One Entry, Every Week: Scheduling a Standing Family Video Call
If organising a family video call always seems to involve a flurry of last-minute messages asking who's free, this guide shows you how to set up a standing calendar reminder once, so everyone knows when to be ready without any weekly back-and-forth.
Free Calls for Seniors
9/30/20261 min read
Why this is worth setting up
A one-off call is easy enough to arrange on the fly. A regular one — a weekly Sunday catch-up, say — tends to work far better with a shared reminder that everyone can see in advance, rather than relying on someone remembering to send a message every single week.
Setting up a repeating call reminder
Open your phone's Calendar app
Create a new event — give it a simple name like "Family Video Call"
Set it to repeat weekly (or however often suits your family) on the day and time that works best
Add a short note with the call link if you use one, or simply "WhatsApp video call" as a reminder of how you'll connect
If your calendar app allows it, invite family members directly so it appears on their calendars too
A few ways to make it even smoother
Set a reminder alert for 10-15 minutes beforehand, giving everyone time to settle in without rushing
If plans change one week, it's easy to edit or skip just that single occurrence without cancelling the whole standing arrangement
Consider sharing the calendar event in your family WhatsApp group once, so everyone has the option to add it to their own calendar
If family members use different calendar apps
This isn't a problem — most calendar apps can send a standard invite that any other calendar app can accept, regardless of whether it's an iPhone, Android phone, or computer on the receiving end.
Less admin, more actual chatting
The appeal here isn't the technology itself — it's what it frees you up from. Once the reminder is set up, the weekly organising disappears, and the time you'd have spent coordinating becomes time you can actually spend on the call itself.
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