Share by link or code
Invite the household in seconds: send a link or share a join code. The other person lands on the list without digging through menus.
Shared grocery list
One shared grocery list, every phone updated in seconds
Pauly turns the household shopping run into a shared grocery list that everyone can add to and check off. Changes appear on each phone within seconds, with no screenshots or group chat.
Free to start
Works offline
No account needed
Last updated:
Stop the "did you buy milk?" texts
A shared grocery list ends the daily coordination scramble. One person adds yogurt from the kitchen while the other is already at the checkout, and it appears on their screen within seconds. With Pauly, families, couples, and roommates work from the same live list instead of trading screenshots, WhatsApp messages, or "can you grab...?" texts from the aisle.
Pauly is a shared grocery list app for iPhone and iPad (iOS 15+) and Android phones and tablets (Android 7+). One person adds an item, everyone else sees it within seconds. It is built for mixed households: one person on iPhone, another on Android, all looking at the same list. Joining a shared list is free; creating and hosting one is part of Pauly Pro.
Voice input and the aisle-by-aisle store route have their own pages. Sharing is about keeping a whole household coordinated around one list: who adds what, how fast it shows up on the other phones, and how to keep the notifications bearable.
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Turn your next shopping trip into a one-sentence task.
What makes a great shared grocery list
Real-time sync (Pro)
Add an item at home and the shopper at the store sees it within seconds, no refresh. Changes update for every member instantly across all devices.
See who did what
When someone adds or changes an item, Pauly shows who did it, which settles "who put that on the list?" without a conversation.
Bundled notifications
Get one digest instead of a buzz per item. Choose a delay (instant, 30s, 1, 2 or 10 minutes) so a shared list never floods your phone.
Check off offline
Poor signal in the store? The list loads from local storage and stays fully usable. Your changes sync automatically when you're back online.
Manage members
See everyone in the list, remove a member when an arrangement ends, or leave a list yourself. Each collaborator shows up under their own display name.
How to share a grocery list with your family
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1
Create your list
Open Pauly, build a list by voice or by typing with autocomplete, then turn it into a shared grocery list.
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2
Invite the household
Send the link or read out the join code. The other person taps or enters it and is on the list, with no setup.
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3
Shop together, live
Everyone adds and checks off from their own phone. Updates arrive instantly, so whoever is at the store always sees the current list.
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Free to start, works offline, no account needed.
How sharing works: link or code in seconds
Getting a shared grocery list going takes seconds. Pauly gives you two ways to bring people in, and either one puts the second person straight on the list without hunting through menus.
Once someone has joined, they appear in the member list under their own display name and stay on the list until they leave or are removed. Everything they add or check off from then on shows up for everyone else.
- Invite by tappable link or short code
- Recipient lands directly on the shared list, with no menu navigation
- Join from iPhone or Android; everyone sees the same list
- See who is on the list, remove a member or leave yourself
Two ways to invite
A tappable link suits a message; a short join code is easier to read out when you're standing next to someone (the join address looks like app.getpauly.com/join/CODE). Both put the recipient on the same shared shopping list.
Free to join, Pro to host
The usual barrier for shared lists is that the other person has to buy a subscription before they can take part. With Pauly, joining via link or code works on the free version, so your partner or flatmate pays nothing. Creating and hosting the real-time list is a Pauly Pro feature: the organizer of the household list goes Pro, and everyone else comes along on the free version.
Real-time sync and who-did-what attribution
A real-time shared grocery list is only useful if changes show up everywhere fast. With Pauly Pro, adds and check-offs appear for every member in seconds. When one person adds an item from the couch, the shopper already walking the aisles sees it without refreshing, and when something gets checked off, it's checked off for everyone at once.
Pauly also shows who added or changed each item. In a busy household that removes a lot of confusion: you can see what just changed and who put it there, which keeps two people from buying the same thing.
- Adds and check-offs sync to all members in real time (Pro)
- See who added each item
- Prevents double-buying on split shopping runs
- Cloud sync across your own devices with Pauly Pro
Changes appear in seconds
Adds and check-offs reach all members within seconds, so a split shopping run works: one person covers dairy, another takes produce, and both see what's left. Cloud sync across your own devices (phone and tablet) is also part of Pauly Pro.
Item-level attribution
When someone adds or changes an item, Pauly shows who did it, so nobody has to text to ask and nothing gets bought twice.
Built for families, couples and shared flats
The same shared grocery list works for a family of five, a couple splitting the weekly run, or a four-person flat with four schedules. In each case the goal is one list everyone trusts.
- Grocery list for family that syncs across every device
- Shared list for couples with single- or double-tap check-off
- Roommates join by link or code
- Each person appears under their own display name
Families
Mum adds yogurt from the kitchen, Dad is already at the checkout, and it appears on his phone. The list works across iPhones, Androids and tablets, and each family member shows up under their own display name, so it's clear who added what.
Couples
Split the run: you take dairy, I take produce, and we each see what's left without calling from opposite ends of the store. Single-tap check-off keeps things quick, and you can switch to double-tap to guard against accidental checks.
Roommates and shared flats
Four people, four phones, four schedules, one list everyone can add to and check off. It keeps the flat coordinated without a group chat, and new flatmates hop on with a link or code.
Control notifications: one digest instead of a flood
Notification overload kills shared lists. When every added item triggers a separate buzz, people mute the app, and then the shared grocery list stops working. Pauly bundles notifications to avoid that.
When new items are added to a shared list, Pauly can send a push notification, bundled on a delay you choose: instant, 30 seconds, 1 minute, 2 minutes or 10 minutes. Five items in that window become one summary instead of five pings. In-app hints about others' changes can be bundled the same way, and you never get a notification for the list you currently have open.
- Push notification when items are added to a shared list
- Bundle into one digest with a delay you choose
- No self-notification for the list you have open
- Offline check-off syncs automatically when you're back online
Pick your delay
If you want updates as they happen, set it to instant. If you'd rather get one round-up every ten minutes while you cook, set that. The presets (instant, 30s, 1, 2 or 10 minutes) let each member tune the list to their own tolerance for interruptions.
Reliable even with no signal
Stores are notorious dead zones. Pauly is offline-first: the list lives in local storage, so it loads and stays usable with no connection. Tick items off as you shop, and your changes sync automatically when you're back online.
Why households choose Pauly
- One shared grocery list, every phone updated in seconds
- Works across iPhone and Android
- See who added each item
- Bundle notifications so a shared list never floods you
- Check off offline; changes sync when you're back online
- Invite the household by link or code in seconds
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Get Pauly on iPhone and Android — it's free.
Shared grocery list: frequently asked questions
How do I share a grocery list with my family?
Build your list in Pauly, then send a link or share a short join code (such as app.getpauly.com/join/CODE). Family members tap to join and land on the same list, and everything they add or check off shows up on your phone within seconds.
What is the best shared grocery list app for families?
For a family, the useful features beyond real-time sync are attribution, notification control and offline use. Pauly shows who added each item, bundles notifications on a delay you choose, and lets you check off offline with the changes syncing later. It runs on iPhone and Android, so a mixed-device family shares one list without workarounds.
Can you share a grocery list between iPhone and Android?
Yes. Pauly runs on iOS 15+ (iPhone and iPad) and Android 7+ (phones and tablets), so a household with one iPhone and one Android shares the exact same list with no workarounds. Both people see the same items and the same updates, regardless of which phone they carry.
Does a shared grocery list sync in real time?
Yes, with Pauly Pro. Adds and check-offs appear for every member of a shared list within seconds, with no manual refresh. That makes split shopping runs practical: one person adds from home while another is already at the store, and both see the current list.
Do both people need an account to use a shared grocery list?
No. Joining a shared list via link or code works on the free version of Pauly, so the people you invite don't pay. Only the person who creates and hosts the real-time list needs Pauly Pro. A solo list doesn't need an account at all, since it's stored locally; signing in to sync is part of Pauly Pro.
What happens if I'm in the store and lose signal?
Your list keeps working. Pauly is offline-first: it stores your list locally, so it loads instantly and stays fully usable with no connection. You can tick items off as you shop, and those changes sync automatically when you're back online.
Can I see who added each item to our shared grocery list?
Yes. When someone adds or changes an item, Pauly shows who did it, so you can see what just changed and who put it there. That prevents double-buying and the "I thought you were getting that" confusion.
How do I stop getting too many notifications from a shared list?
Use Pauly's bundled notifications. Instead of one ping per item, you get a single digest on a delay you choose: instant, 30 seconds, 1, 2, or 10 minutes. In-app hints can be bundled too, and you never get notified about the list you currently have open.
Can I share more than one grocery list at a time?
Yes, with Pauly Pro, which unlocks unlimited lists. You can keep separate lists (a weekly household list and a different-store run, say) and share each one with different people. The free tier covers a single list.
How do I remove someone from a shared grocery list?
In the list's member management you can see everyone in it and remove a member, for example when a flatmate moves out or temporary access ends. Each person can also leave a list themselves whenever they want.
Share your first grocery list free
Download Pauly on the App Store or Google Play, invite the household by link or code, and upgrade to Pro for real-time sync across every phone.