A student leaves while you are teaching. A few minutes later, another student asks to go. You look at the clock and realize you are no longer sure when the first student left. That missing clock is the problem a digital hall pass tracker should solve.
WhoLeft is built by a teacher for individual teachers who want a live pass timer and a reliable record without waiting for a school-wide software rollout. It runs on iPhone, iPad, Android, and desktop browsers, and students do not need accounts.
Why paper hall passes leave teachers guessing
A physical pass shows that a student has permission to be in the hallway. It does not tell the teacher how long the student has been gone. A clipboard can record that information, but only if someone writes down both the departure and return times every time.
That manual process competes with attendance, instruction, questions, and everything else happening in the room. A useful digital hall pass system should answer three questions without making you stop teaching:
- Who is out right now?
- How long has each student been gone?
- What happened on earlier passes?
WhoLeft does not replace a required physical pass. It handles the teacher-side timer and activity log while the student carries whatever pass your school requires.
Three ways to track hall passes digitally
A form or spreadsheet
A Google Form can timestamp a sign-out and send responses to a spreadsheet. It is inexpensive and flexible. To track return times, show who is currently out, or flag an overdue pass, you will need a second submission, formulas, scripts, or another manual step.
A school-wide hall pass platform
A district platform is the right choice when a school needs building-wide limits, approval rules, administrator reporting, or student information system integration. It also requires a school or district to select, purchase, configure, and support it.
A classroom-level hall pass tracker
This is where WhoLeft fits. One teacher can open it on a classroom device and start tracking passes without creating student accounts or connecting to a district system. The scope is intentionally smaller: the current classroom, the current passes, and the teacher's own activity log.
How the WhoLeft digital hall pass works
- The student enters their name. There is no roster to build and no student account to create.
- The student chooses a sign-in method. Depending on the teacher's settings, the student creates a four-digit PIN, selects an emoji, or chooses between the two.
- The student taps Sign Out. Their active pass appears on screen and the countdown begins.
- WhoLeft marks the pass overtime. When the classroom time limit expires, the active pass changes to an OVERTIME state.
- The student signs back in. They use the same PIN or emoji, and WhoLeft records the return time and pass duration in the activity log.
The active-pass screen remains visible, so a teacher can glance at the device and see each student's name, time remaining, and whether a pass is overdue. Admin controls are protected by a separate teacher PIN.
Student data stays local. Names, active passes, settings, and activity logs are stored on the phone, tablet, or browser being used. WhoLeft does not create cloud accounts for students. Teachers should still follow their school's rules for student names and exported records.
Paper, forms, and WhoLeft compared
| Classroom task | Paper or clipboard | Basic form | WhoLeft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start a countdown | No | Not without automation | Automatic |
| See who is out now | Check the log | Check responses | Live on screen |
| Mark an overdue pass | Teacher watches the clock | Not by default | Automatic OVERTIME state |
| Record return time | Write it down | Second entry or form | Automatic |
| Student account required | No | Depends on form settings | No |
| District setup required | No | Usually no | No |
What is included in the free digital hall pass tracker?
WhoLeft can be used free on iPhone, iPad, Android, or in a desktop browser. The free tier is enough to run the complete sign-out and return workflow before deciding whether your classroom needs more capacity.
Free
One active pass at a time, a fixed five-minute timer, PIN and emoji sign-out, and the 20 most recent activity-log entries.
WhoLeft Plus
Up to six active passes, a custom pass timer, full activity-log history, and CSV export. Plus is $9.99 per year and is purchased separately for iPhone/iPad, Android, and desktop browsers.
Set up a classroom hall pass station
- Choose a device. Use an iPhone, iPad, Android device, Chromebook, or classroom computer.
- Change the admin PIN. The initial PIN is 0000. Replace it before students begin using the tracker.
- Choose PIN, emoji, or student choice. This controls how students identify their own pass when they return.
- Leave WhoLeft open where students can reach it. A dedicated tablet, old phone, or spare browser window works well.
There is no student roster to import. Each student enters their name when creating a pass, then uses their chosen PIN or emoji to close it.
The iPhone, iPad, and Android apps keep their working data on the device and can run without classroom Wi-Fi. The browser version stores data in that browser and should be opened while an internet connection is available.
When a classroom-level tracker is the right fit
WhoLeft is designed for a teacher managing passes in one classroom. If your school needs building-wide pass limits, approval chains, administrator dashboards, or student information system integration, use a district-managed platform.
If you need a focused digital hall pass timer and log on a device already in your room, WhoLeft is built for that job.
Try the WhoLeft digital hall pass tracker
Start with the free tier on iPhone, iPad, Android, or in your desktop browser.
