Tala Family Handbook

Setting up your account

Your tala.family account is managed by an identity provider at id.tala.family. It's the single account you'll use for every service — files, photos, tasks, VPN, and everything else.

Instead of a password, your account uses a passkey. A passkey is a login credential stored on your device (phone, laptop, or tablet) that uses your fingerprint, face, or screen lock to verify it's you. It's faster than typing a password and significantly harder to steal.

What you'll need

  • A phone, tablet, or computer with a modern browser (Safari 16+, Chrome 109+, Firefox 122+)
  • An invitation link from a family member who already has access

Steps

  1. Open the invitation link you received. It takes you to the registration page at id.tala.family.

  2. Fill in your name and email. Use a real email address — it's how we identify your account, and some services (like task notifications) will send mail to it.

  3. Create your passkey. Your browser will prompt you to save a passkey. On a phone, this usually means confirming with Face ID, Touch ID, or your PIN. On a laptop, it may offer your fingerprint reader or ask you to confirm with your phone.

    • Say yes. The passkey is what lets you sign in without a password.
    • If your browser doesn't offer a passkey, make sure it's up to date. Very old browsers don't support this yet.

  4. You're done. Try signing in to space.tala.family to confirm it works. You should see your name in the top corner after signing in.

Signing in on another device

Once your account exists, you can sign in from any device:

  • Same ecosystem (Apple/Google): If both devices share the same iCloud or Google account, your passkey syncs automatically. Just sign in and it works.
  • Different ecosystem: The sign-in page will show a QR code. Scan it with the phone that has your passkey to approve the login.

Troubleshooting

  • "Passkey not supported" — Update your browser to the latest version. If you're on a very old phone or computer, you may need to upgrade the OS.
  • Lost your only device — Ask a family administrator to reset your account. They can send you a new invitation link so you can register a fresh passkey.
  • Can't reach id.tala.family — The identity provider runs on the home server. If you're outside the house and it's unreachable, the server may be temporarily down. Try again in a few minutes.