Who you are keeping track of
- People who helped. Family, friends and neighbors who brought food, watched the baby or covered for you at work, and who deserve a proper thank you.
- Friends you don’t want to lose. Especially the ones without kids, who may not know when to reach out.
- The new people. Other parents from classes, daycare, the park or your street.
What to write down
- What each person did for you, so the thank-you is specific
- Where you met another parent and their child’s name and age
- What is going on with a friend right now: a trip, a new job, something they were nervous about
- Birthdays and other dates, including their kids’
- Anything you promised, with a reminder, like “send the recommendation” or “plan a dinner when things calm down”
Keep the notes about people and plans. Leave medical details, passwords and anything private about your child out of them.
Phone contacts and memory vs a personal CRM
| Phone contacts and your memory | BlackBook | |
|---|---|---|
| Who was that other parent? | A name, maybe a number, and the context fades | Notes and a How We Met field on each person’s page |
| Who to thank | Hard to recall after a few weeks | A note on what they did and a reminder to say thanks |
| Friends without kids | You mean to reply and don’t | Reminders per person, with notifications |
| Who to reach out to next | Up to you to notice | Pulse suggests who to reach out to next from your notes, history and reminders |
| Account | Depends on the app | No BlackBook account; data on your iPhone and in your own private iCloud |
A routine that fits one free hand
Add people as you think of them, even with a single line. When someone does something kind, add a note and a reminder to thank them. Once a week, open Pulse and send one short message to someone you haven’t talked to in a while. Something like “Thinking of you, how did the trip go?” takes a minute and is easy to write one-handed. The free plan covers 25 people, which is enough to start.
More on this: a personal CRM for moving to a new city, a personal CRM for friends and family, how to keep in touch with people, and how to follow through on promises.
BlackBook facts
- Platform: iPhone, iOS 17.6 or later
- Price: free download; optional BlackBook Pro subscription (prices shown in the app)
- Free plan: 25 people, 2 notes per person, 30 days of interaction history
- Pro: optional subscription with VIP reminders and insights, relationship notes with tags, duplicate detection, BlackBook AI
- AI: on-device via Apple Intelligence (Pro, iOS 26, compatible iPhone)
- Privacy: data lives on your iPhone and in your private iCloud, no account, no ad SDKs, data never sold
- Developer: Preston Earnest / Earnestly Studios LLC
Frequently asked questions
Why would new parents want a personal CRM?
Time and sleep are short, so the small things slip: replying to the friend who offered help, thanking whoever brought a meal, staying in touch with people who don’t have kids. A personal CRM is a place to jot a line while you remember it and get a reminder later, so you don’t have to hold it all in your head.
Who should I add?
Start with the people you want to keep close or thank: friends who are checking in, family who offered help, a neighbor, a coworker who covered for you, and new parents you meet at classes or the park. The free plan covers 25 people, which is plenty for this.
Can I keep track of thank-you notes?
Yes. Add a note on the person’s page about what they did, like “brought dinner on Tuesday,” and set a reminder to send a thank-you message. That is easier than trying to remember a few weeks later.
What should I write about other parents?
Where you met, their kid’s name and age, and anything you said you would do, like “send the name of the sleep book” or “meet at the library on Friday.” BlackBook has a How We Met field for the first part.
How do I stay in touch with friends who don’t have kids?
Write down what is going on in their life, such as a trip, a job change or an event, and set a gentle reminder to ask about it. People often drift because both sides think the other is busy. A short message that mentions a specific detail shows you still care.
Should I put my baby’s health information in it?
No. BlackBook is for your relationships, not medical records. Keep health details, passwords and other sensitive information in tools made for them.
Is my data private?
BlackBook needs no account. Your people and notes live on your iPhone and in your own private iCloud, not on a BlackBook server. There are no ad SDKs, and your data is never sold.
Is BlackBook free?
BlackBook is free to download with a free plan of 25 people, two notes per person and 30 days of interaction history. BlackBook Pro is an optional subscription: in the US it’s $4.99 a month or $29.99 a year, and the annual plan includes a 1-week free trial. Prices are shown in the app.
Stay close to the people who help. Start with 25 people.
BlackBook is free to download for iPhone (iOS 17.6+). Start with 25 people, no account needed.
Get BlackBook – Personal CRM