Member permissions and access levels
Most families have two or three keepers and a lot of lookers. Kunbaa lets the keepers add and fix, and lets everyone else enjoy what arrives — and any of it can change with one switch.
The three levels
- Admin — runs the family. Invites people, sets everyone else’s permissions, answers access requests, manages the plan and, if it ever comes to it, merges or retires the family. Whoever created the family is its admin.
- Can post (an editor) — adds to the wall and to the tree, invites relatives, starts chats. Most of the people who build the tree sit here.
- View only — looks, reacts and comments. This is the right level for a grandparent who wants the photos to arrive and never wants to press the wrong thing.
The three switches
Under the level sit three switches an admin sets for each person. They let you give a viewer a little more without making them an editor, or take one thing away from an editor without demoting them.
- Post on the family wall — share photos, memories and announcements with everyone.
- Add people to the tree — add relatives and invite them to Kunbaa. This one is an editor’s job, so turning it on for a viewer also switches them to Can post; the switch says so beside it.
- Message family members — start chats and group conversations.
An admin always has all three, and can never be narrowed by another admin’s switch.
Changing someone’s permissions
You need to be an admin of the family. In the app, open Members and tap More on the person, or open their profile — the Permissions card sits under their household. On the website, the Connected Members page has the same switches. Changes take effect straight away, on every device the person is signed in on. You cannot change your own permissions; ask another admin.
Setting them before someone joins
When you invite a relative — from their card on the tree, from a chat, or from the add-person sheet — the invite shows a short before we send step where you pick their level and switches. They arrive with exactly that access, so a grandparent can be View only from the first minute and a sibling can be Can post without anyone remembering to fix it later.
Asking for more access
A relative who is View only and wants to add the cousins does not have to phone the admin. On Members (or the Connected Members page on the website) they tap Request access, choose what they would like to do and add a line if they want. The family’s admins see it under Requests, approve or decline it, and the person is told either way. The note travels only to the admins — it is never sent as a notification.
What permissions do not change
Permissions are about doing. What someone can see is the family’s content, narrowed only by the audience the author chose on a post — Everyone, Extended family or Household. Muting and reporting are always available to everyone, whatever their level.
Questions families ask
What are the access levels?
Admin runs the family: invites, permissions, merges and plan. Can post (an editor) can add to the wall and to the tree. View only can look, react and comment, and can be given posting and messaging on top. Whoever created the family is its admin.
What do the three switches do?
Post on the family wall lets someone share photos, memories and announcements. Add people to the tree lets them add relatives and invite them to Kunbaa. Message family members lets them start chats and group conversations. An admin sets each one per person.
Why can't I give a viewer 'Add people to the tree'?
Adding to the tree is an editor's job, so turning that switch on for a viewer also switches them to Can post. The switch says so beside it; flip it and both change together.
Where do I change someone's permissions?
In the app: Members, then the More menu on the person, or open their profile and use the Permissions card. On the website: the Connected Members page. You need to be an admin of the family; you cannot change your own.
Can I set permissions before they even join?
Yes. When you invite someone — from the tree, from a chat, or from their card — you choose their level and switches before the invite is sent, and they arrive with exactly that access.
I only have View only. How do I ask for more?
Tap Request access on the Members screen (or the Connected Members page on the website), say what you would like to do, and it appears for the family's admins under Requests. They approve or decline it, and you are told either way.
Are there two families? Do my permissions carry over?
Permissions belong to one family. If you are in two family spaces, each has its own admins and you may have a different level in each.
Does this change what I can see?
No. Permissions are about doing — posting, adding, messaging. What you can see is the family's content, narrowed only by the audience an author chose on a post.