Help & Support

Stuck on something? Most family-tech questions have a simple answer. Start here, and if it isn't covered, email techsupport@rudysmithfamily.com — no question is too basic.

Quick links

• Set your name in a group's membership — fix "unknown sender" or a weird display name on group emails.
• Join the family groups — the only required step to start sending and receiving.
• Create a Google account using your existing email — for the Drive and the browser archive.
• Open the Family Drive — photos, videos, reunion plans.
• I'm not getting group emails
• Drive says I don't have access

Set your name in a group's membership

When you post to a family group, everyone sees a display name next to your email — and for our groups, that name comes from your membership settings inside the group itself, not from your Google account or your inbox. If your messages show up as "unknown sender," just your email address, or some name from years ago, here's how to fix it. The setting is per group, so do this once for each group you belong to.

1. Open the group's membership page.

   Click the group you want to update — these links go straight to the membership settings:

   • The Rudy-Smith Family
   • Rudy-Smith Boomers+
   • The Rudy-Smith Cousins

   If Google asks you to sign in, use the same email address that gets the group messages. If you have more than one Google account, check the avatar in the top-right and switch to the family one.

2. Find the Display name field.

   It's near the top of the "My membership settings" panel, right under your email address.

3. Type the name you'd like the family to see.

   Use the name people will recognize — "Grandma Jo" works just as well as "Josephine Rudy-Smith." This is the name that will show up next to your email when you post to this group.

4. Click Save at the bottom of the page.

   The change takes effect for new emails you send to the group. Messages you've already sent will keep the old name in everyone's inbox — that's just how email works.

5. Repeat for each group you belong to.

   The display name is set per group, so updating it on the Family group does not change it on Rudy-Smith Boomers+ or Cousins. A minute of clicking saves a lot of "wait, who is this from?" replies.

Can't see the membership page?

You'll need to be signed in to a Google account that matches the email address Addie added to the group. If you've never set up a Google account on your family email, follow Create a Google account using your existing email first — once you can sign in to groups.google.com with that address, the membership pages above will open.

The name still looks wrong on old messages

That's normal. The display name is baked into each email when it's sent, so old emails will keep showing the old name. Anything you send after the change will use the new one.

I'm not getting group emails

• Check your spam or junk folder first. Mark a group message as "Not spam" so future ones land in your inbox.
• Make sure Addie added the right address. If you've changed email providers recently, the group might still be pointing at your old address. Email techsupport@rudysmithfamily.com from the address you'd like to use and we'll switch it.
• Check that the group is actually active. If no one has emailed the group lately, there's nothing to receive. Send a quick "hi everyone" to test.

"You don't have access" when opening the Drive

This almost always means your browser is signed in to a different Google account than the one connected to your family group email.

• Open any Google page (like google.com) and click the avatar in the top-right.
• Switch to the account whose email is in the family groups, or click Add another account and sign in with it.
• Then click Open the Family Drive again.

If you've never set up a Google account at all, start with Create a Google account using your existing email.

Passwords and sign-in trouble

• Forgot your Google password? Go to accounts.google.com, click Forgot password?, and follow the prompts. Google will email or text a code to verify it's you.
• Forgot which email you used? Try the addresses you use most often at accounts.google.com. If none of them work, email techsupport@rudysmithfamily.com and we can check which address is in the groups.
• Two-factor / verification codes not arriving? Check spam, and make sure the phone number on file is current. You can update it at myaccount.google.com/personal-info.

Changing the email address you use for the family

Moved to a new email provider? Want to switch from a work address to a personal one? Email techsupport@rudysmithfamily.com from the new address and let us know which one to drop. We'll move you over so you don't miss anything.

Still stuck?

Email techsupport@rudysmithfamily.com. Describe what you tried and what happened — a screenshot helps a lot, even if it's blurry. Best-effort, lovingly given.