Share baby data over local Wi-Fi
One QR scan, and both phones hold the same timeline.
Free Local Wi-Fi data sharing keeps two phones on the same baby timeline without a Vaava account and without a server in the middle. One parent shows a QR code, the other scans it, and from then on the devices exchange entries directly over your home Wi-Fi. It works anywhere in the house and stops working the moment you leave.
Before you start
Install Vaava on both phones. Neither phone needs an account, an email address, or a sign-in, and neither needs Vaava Plus. One of the phones should already hold the timeline you want to share.
Put both phones on the same Wi-Fi network and turn off any VPN on them while you pair. A VPN can hide the two devices from each other on the local network, and that is the one thing local pairing depends on.
The pairing code does not last forever. The phone showing it waits about a minute and a half for the other phone to connect, then stops the temporary pairing service and shows a timed-out message. If yours runs out, just show a new code; Vaava generates one each time.
Pair the two phones
Pairing is a single QR scan. The flow is the same in both directions, so it does not matter which parent starts.
- Open Vaava on the first phone and go to the sharing or pairing screen, then choose to show the pairing QR code.
- On the second phone, open the same screen and choose to scan a pairing QR code.
- Point the second phone at the first phone's screen and scan the code.
- Wait for the two devices to connect. Once they do, both phones show the same timeline, and entries you log on one appear on the other.
What local sharing does, and what it will not do
It keeps two phones on the same timeline while they can see each other on the network. Both devices hold their own copy of what you log, and none of it goes through a Vaava server.
The traffic between the two phones is encrypted. Pairing gives the devices a shared secret, and everything they exchange after that is encrypted with it and signed, so another device on the same Wi-Fi cannot read what moves between them or pretend to be one of them. The secret is generated fresh for every pairing and stored in the phone's secure storage, and photos travel the same way as log entries.
It does not work over the internet. When one parent leaves the house and the phone switches to cellular data, the two devices can no longer reach each other, so updates wait until you are both back on the home network.
It is not a backup. Local sharing copies entries between paired phones, but nothing is stored anywhere else, so wiping every paired phone wipes the shared timeline with them.
Sharing when you are not in the same house
If the timeline needs to follow both parents everywhere, that is what Vaava Plus Family Data Sharing is for. It shares over the internet with end-to-end encryption, and it does not ask either parent for an email address or a password: the owner sends a one-time invite QR or link, and one lifetime Plus purchase covers the owner and up to nine invited family members.
The two features use different keys and stay independent. Turning Family Data Sharing on later does not change how the free local pairing works, and turning it off does not break it, so you can use the free path at home and add the paid one only if you travel apart often. Set up Family Data Sharing.
If the phones will not connect
Check the network first. Both phones have to be on the same Wi-Fi rather than one on Wi-Fi and the other on cellular data. Guest networks and network isolation settings on some routers block devices from talking to each other, so if pairing refuses to complete, try the main network.
Then turn off any VPN on either phone and try again, and make sure both phones have Vaava open on the pairing screen at the same time. If the scan itself fails, generate a fresh QR code on the first phone rather than reusing an old screenshot, because pairing codes are short-lived.
FAQ
Does local Wi-Fi sharing need an account or the internet?
Neither. The two phones are paired with a QR code and exchange data directly over your local network. There is no Vaava account, no sign-in, and no baby data sent through Vaava's servers on this path. Internet is not required either, but both phones must be on the same Wi-Fi network.
Can two parents share baby data without a cloud service?
Yes, on the same network. Free Local Wi-Fi data sharing keeps both phones on one timeline while they can see each other on your Wi-Fi, with nothing sent to a server. Sharing while you are apart needs optional Plus Family Data Sharing, which is end-to-end encrypted and still asks for no email or password.
What happens when one parent is away from home?
Local Wi-Fi sharing only works while both phones are on the same network, so updates pause when one phone is on cellular data and catch up when you are both home again. Cross-network sharing is part of optional Vaava Plus Family Data Sharing.
Is the data sent between the two phones encrypted?
Yes. Pairing gives the two devices a shared secret, and everything they exchange over local Wi-Fi is encrypted and signed with it. The secret is created fresh for each pairing and kept in the phone's secure storage, so another device on the same network cannot read the data or impersonate a paired phone.
Is local sharing the same thing as Family Data Sharing?
No. Local Wi-Fi sharing is free, stays on your network, and is paired with a QR code. Vaava Plus Family Data Sharing is an optional paid feature that syncs over the internet with end-to-end encryption, uses different keys, and works between separate homes and networks. The two do not interfere with each other.
Is a locally shared timeline a backup?
No. Local sharing keeps the paired phones in sync, but it does not store a copy anywhere else, so it will not restore a timeline after every paired phone is wiped. For a copy you can keep, use free CSV export or optional Plus Family Data Sharing.
Ready to try it?
