Frequently asked questions and tips for getting the most out of Primo.
You add the people you care about and their important dates — birthdays, anniversaries, holidays. Primo generates a step-by-step action plan for each occasion, starting weeks in advance. It tells you what to do and when, calibrated to how important each relationship is to you.
Engagement levels calibrate how much effort each relationship gets:
Major holidays (Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Christmas) are added automatically on first launch. You can browse and toggle additional holidays from the Holidays section. Assign people to each holiday so they get their own personalized plan within it.
Tip
Start by adding just 2–3 people and their next upcoming occasion. Primo works best when you experience the full loop — plan, execute, celebrate — before adding your whole contact list.
Timelines generate automatically when an occasion enters its planning window. The window depends on the person's engagement level: 3 weeks for All Out, 2 weeks for Thoughtful, 5 days for Simple Gesture, and 2 days for Acknowledge.
Yes. You can add, remove, reschedule, or skip any action item. You can also add your own items manually. Primo's templates are a starting point — make the plan your own.
When you've completed your plan, mark the occasion as done. Primo will ask what you gave and how it landed — this gift history helps you avoid repeats and improve next year. For recurring occasions, a new timeline will generate automatically when the next planning window opens.
Tip
Log your gift and their reaction right after the occasion while it's fresh. Next year, Primo will surface this — "Last year you gave her the Le Creuset Dutch oven. She loved it." — so you can build on what worked.
No. Primo works great without any AI. The core planning engine uses built-in templates that cover all major occasions and relationship types. AI features add personalization and convenience, but the app delivers its full value — timelines, reminders, gift tracking — without them.
On compatible devices, Primo uses Apple Intelligence to generate personalized gift ideas, draft messages, and customize your plans. Everything runs on-device — no data is sent anywhere. This is available to all users on supported hardware at no extra cost.
BYOK means you connect your own API key from an AI provider like Anthropic (Claude) or OpenAI (ChatGPT). This unlocks web-powered features like local vendor suggestions and event discovery. You pay the provider directly at their standard rates — typically a few cents per request. BYOK is a Pro feature.
Go to Settings → AI Setup. Choose your provider, follow the step-by-step instructions to get an API key, paste it in, and Primo will validate it automatically. The setup takes about two minutes.
Your API key is stored in the iOS Keychain — the same secure storage used for passwords and payment credentials. It is only ever sent directly to the provider you selected. Primo has no servers and never sees or stores your key anywhere else.
Tip
If you're unsure about BYOK, start with on-device AI. It handles gift ideas and message drafts well. BYOK adds web search capabilities — useful for finding specific products, local restaurants, or event tickets — but it's entirely optional.
Primo schedules local notifications on your device — no push notification server needed. Reminder timing is based on each person's engagement level. Your partner's birthday might trigger a planning reminder three weeks out, while a coworker's birthday just sends a morning-of nudge.
Check your engagement levels. If people are set to "All Out" or "Thoughtful" when they should be "Simple Gesture" or "Acknowledge," you'll get more reminders than needed. You can adjust engagement levels from any person's profile. You can also adjust notification preferences in Settings.
Make sure notifications are enabled for Primo in your iPhone's Settings → Notifications → Primo. Also check that you have upcoming occasions with action items — Primo only sends reminders when there's something to do.
Everything is stored locally on your device. Primo has no servers, no cloud storage, no user accounts, and no way to access your data. Your relationship information never leaves your phone.
Primo stores all data on-device only, with no cloud backup. This is an intentional privacy decision. Keep your device backed up via iCloud or Finder to protect your Primo data along with everything else on your phone.
Deleting Primo permanently deletes all your data. Since nothing is stored in the cloud, there is no way to recover it. Make sure you want to delete before uninstalling.
Primo is free for up to 3 people with full planning features, smart reminders, and gift tracking. Primo Pro ($24.99/year or $3.99/month) unlocks unlimited people, calendar import, AI-powered suggestions, widgets, budget analytics, and the full holiday library.
Open Primo, go to the Settings tab, and tap "Restore Purchases." This will restore your Pro subscription if you've previously purchased one with the same Apple ID.
Primo Pro is managed through the App Store. To cancel: open Settings on your iPhone → tap your name → Subscriptions → Primo Pro → Cancel. You'll keep Pro access until the end of your current billing period.