phone's voice recorder or the StoryCorps app is enough. If you want someone else to do the interviewing, by voice, an AI interviewer like Dalia calls them, asks follow-up questions and keeps the recording, transcript and summary for the family.

Here's how the main options compare. Prices were checked on each company's website in October 2026 and change often, especially around the holidays, so check before you buy.

At a glance

Your phone's voice recorder: free and good enough to start

Every smartphone has a voice recorder, and for many families it's all they need. Sit with your parent in a quiet room, put the phone close to them, and ask about one part of their life at a time.

Good for: families who can sit together and want the real voice, at no cost. Keep in mind: you do the interviewing, and you'll need to name, back up and share the files yourself. Our guide on how to record a parent's life story walks through it step by step.

StoryCorps app: free, with an archive

StoryCorps is a nonprofit known for its recorded conversations on public radio. Its free app helps you prepare questions, record a conversation on your phone, and, if you want, upload it to the StoryCorps archive and the Library of Congress. You choose whether an interview is public or shared only with family and friends. The app's prompts are in English, but you can record in any language.

Good for: families who like the idea of their conversation being kept in a public archive. Keep in mind: you still do the interviewing, and the app is built for one recorded conversation at a time rather than a series.

StoryWorth: weekly questions that become a book

StoryWorth sends your parent one question a week, by email or text, for a year. They answer by replying in writing, and some plans let them answer by phone and have it transcribed. At the end of the year, the answers become a hardcover book. You can pick from more than 500 questions or write your own.

Good for: parents who enjoy writing, and families who want a printed book as the result. Keep in mind: it's mostly writing. Parents who don't like to write, or who tell stories better out loud, may answer briefly or fall behind.

Remento: recorded answers that become a book

Remento also sends prompts on a schedule, but the storyteller answers by recording. They click a link in a text or email and talk, with no app or password. Remento turns the recordings into written stories, and the hardcover book includes QR codes that play the original recordings. The $99 price includes a year of access and one book of up to 200 pages; extra copies cost more.

Good for: parents who'd rather talk than write, when the goal is a book. Keep in mind: each answer is a recording made alone, so there's no one asking follow-up questions in the moment.

Dalia: an AI interviewer that has the conversation for you

Dalia is a voice interviewer. Your parent opens a link on their phone or tablet, no app or password, and has a real conversation with Dalia in Spanish or English. Dalia asks about one part of their life at a time, follows up on what they say ("¿Y cómo se llamaba su maestra?"), remembers earlier conversations and paces itself so they don't get tired. After each call, the family gets the recording, a transcript and a summary of the people, places and stories that came up.

Good for: families who live far from their parents, parents who are more comfortable in Spanish, and anyone who wants the stories told out loud, in a conversation. Keep in mind: some people would rather talk with a family member than with an AI, and Dalia doesn't print a book. Dalia is opening to families from a waitlist. You can see the plans on the pricing page.

How to choose

• You want a printed book as a gift: StoryWorth if your parent likes to write, Remento if they'd rather talk.
• You want their voice, and you can sit with them: start with your phone. It's free, and the conversation itself is half the gift.
• You live far away, or don't know what to ask: an AI interviewer like Dalia does the asking and keeps everything in one place for the family.
• Your parent speaks Spanish: check that the service works in Spanish, or record yourself. Our guide to recording family stories in Spanish covers the options.

Whatever you choose, start soon and start small. One fifteen-minute conversation this month is worth more than a perfect plan for next year.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best app to record family stories?

It depends on the result you want. For a free recording, use your phone's voice recorder or the StoryCorps app. For a printed book, StoryWorth (written answers) and Remento (recorded answers) are the best known. For voice conversations without having to do the interviewing yourself, an AI interviewer like Dalia talks with your parent and saves the recording, transcript and summary.

Is there a free way to record a grandparent's stories?

Yes. Your phone's built-in voice recorder and the StoryCorps app are both free. You'll do the interviewing yourself; our list of questions to ask your grandparents can help.

What's a good alternative to StoryWorth for someone who doesn't like to write?

Look for a service where they can answer by talking. Remento lets them record answers that become a book, and Dalia has a full voice conversation with them. You can also simply record conversations on your phone.

Can an app interview my parent for me?

Yes. AI interviewers like Dalia hold a spoken conversation with your parent, ask follow-up questions and save the recording, a transcript and a summary for the family, so you don't have to be there or prepare questions.