Why we renamed it
Co-parents told us the same thing in different words: the helper inside CoreParent makes the messy bits less messy. We wanted a name that matched what it does — sit beside you, surface the right next step, stay out of the way otherwise. "Nexus" was the working name from the lab. "Companion" is the public one.
What Companion actually does
Companion reads the surfaces you already use — messages, calendar, parenting plan, expenses — and offers a one-tap action when it spots something worth doing. A few examples we hear from real users:
- Your co-parent's text mentions "spring break in Tahoe, March 14–21." Companion offers Add to calendar. One tap, calendar updated. The other parent sees nothing until you decide to share.
- Your message thread mentions a doctor's appointment for your eight-year-old. Companion pulls her medical card and emergency contacts into a small widget at the top of your dashboard the morning of the appointment. Provider, allergies, last visit — already there when you need them.
- You draft a reply that lands a little hot. Companion offers a calmer version before you send. You can use it, edit it, or ignore it. Nothing leaves your phone unless you tap send.
- Your parenting plan says medical decisions are joint. You're about to schedule a non-emergency procedure. Companion drafts a quick heads-up to your co-parent — review, edit, or skip.
The four rules Companion lives by
- You confirm. Always. Companion never sends a message to your co-parent, books a meeting, posts an expense, or adds a calendar event without you tapping a button. The drafts are drafts.
- Counts before content. On any always-visible surface (dashboard tiles, sidebar badges), Companion shows a count — "3 suggestions" — never the message body. Your screen-locked phone never lights up with sensitive co-parenting content.
- Mutes are real. Every nudge category has a switch in Settings → Notifications. Mute the plan-term nudge and it stays muted. Companion itself never gets disabled there — only specific nudges.
- Private to you. Companion does not share its observations with your co-parent, your attorney, or anyone else. The data it reads is yours; the suggestions it generates are yours; the actions you take with them are yours. Sharing happens at the toggles you control on each surface.
Where to look for Companion
Look for the cupped-hands-apple icon and the small "Companion" pill in:
- The Messages thread: one-tap actions when Companion spots trips, expenses, schedule swaps, appointments, or joint-decision moments.
- The Dashboard: a Medical Card widget on appointment mornings; a Deadline Brief widget when a court date is approaching.
- The Send button: a tone-check offer when a draft might land harsh.
- The Calendar: a plan-term enforcement draft when you schedule something your plan says is joint.
What Companion is not
Companion is not a chat bot you talk to. It does not give legal advice. It does not negotiate with your co-parent on your behalf. It does not auto-resolve disputes. It is a quiet helper for the moments where having the right next step in front of you saves a phone call, an argument, or a trip back to court.
If you have feedback — "Companion missed this," "Companion shouldn't have suggested that," "I want Companion to also do X" — email support@coparentco.com or use the in-app feedback button. Real co-parents shape this thing.