A feed that ends.
Only your family. Newest first. Then "You're all caught up." No algorithm, no ads, no public like counts.
The OurDot feed is a private family photo and update stream. It has a bottom, it never autoplays, and hearts are private: only the person who posted sees who sent one.
- No algorithmPosts appear in the order they were shared. Nothing is boosted or buried.
- Private heartsNo counts anywhere. The poster sees who sent a heart; nobody else does.
- Notes from familyWrite a note on a post. Notes are visible to the family who can see the post.
- Clean photosPhotos are re-saved on your phone before upload, which strips hidden location data. No beauty filters.
Why there are no like counts
Public likes turn sharing into a scoreboard. The US Surgeon General's 2023 advisory lists "likes" among engagement-driving design features, and the American Psychological Association advises limiting kids' use of social media for comparing themselves to others. Private hearts keep the warmth and drop the score. Read the research on like counts.
Why the feed ends
Endless scroll and autoplay are built to remove natural stopping points. OurDot puts the stopping point back: when you've seen everything new, you're done. Read the research on endless scroll.
"Pause for a sec?"
If a post looks unkind, OurDot asks the writer to pause before it goes out. Younger kids also get a quick "before you share" check: is it kind, true and worth sharing? They can still post; the check runs on the phone and teaches kids to reread their own words. Guardians see how many times a child posted after a pause in their weekly summary, never a transcript. Why this works, and its limits.
Common questions
Who can see what my child posts?
Only your family members in OurDot. Nothing is public, and there is no way for anyone outside the family to see a post.
Does the OurDot feed have ads or suggested posts?
No. The feed only shows your family’s posts, newest first, and then it ends.