The iPhone Shortcut That Saves Me From Forgetting School Pick-Up

If your kids have ever been the last ones standing outside for school pick up… this is for you.

And yes, I've been there.

It's 3:05pm and you're finally locked in on that one thing you've been trying to get done all day… and then you realize you were supposed to pick up the kids five minutes ago.

Mom brain overload is real. Here's how to set up a pick-up alert on your iPhone that actually works.

Step 1: Create the Alert

Open the Shortcuts app. Tap the plus sign, hit Add Action, and search "Show Notification." Type "Leave for pickup now" in the text box, tap the arrow, and toggle Play Sound on so you get an audible alert too. Name it Pick-Up Alert, tap Done.

Step 2: Set the Automation

Now go to Automations at the bottom. Tap the plus sign, choose Time of Day, and set the time you need to leave. I set mine to 2:45pm on weekdays — school's out at 3, takes me 15 minutes to get there. Toggle Run Immediately, then search and add your Pick-Up Alert shortcut. Done.

Now every day at 2:45pm your phone is basically going to yell at you to go get your kids.

Level Up: Auto-Load Your Route

And if you want to take it a step further, you can have your maps open automatically with your full route.

Go back to the main Shortcuts page, tap the plus sign, and search "Open Directions." Add your starting location, then add your stops — I have two kids at two different schools so I add: School 1, School 2, and home. Name it School Route, tap Done, and add it to your home screen.

Then set up the automation. Tap the plus sign in Automations, choose When I Leave, set your location, and add a time window — I use 2:40 to 2:50pm so it's not triggering randomly. Add School Route as the action and tap Done.

Now when it's time to leave, you get the reminder and your maps open with every stop already loaded before you even get to the car.

The Bottom Line

This took me five minutes to set up and I use it every single day.

Mom brain, managed. You're welcome.

Watch my how-to video guide on this here and follow @jessicanaziri for the latest tech and AI hacks.