Why the group text stops working
How it works
- Create the carpool. Name it, add the school, pick the days, and set the drop-off and pickup times and the dates it runs. A couple of minutes.
- Share the invite code. Six characters. Text it, say it at pickup, or send an email invitation from the app. Other parents see the carpool's name, days and times before they make an account, so nobody signs up blind.
- Fill in the drivers. Every school day has a morning drop-off and an afternoon pickup, each with its own driver. One parent can take every morning while another takes afternoons.
- Let the reminders do the nagging. The driver gets a notification 30 minutes before. If tomorrow has no driver, the whole carpool hears about it at 10am and again at 6pm, while there is still time to fix it.
What each parent gets
- The whole week on one screen: every driver, every time, every child who isn't riding.
- A summary of the day at 6am on weekdays.
- A warning when a child won't be riding, with the reason, so the driver doesn't wait outside an empty house.
- One-off trips for early release and field trips, without touching the regular week.
- No edit collisions. While one parent changes a slot, it's locked for everyone else.
- Your spouse or co-parent on the same plan with full access, and your kids view-only, at no extra cost.
What it costs
14 days free, no card to start.
Then $1.99 a month per family, everything included. Each family in the carpool has its own account. Carpool-Q runs on iPhone, Android and in any web browser, and one account works on all three.
Questions parents ask
How many families can be in one school carpool?
Carpool-Q doesn't set a limit on families or riders. Three or four families is the sweet spot for most school carpools: each parent drives a day or two a week, and the group is still small enough to agree on things.
Can one parent do drop-off and a different parent do pickup on the same day?
Yes. Every day has a morning drop-off and an afternoon pickup, and each one has its own driver. A parent who works from home can take every pickup while a commuter takes mornings.
What happens when a parent can't drive their day?
Open the day and pick a different driver, and everyone sees the change. If the slot is left empty, Carpool-Q sends the whole carpool a shortage alert at 10am and 6pm the day before, so someone can volunteer in time.
How do I tell the driver my child isn't riding tomorrow?
Mark your child as not riding for that day and pick a reason, like a doctor's appointment. Everyone in the carpool sees a warning on that day, so the driver knows not to stop at your house.
Our kids go to different schools. Can one carpool handle that?
Each carpool has one destination, so make one carpool per school. You can run as many carpools as you need at no extra cost and switch between them with one tap.
Does every family in the carpool have to pay?
Every family has its own account, and every account starts with 14 days free, no card. After that it's $1.99 a month per family. One subscription covers your spouse or co-parent with full access and your kids with view-only access.
Can my kids see who's picking them up?
Yes. If your child has their own Carpool-Q account, link it from your Profile and they get view-only access: who's driving, what time, and any notes. They can't change anything.
Who can see our carpool schedule?
Only the families in that carpool, and that's enforced by the database, not just the app. Carpool-Q never asks for your home address and never uses your phone's location.