Save the life stories of your loved ones with Saga

For years, I begged my mom and dad to record the stories they used to tell me and my sister as kids, stories about their lives growing up in China during the Cultural Revolution, how they met, why they decided to come to the United States. But nothing seemed to stick — I wanted to share and save their voices for our family forever, but writing a book felt like a long and laborious process to them, and they felt self-conscious and frustrated with video. I wanted a simpler tool to help me bridge the generation gap, connect our family, and finally get my parents’ stories saved.

This is why I started Saga — to help families save life stories of loved ones, in their voices. It’s like getting a podcast from your family, where each episode is a memory: how your parents met, where Grandpa grew up, and more. It’s super easy for anyone to use: Just dial a phone number to record. And it’s for all of us who want to save our family’s stories, whether you want an easy way to preserve your family’s history, or just want to honor someone special.

Mom, Dad, me, and my little sister Elisa in front of our first house

Here’s how Saga works:

1. You choose the people whose stories you’d like to hear.
2. We send weekly questions, like “What was the biggest trouble you got into as a kid?” You can use our recommended questions or write your own.
3. They record their answers in their own voice, on their own time, with no pressure. We made Saga easy for anyone to use — you can record without the app by dialing a special phone number, even from a landline.
4. Recordings are saved on the Saga app and shared privately with your family. It’s like getting your own personal family podcast of Grandma’s childhood stories. You can download your stories anytime.
5. Share timestamped comments. “😂 I never knew that, Mom!” Comment on specific spots in stories to save special highlights.

We’ve been testing the product privately over the past six months. It’s been moving to hear from users telling us what Saga has meant for them and their families, like user Trevor Prophet who uses Saga to connect with his dad: “Saga is a gift that I look forward to opening. I listen to a lot of podcasts on my morning and evening walks — I’d choose listening to a loved one share their life’s journey over a favorite podcast, any day of the week.”

In light of what is happening in the world now, our team has worked nonstop this past month to be able to bring Saga out of beta, and for free, in the hopes that it will help families connect, share stories, and guard these precious memories. We want to help all our families grow a little closer, no matter how distance might separate us.

Since I finally started recording my parents’ stories a year ago, it has brought our family moments of laughter and nostalgia, sparked new conversations, and brought us closer together. Whether you’re looking to save memories for you and your family, capture your family’s journey, or just honor someone you love, it is our dearest wish that your family will find the same.

Download Saga in the App Store. We will be offering Saga for free for one month to the first 100,000 families who sign up by May 31. You can learn more at trysaga.com.