What happened to Ollie?
Ollie, the AI family assistant you texted, shut down on November 6, 2026. Its founder, Bill Lennon, announced the shutdown on October 30. Before it closed, Ollie texted each family an export of what it remembered, to share with another assistant, and refunded partial or unused months of subscriptions.
That export is the file Kettle reads. Forward it and your family picks up where it left off, with the same people, schools, routines and to‑dos.
Sources: Ollie’s farewell letter, TechCrunch, October 30, 2026.
Moved in three texts
Text Kettle
Tap the button on your phone, or text “Ollie” to (205) 243-9463. Kettle asks what to call you.
Forward Ollie’s file
In your Ollie chat, find the October 30 message that says “I’ve attached a copy of what I remember.” Press and hold the file, tap More, then the arrow, and send it to Kettle.
Add Kettle to your family group
Add (205) 243-9463 to the group you had Ollie in, then say “Kettle, hi.”
What comes over from the file
- Your people
- Kids and their grades, partners, pets, and the teachers, coaches, sitters and doctors you deal with, with their numbers.
- School and routines
- Uniform days, pickup times, what to pack, the calendars you follow. The morning brief picks them up on the right days.
- Food
- Allergies, the no-nuts classroom, who won’t eat what, and where you shop. Kettle reads allergies back so you can check them.
- What’s coming up
- Dates and to-dos from the file arrive as things to check, not as done deals. Kettle never texts, emails or orders anything because the file said so.
How Kettle compares to Ollie
The same
- You text it in Messages. No app.
- It joins your family group and answers when you ask it by name.
- A morning brief, school email read for you, the calendar, reminders that ask again until someone says done.
Different
- It builds your H‑E‑B cart from the week’s dinners and the list. Other stores get a list sorted by aisle to shop from.
- Anything it saves for the whole family, it asks you first. What you text it privately stays private.
- It’s new, and built by a family who used Ollie too.
Questions from Ollie families
What does it cost?
Kettle
The first 7 days are free, with no card to enter. After that it’s $19 a month for the whole family ($190 a year). Kettle texts you the day before your trial ends, and nothing is charged unless you subscribe.
I can’t find Ollie’s file.
Kettle
Scroll your Ollie chat to October 30. If it’s gone, paste the text instead, or just tell Kettle about your family: who’s who, schools, allergies, what’s coming up.
What about the access Ollie had to my Google account?
Kettle
Remove it in your Google account under Security, then “Your connections to third-party apps & services.” Connect Kettle to Gmail and Calendar only if you want it to read them.
Kettle said it’s full today.
Kettle
We let in a set number of new families each day so Kettle stays fast for everyone. Text it again tomorrow and it will set you up.
Who sees my family’s information?
Kettle
Your family. What you text Kettle on its own stays between the two of you, it checks who’s in a group before it posts there, and you can delete your account by texting it.
Put the kettle on.
Text “Ollie” to (205) 243-9463 and forward the file. That’s the whole move.