Pikmykid Parent App FAQ

Modified on Wed, Feb 14 at 3:53 PM

FAQ TABLE OF CONTENTS:



Who needs to download and register on the Pikmykid Parent app?

Each parent or authorized pickup delegate who is actively involved in the dismissal routine will need to download the Pikmykid Parent app from their respective app stores. Once the app has been downloaded, select the "Register a New Account" option to register. Each person will need to register with their own credentials.


How to register on the Pikmykid app?

1. Download the free app in your phone's App Store by searching for Pikmykid, using your phone to scan one of the below QR codes, or clicking these links: iOS/Apple App Store or Google Play Store.



2. Open the app on your smartphone & click on “Create Account” or use your Google/apple account to register on the parent app.

3) Registration using your Google or Apple account:

  • The app will ask you to give the app permission to fetch your basic data from your Google or Apple account. Click "Continue" or "OK" to grant permission.

  • In the next step, if asked, select the corresponding email address where you would like to continue registration.

  •  Provide a valid cell/mobile phone number and click on “Next”.You will receive a temporary secure code via text message to verify your ownership/access to the cell phone number. Enter this code in your Pikmykid app to complete the phone verification and click "Next". The app will display a message depending on whether it can find your registered phone number in your school records. Click Continue.

  • Select the option of how you would like to register in the app.

4) Registration  without using your Google or Apple account:

  • Click on “Create Account”.

  • Provide a valid cell/mobile phone number and click on “Next”

  • You will receive a temporary & secure code via text message to verify your ownership/access to the cell phone number. Please enter that code into your Pikmykid app to complete the phone verification and click on “Next”. 

  • The app will display a message depending on whether it can find your registered phone number in your school records. Click on “Continue” for the next step. 

  • Provide your valid email address and click on next. You will receive an email with a link to verify. Please access your email account and click the link in the email from support@pikmykid.com. Click on “Verify Now” to successfully verify your email address.

  • After you confirm your email address, please return to the Pikmykid parent app and continue to the next step.

  • Fill the fields for your First and Last Name. Do NOT use your student's name. This is your guardian profile for security purposes.

  • Choose a secure & private password for your account. Please follow the recommended guidelines listed on your app screen for security.

  • Please select the option how would like to get registered on the app. 


5. Once you have finished registering your account, the app will search our records to find a match between the guardian information you have provided & student records from the school.

If a match is found you can proceed and access your student's information in the app. 

If a match is not found automatically, the app will request some additional basic information from you so our expert support team members can guide you on establishing a parent-student connection. 

If you are someone who helps pick up students but is not one of the primary legal guardians-- do not worry-- a connection will be made once the guardians assign you pick-up responsibilities for the student in their app.


What do I do if I can't see my children on the Kids screen in the parent app?

The app will only connect you to your child(ren) if the mobile number on school records matches your registered mobile number. Schools may share a unique QR code (Parent Connection Code) for parents to get connected.  Please tap on the blue circle icon located on the bottom right side of your screen to scan the code.



Once you have successfully scanned the code you will see your child on your screen. If you do not have your QR code or it is not working please contact your school for further assistance. Once connected, we are happy to help with any technical issues as needed. You can reach out to our dedicated parent support team at support@pikmykid.com. 



Can I use the app if I am not the parent?

Yes, if you are not the parent, you should still download our app to use when you pick up the student. One of the primary parents must delegate pickup to you directly from their phones/app. You will see these students in the OTHER CHILDREN section. Please make sure the parents assigned the student to you using your correct cell phone number.


How do I view students who have been delegated to me by another parent?

To see a delegation for the same day, simply log into your Pikmykid Parent app. Within your “Children” tab, select “Other Children” to view the students you have been delegated for pickup. Click on the date to see any additional details about the delegation. If a parent has already delegated to you for today you can announce from the “Pickup” tab.



If you do not see the child(ren) here, please contact one of the primary parents to make a delegation to you.

What if the person picking up does NOT have a smartphone?

The school will provide you with a car tag to use during dismissal. The car tag should be displayed in the front driver's side window for staff to view. The car tag will have the student's name, teacher, and school dismissal ID. If you have family members without a smartphone please make sure they have a car tag available to them for use. For those schools that do not use a car tag, the school will communicate to the parents their own custom process.

How do I add a change of pick up or delegation?
1. Select the child's name from your "children" tab along the bottom of the app. Tap on the triple bar icon in green next to your school’s name to make changes for multiple students at once.

2. Choose the correct calendar date for when you want the change to start. In case, you have selected multiple students. Click on the three-dot icon that automatically appears after selecting multiple students.

3. Select "change pickup" 

4. On the next screen:

  • Ensure the desired date is selected or select the applicable date. 

  • If this change should repeat, select the dropdown for "Repeat this Pickup?" and choose from the available options. Examples include "daily", "weekly", "monthly" and "weekdays".

  • If you choose to repeat the change you will then have more options appear to select an end date for the change and any exceptions. Ex: you could select daily change, then click to unselect certain dates as part of an exception.


5. Select the desired pickup mode option from the drop-down as well as select
who is picking up (yourself/the other primary guardian OR someone else). If you
choose "change selection" you will be able to choose from your Pikmykid contact

list OR import a new contact from your phone's contacts. We highly recommend
setting up Pikmykid-approved contacts in advance.


6. Click on “Confirm Changes” by scrolling the screen to successfully save changes. You will see the dates in green where a pickup change was already scheduled. Please unselect those days if you do not want to overwrite the previously existing changes.


7. You will see a green notification on the top of the screen with a confirmation. The other primary guardian on the account & the school will also see these changes on the student's calendar.

8. At any time you can access your student's calendar and click a date to view the planned pick-up mode for that day.



How do I cancel a change of pickup or delegation?

To cancel a change added to the student's dismissal schedule:

1. Select the child's name from your "children" tab at the bottom of the app.

2. Click on the date of the change you want to remove.

3. Click "Cancel Pickup" in the box below the calendar

4. Confirm the change to cancel. If it is a change with repetition, the system allows you to cancel all applicable dates.


Why can't I make changes to my child's calendar?
The system is very flexible to accommodate changes through the end of the school year. If you can't add a change to your child's calendar, review some of the reasons below:
1) The date on which you are trying to delegate has already passed.

Changes can only be made for future dates


2)You are trying to make changes after the cut-off time.

The system will not allow same-day changes on the calendar after the pick-off and/or delegation cut-off times set by the school. Typically, this could be up to an hour before the dismissal time. Any changes after this cut-off time will have to be done by contacting the school. Please try to put pick-up changes on your child’s calendar in advance. Any changes can be set to recur automatically.

3) You are trying to make changes for a date that has already a change added.

Our app only allows one pick-up mode/ delegation change per date. Dates that contain added changes will be displayed with a different color on the calendar.

If you want to cancel a change that you have already added, follow the steps below:
1. Select the student's name in your “Children” tab

2. Choose the date of the added change from the calendar

3. Select Cancel Pickup in the box below the calendar

4. Select "Cancel this change" to continue.

5. You will see a green notification at the top of the screen confirming your changes.

Once the change is canceled, you can add a new event to the calendar.


How many people can I add to my student account?

Schools nominate two key guardian contacts per student for security purposes and these two parents when registered with the app they will have full access to a child’s scheduling. Schools may also share a unique QR code to the two primary guardians to register and connect themselves. 

If you need to add more people to the account, who are actively involved in the daily dismissal routine of your child, you will need to make a delegation on the parent app. You can add any number of contacts in your app for you to make quick pickup changes to. However, on a given day you can only have 1 person designated for pickup other than the registered guardians. You will add this person as a delegate who will pick up for the day.


Why can't I announce through the app?

The announce button will be grayed out or inactive most of the time. It becomes active while on the school campus and once the dismissal time has started (this is usually enabled by the schools 15 mins before the school dismissal bell). 

If you are unable to announce please check the required permissions below: 

1) Your location services are turned ON

Android:

Phone settings --> Location --> Make sure your location service is turned on

Phone settings --> Apps --> Pikmykid app --> Permissions --> Make sure Location is enabled
iPhone:

Settings--> Privacy--> Location Services--> Make sure your location service is turned on

Settings --> Pikmykid App--> Location --> Make sure While Using is selected 

 

2) Data Plan Enabled on both your phone and parent app

Android:

Phone settings --> Data Usage--> Make sure Cellular data is turned on 

iPhone:

Settings --> Cellular --> Cellular data must be enabled  AND Pikmykid app data must be enabled

 

If you are still unable to announce after troubleshooting, please share a screenshot with the error message. The screenshot must be taken at the moment of attempting to announce. 


How to enable the Automatic Announcement function?

If your school is using the Auto-announce feature to help with parents' hand-free announcement for pick-up, please review the following requirements needed for this tool to work properly:

  1. Make sure that you have updated the app to the last released version on your app store. The feature might not be visible if you have an old version of the app

  2. Please also be sure you have allowed your device to access location services for the app in your smartphone settings. You should select “Always” as the option for the feature to work even if you are not logged into your Pikmykid account.

Once you have confirmed the requirements above, you should be able to navigate to your "Account" Tab along the bottom of the app and choose to toggle ON the Auto Announce feature.

When you arrive on campus your phone will automatically announce your arrival on the Pikmykid app. Staff will see your announcement on their car line dashboard, just like if you had pressed the button yourself.


Note: The feature is currently only available to car riders and walkers. If your child is assigned to any other pickup line, you will have to announce manually on your app (through the Pick up tab). 


How to enable and use the Check-in feature?

Select the “Check-In” tab from the bottom of your screen. 

  1. Select your child’s name to start the Check-in (one child at a time). You can also do a self-check-in if requested by the school.

  2. Answer the questions created by the school. If you need to change your answer, please select “Previous Step”.

  3. Once you have answered all of the questions, please press the “Submit” button. It will automatically redirect you to the main Check-in tab where you should see a green banner across the top of your screen that reads “You have checked in successfully!”

If the school has enabled check-in you should be able to go to this tab and complete the morning check-ins. If you do not see the “Check-In” tab or the child's name, please let us know so we can look into it. 


How do I reset or change my password?

From your log-in screen, select “Forgot Password”. Enter your email address then select "Send Reset Link". You will receive an email from support@pikmykid.com within 20 minutes (you may need to check your spam folder). From this email, please click on "Reset Password". This will take you to a window where you will type your desired password. Please save your change by tapping "Reset Password"

If you know your current password and wish to change it: Select the "Account" tab from the bottom of your PikmyKid parent app, then “Change Password”. From here you will enter your existing password and the new password.

Note:
1. You will know it has been saved when you see a green checkmark appear and "Password has been updated successfully" on your screen

2 If you have signed up using Google/Apple SSO, the option to change your password won't be available under Accounts. Instead, you need to reset your password by clicking on "Forgot Password" from the login screen.


How to update the default or most used pickup mode?

To update the default pick-up mode on  your child(ren)’s calendar: 

  1. Please Select the child’s name from the “My Children” tab.  To add changes to multiple students at once, tap the light green 3-bar symbol next to your school name.

  2. In case you have selected multiple students, tap the 3 dots that automatically appear at the bottom of the screen after selecting. If you have selected a single student, continue to step 3.

  3. Select "Default Pickup"

    Note: If you receive an alert that the option is disabled by the school, please send us the new pickup mode and we will be happy to make the change.

  4. Select the new default mode from the list

  5. Select “Save” at the bottom of the screen to complete the change

If you do not see the pickup mode option you are looking for in the drop-down menu, please contact your school to ensure the desired option is enabled for your child(ren)



How to report absence through the application?

To mark student(s) absent through the app:
1. Select the child's name from your "children" tab(“My Children” section) along the bottom of the app or tap on the 3-bar icon in green next to your school’s name to mark absent multiple students.

2. Choose the correct calendar date on which you want the change to begin. If you have selected multiple students, click on the three-dot icon that automatically appears after selecting multiple students.

3. Click "Mark Absent"
4. Choose in the drop-down a reason for the absence. Please note these options are customized by your school.
Note: Not all schools have this feature activated. If the option is not visible to you, check with your school.

5. You can toggle to repeat this change if the student(s) will be absent for multiple days.

6. Click "Mark Absent" once again to save.

Your school may have a requirement to verify your identity. If so, the application will ask you for additional verification (password, text message code, or biometric).


How to schedule an early pickup through the app?

To add early dismissal pick-up/delegation change to your child(ren)’s calendar:


  1. Select the child's name from your "children" tab(“My Children” section) along the bottom of the app or tap on the 3-bar icon in green next to your school’s name to mark absent multiple students.

  2.  Choose the correct calendar date on which you want the change to begin. Then select “Early Dismissal” in the box below the calendar. If you have selected multiple students, click on the three-dot icon that automatically appears after selecting multiple students.

       3. Select "Early Dismissal"

Please note that not all schools have this feature activated. If the option is not visible to you, check with your school.

   4. On the next screen:

  • Make sure the desired date is selected

  • Select the applicable time for pickup

  • Then select who will pick up (yourself or select “Change Selection” if it is someone from your contacts)

  • To confirm the change, select “Create Early Dismissal”
    (The date marked in gray on the calendar indicates that an Early Pickup change is scheduled for that day.)





Please Note:
A. The app will not allow you to set recurring early dismissal changes. You must make individual changes for each applicable day.

B. Your school may have a requirement to verify your identity. If so, the application will ask you for additional verification (password, text message code, or biometric).



How do I delete my account in the app?

Follow the steps below to delete your account:

  1. Click on the “Account” option at the bottom of the app

  2. Click on “Delete Account” at the bottom of the screen.

  3. Follow the steps to confirm your identity and complete the account deletion process

  4. After your account has been verified, you can select Delete to complete the request



How to add/manage emergency contacts in the app?


To add/manage emergency contacts:

  1. Click on the “Account” option at the bottom of the app

  2. Select “Manage Contacts” and then select the person from the list of saved contacts, or to add more contacts from the phonebook, select “Open My Phonebook”. Click on “+” icon on the bottom right, if you wish to add contacts manually.

  3. Click on the saved contacts and update the name, phone number (if required), and relationship with the child. You can also upload a photo for the contact by selecting “Upload Photo”.

  4. Check mark the child/children for whom this emergency contact should be tagged and click on “Save” so that the changes you made are saved successfully.

 

These contacts will be shared with the school as emergency contacts in real-time, who can then pick up during daily schedules or during emergencies.



What is the purpose of location sharing through the app?

Location sharing is important to determine the proximity of your device to the school. By sharing your location with the school through the PikMyKid app, you are helping your child's school to manage its dismissal process more efficiently. Please note that no positional information is stored in our system or used for any other purpose.


Why can't I add a change to the bus pickup mode?

Schools may have restricted the Bus to specific routes or allow only for pre-approved students. Some schools have that open for all. The app will allow parents to change a child's primary pickup mode from bus to car line, walker, or after-school. To change from car line, walker, or after-school to bus the parent will need to contact the school for approval to ensure they are listed for a specific bus route.


How do I change my personal information in the app?

You can update your name, email address, notification preferences, and password (excluding Single Sign-On methods) within the Account tab. If you wish to modify your registered phone number, kindly send an email to support@pikmykid.com, providing your full name, updated phone number, current phone number in use, and the dismissal ID of your connected child(ren) in our app. We will work with the school to update your records.

How do I change the theme or style in the application?

1. Log in to your Pikmykid app

2. Select the “account” option at the bottom of your app.

3. Click  on “Theme Selection”  

3) Choose the theme of your preference from the available options. The app will display the

new theme immediately and take you back to your profile.

4) You can repeat the steps to explore different styles.




What do I do if my screen freezes or is slow?

1. Uninstall and reinstall the Pikmykid app

2. Upgrade to the latest iOS or Android software

3. Make Sufficient Free Storage Space Available

4. Restart your phone




What is an OTP code and what do I do if I don't receive an OTP code?

The OTP (One Time Passcode) process is used to verify the authenticity of the phone number during the registration process. This process helps in making sure the school gets valid parent information to ensure the safety of students. OTP codes will only be sent to a MOBILE phone number (landline numbers can not be registered).



What do I do if the phone doesn't remember my information?

The phone has a biometric option to help users use their Thumbprint or Face ID based login.  You can go to the account section and turn the toggle next to biometric to GREEN so you can enjoy biometric login. If you have registered through Google or Apple Single Sign-On (SSO), the app provides the option to log in using your Google or iOS Apple account.

There might be a few versions of iPhones where IOS upgrades are not supported. These iPhones may impact the behavior of the app. To optimize the local storage space:

Settings--> iTunes & App Store --> Offload Unused Apps must be enabled (green)

You can enable biometrics (Touch ID as well as Face ID) to make signing in easier for you.

What do I do if I can't register my phone (VOIP)?

Some VOIP carriers are not able to receive the OTP from the carrier we send, we apologize for any inconvenience. Please contact support@pikmykid.com our parent support team will help you get registered.



Why do I see the message "contact your school administrator" when I try to reset my password through the Pikmykid website?

You are probably trying to access the school website for school users only. The parent website app should be https://parentapp.pikmykid.com/. The website schools.pikmykid.com is intended to be used for school staff only.


How do I turn Pikmykid notifications on or off?

Log into the Pikmykid parent app. Select the "Account" tab from the bottom of your Pikmkid Parent app, then “Notifications Preferences”. Disable/enable notification preferences from the next screen. Don't forget to select “Save” to complete the changes. Please remember that most schools will want parents to have their notifications turned on for security reasons.


How do I announce my arrival to school for only one of my children?


From the “Pickup” tab of the parent app, select the toggle off (gray out) the bar next to the child's name who does not need to be announced. Once you have finished, select the green “Announce” button at the bottom of the home screen to announce for the other children.




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