---
title: "Can parents check in without the phone app?"
description: "Yes. On a tablet check-in station they can type their 4-digit pickup code instead of scanning, so a dead phone never blocks a pickup."
type: overview
updated: 2026-08-26
canonical_url: https://help.nestlicare.com/owners/faq/can-parents-check-in-without-the-app
roles: ["super_admin", "center_admin"]
platforms: [web, kiosk]
---
Yes. The app is the smooth path, not the only path:

- **QR poster at the door:** parents scan it with the NestliCare app to check children in and out. This one does need the app.
- **Tablet check-in station:** parents can scan, or simply **type their 4-digit pickup code** on the tablet. No phone, no app, no account needed, which is also how limited-access family members (a grandparent, a babysitter) check in and out.

So if a parent's phone is dead or they never installed the app, a tablet at the door covers them, and every family member's code works there. Set both up under **Organization → Kiosk Mode**: print the poster, run a tablet, or both at once.

Staff scan the same door code to clock in.

Related: [Set up check-in at your door](/owners/centers/set-up-kiosk-mode), [What if a parent forgot their pickup code?](/owners/faq/what-if-a-parent-forgot-their-pickup-code), [Configure check-in methods](/owners/settings/configure-check-in-methods).