Group chats get messy. Important messages get buried under emoji reactions and off-topic tangents. The household WhatsApp that was supposed to be for logistics ends up full of memes.
SimpliHome's news feed gives your Circle a dedicated, structured space for household communication — a private feed that's separate from personal messaging apps and focused on your household.
#What the News Feed Is
The news feed is your Circle's private social feed — visible only to household members. Think of it as a household noticeboard combined with a simple social feed:
- Posts — text updates, announcements, questions, notes for the household
- Comments — replies on any post, visible to everyone who can see the post
- Reactions — quick emoji responses (likes, hearts, etc.)
Unlike a group chat, posts don't disappear into scroll history — they're accessible and searchable over time.
#Creating a Post
Family members and Admins can create posts in the feed.
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Go to Home or Feed in the navigation
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Click New Post or the compose area at the top of the feed
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Type your update or message
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Choose visibility:
- Public — visible to everyone in the Circle (including Relatives and Friends)
- Private — visible to Family and Admin members only
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Click Post
Your post appears at the top of the feed immediately, visible to the relevant household members.
#Visibility: Public vs Private Posts
The visibility setting matters.
Public posts are seen by:
- All admins
- All Family members
- Relatives
- Friends
Use public for posts you'd be comfortable with any Circle member seeing — general updates, photos, household news.
Private posts are seen by:
- All admins
- All Family members only
Use private for posts that are for the core household only — financial discussions, sensitive family news, things you wouldn't share with extended family or family friends in the Circle.
#Commenting on Posts
Anyone who can see a post can comment on it.
- Tap a post to open it, or click Comment below the post
- Type your reply
- Post the comment
Comments appear below the original post in chronological order. All household members who can see the post can see the comments.
#Reactions
For quick acknowledgement without a full comment, use reactions.
- Tap the reaction/like button below any post or comment
- Choose an emoji reaction
- Your reaction is visible to others
Reactions let you acknowledge a post without cluttering the comments section.
#What Makes a Good Household Feed Post?
The news feed works best for:
Household announcements
"The boiler is getting serviced on Thursday — plumber arriving at 9am." "We've had a letter from the council about the planning application."
Quick updates
"Got the car back from the garage — the exhaust has been fixed." "The Amazon parcel arrived, it's on the hall table."
Household questions
"Does anyone know where the extension lead is?" "Who ate the leftover pasta? Asking for a friend."
Family news
"Tom got his exam results — all Bs and Cs, really pleased!" "Emma's made it to the county finals for swimming."
Photos and memories
[Photo of the garden after a weekend of work] "Finally finished painting the kitchen — what do you think?"
#Who Can Post and Who Can See
| Permission Level | Can Post | Can Comment | Can See Public Posts | Can See Private Posts | |----------------|----------|-------------|---------------------|----------------------| | Admin | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Family | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Relatives | No | Yes (on visible posts) | Yes | No | | Friends | No | Yes (on visible posts) | Yes | No |
Relatives and Friends can follow household activity through public posts but can't create their own posts or see private content.
#The Feed as a Communication Tool
The news feed won't replace all household communication. You'll still send direct messages and use your family group chat. But it adds something those tools lack: a shared household memory.
When something happens — the boiler breaks, a parcel arrives, a family achievement — posting it to the feed means everyone in the Circle knows, regardless of whether they were included in a particular text thread.
It also creates a lightweight household log. Looking back at last month's feed gives you a record of what happened in the household — events, repairs, milestones, updates.
#Deleting Posts
Post owners can delete their own posts. Admins can delete any post.
If a post is irrelevant, incorrect, or just clutter, either the creator or an admin can remove it. Deleting a post removes all associated comments and reactions.
#The Feed on the Dashboard
The Dashboard shows a preview of the most recent feed posts. This means even if you don't actively check the feed section, new posts surface on your daily dashboard.
For Relatives and Friends who are redirected to the news feed (rather than the full dashboard), the feed is their primary view of household activity.
#Privacy
The news feed is entirely private to your Circle. No posts are visible outside your household group — not to the public, not to SimpliHome staff, not to anyone without a Circle invitation.
Think of it as a household-only private channel, not a public social network.