PAM can message you on WhatsApp when something's coming up, so you don't have to open the app to stay on top of the day. It's the same WhatsApp chat you already use to send things to PAM, just going the other way.
Best of all, this works for people who don't have the PAM app at all, including kids with a phone but no account or a reluctant partner that doesn't want another app. More on that below.
What PAM can send you
There are two kinds of message, and you can turn each on independently.
A morning summary. One message at the start of the day showing what's on: today's events, today's tasks, and anything overdue that still needs doing. You choose what time it arrives (7:30am by default). If the day is completely clear, PAM stays quiet rather than sending you an empty message.
Reminders before an event. A nudge a set time ahead of each event, so the school assembly doesn't sneak up on you. You choose the lead time, anything from right on the hour up to a week ahead, with an hour as the default. Tasks with a reminder set on them come through the same way.
For all day events, PAM sends the reminder the day before, at your summary time, since there's no start time to count back from.
You'll get messages about items tagged to you, plus anything that belongs to the whole household and isn't tagged to a particular person.
Turning it on for yourself
Open the PAM app and go to Settings.
Find the WhatsApp section.
Tap to connect. PAM opens WhatsApp with a message already written for you.
Press send on that message. That's what tells us which number is yours.
PAM replies to confirm you're set up, and from there you can switch the morning summary and event reminders on or off, and set your times.
When you first turn reminders on, PAM fills in everything already on your calendar, so you don't need to touch your existing events for reminders to start arriving.
đĄ The lead time for reminders is shared with your app notifications, so changing "remind me before" in one place changes both.
Reminders for tag profiles without the app
This is where WhatsApp earns its place. In PAM you can add someone to your village as a tag only member: they appear on the calendar and can be tagged into events, but they don't have a PAM login and don't need the app installed.
If that person has a phone with WhatsApp, PAM can message them directly about the things they're tagged into. Your teenager gets their own reminder about Thursday's practice or an event coming up, on their own phone, without you needing to relay it or hand them an account.
How to set it up
You never type in their number. Instead you send them a link, and whoever taps it is the one who gets connected.
In the PAM app, open Settings and go to the member you want to set up. They need to be saved in your village first.
Find the WhatsApp section on their profile and tap Share setup link.
Send that link to them however suits, by message, AirDrop, or just tapping it on their phone while it's in your hand.
They open the link and press send on the pre written message. Done.
The link stays valid for 7 days, so there's no rush if you're waiting to see them, or passing it to another parent to set up on their end.
Worth knowing
Only the village owner can set this up for another member, and only the owner can turn it off again.
Because the number is proven by them pressing send, PAM never messages a number typed in by mistake.
It's receive only. A tag-only member gets reminders and summaries, but can't chat with PAM's assistant or change your calendar over WhatsApp. If you'd like them to do that, invite them as a full member with their own login instead.
You stay in the loop on tasks. When a task is tagged only to a tag only profile, the reminder goes to the adults in the village as well, so nothing quietly goes unread.
To disconnect them, switch WhatsApp off on their profile and confirm. Their number is unlinked and the reminders stop.
A quick word on kids and phones: this is your call to make as a parent, and PAM leaves it that way. Because setup needs someone to physically tap the link and press send, nobody starts getting messages without a hand on the phone.
Replying to a reminder
If you have a PAM account, you can just reply to a reminder in the chat and PAM knows what you're talking about. Try things like:
"move it to 3pm"
"mark that done"
PAM already has the item in mind, so you don't need to name it again. For everything else you can do in the chat, see How to connect your WhatsApp to PAM.
Turning it off or pausing it
You have a few options, depending on how final you want to be.
Switch off one type. In Settings, turn off just the morning summary or just event reminders, and keep the other.
Stop everything quickly. Reply STOP to PAM in WhatsApp. All proactive messages stop straight away. You can still message PAM yourself, and you'll still get notifications in the app.
Disconnect completely. In Settings, disconnect WhatsApp. This unlinks the number and removes the reminder settings.
Which plans include this
WhatsApp reminders are part of PAM Family, and are included during your free trial. On the free plan you'll see the WhatsApp option with a padlock next to it.
If a subscription lapses, the reminders simply stop going out. Nothing is lost, and they pick up again when the plan is active.
Frequently asked questions
Do they need the PAM app to get WhatsApp reminders?
No, and that's the point. A tag only member with no PAM login and no app can still receive reminders on their own phone. All they need is WhatsApp.
Will this replace my app notifications?
No, the two run alongside each other. Turning on WhatsApp doesn't switch off your push notifications, so if you'd rather not be told twice, turn one of them down in Settings.
Can I use a landline or a number without WhatsApp?
No. Reminders are delivered inside WhatsApp itself, so the number needs an active WhatsApp account. These aren't text messages.
Can I get reminders in a WhatsApp group?
Not at the moment. PAM only messages people in a one-to-one chat.
What if the setup link has expired?
Just generate a fresh one from the same place in Settings. Links last 7 days and can only be used once.
Can two people share one number?
No. Each number connects to one person's profile, so reminders go to the right individual.
I've turned it on, but nothing's arriving.
Check that the summary or reminders are actually switched on for that person, that the day isn't empty (PAM skips empty mornings), and that the person pressed send on the setup message. If someone replied STOP at some point, that will keep messages paused until they're set up again.