How to Set Up Family Wallet

Step-by-step Family wallet setup for 2026: install the iOS app or open the web dashboard, create a Family Account (email/phone plus password or passkey — no seed phrase), enable biometric 2FA, and complete a test deposit. With common errors and fixes.

What you'll need (prerequisites)

• An iPhone with the App Store, or any browser for the Family web dashboard
• An email address or phone number for your Family Account
• A password manager to store your account password or passkey
• 15 minutes of uninterrupted time

Step-by-step

1. Step 1: Download Family from the official source

   Family is an iOS app on the Apple App Store and a web dashboard at family.co. In 2026 there is no browser extension and no Android app — treat any "Family" Chrome/Firefox extension or Play Store listing as a phishing fake. Install only from the App Store or family.co.

2. Step 2: Create your Family Account

   Open the app or web dashboard and choose to create a wallet. Family Accounts let you sign in with an email or phone number plus a password or passkey. Decryption happens on your device, so Family stays fully self-custodial — Avara (the company behind Family) never holds your keys.

3. Step 3: Secure your credentials (no seed phrase)

   Family does not use a traditional 12- or 24-word seed phrase. Your private key is generated and kept on your device; your email/phone plus password or passkey is what restores access. Use a strong, unique password stored in a password manager and guard it the way you would guard a seed phrase.

4. Step 4: Enable biometric 2FA

   Turn on Face ID / Touch ID. Family requires biometric confirmation for sensitive actions such as signing transactions, so someone who grabs your unlocked phone still cannot move funds silently.

5. Step 5: Confirm the network before you receive

   Family supports Ethereum and major EVM L2s (Arbitrum, Base, Optimism, Polygon). Make sure you are receiving on the same network the sender is using — funds sent on the wrong network can be hard or impossible to recover.

6. Step 6: Test with a small deposit

   Send a small test amount before moving large balances. Confirm the receive address matches what you copied — clipboard malware swaps addresses.

7. Step 7: (Optional) Add the web dashboard

   Sign in to the Family web dashboard at family.co with the same Family Account to view, send, and receive from a browser. Review Family's account-recovery options now so you can regain access if you lose your phone.

Common errors and fixes

• Lost access to your Family Account. Sign back in with your email/phone plus password or passkey on a new device or the web dashboard. If you have also lost the password, use Family's account-recovery flow — without those credentials there is no recovery.
• Suspect a fake app or phishing site. Move funds to a wallet you installed fresh from the App Store or family.co on a clean device, and revoke any risky dapp approvals at revoke.cash.
• App won't sync across devices. Make sure you're signed in to the same Family Account (same email/phone) on each device; the web dashboard mirrors the iOS app once you log in.
• Forgot your Family Account password. Use the passkey or account-recovery option to sign back in — the wallet is tied to your account, not to a single device.
• Sent to the wrong network. If both networks share the same address format (e.g. Ethereum and another EVM chain), the assets may appear once that network is enabled. If the chain is unsupported or incompatible, funds are usually lost.

FAQ