Signing up as a parent

Signing up takes a few minutes in the Wyndy app: your phone number, a few questions about you, and a photo. You sign in with a texted code, not a password, and you don't need a card until you book your first sitter.

Before you start

• A US mobile number that can receive texts. It becomes your login.
• An email address. Wyndy sends your bookings and receipts there.
• A clear photo of you or your family, from your library or taken on the spot.

You don't need a card, an ID or your kids' details yet. You add a card and check your ID once, when you book your first sitter, and you add your kids when you post your first job.

Create your account

1. Open the app and tap Find childcare.

   The other button, I'm a sitter, starts the sitter application instead. By continuing, you agree to Wyndy's Privacy Policy and Terms of Service, both linked under the buttons.

2. Enter your phone number and tap Continue.

   The screen is titled Login with your phone number. The button stays grey until you've typed 10 digits.

3. Enter the code we texted you, then tap Continue.

   Didn't get it? Tap Resend Code. If the number already has a parent profile, this signs you straight in and you skip the rest of this page.

4. Tap Create account.

   This screen, Create your account, lists what every sitter on Wyndy is: background checked and vetted by Wyndy, and notes that any college experience a sitter lists is verified. If you made a Wyndy account before with an email and password, tap I already have an account instead (see below).

5. Answer What brings you to Wyndy?

   Pick Meet new sitters (browse who's nearby and save the ones you like), Book a specific time (you have a date in mind) or Something else, which opens a box for your own words. Your answer decides which tab you land on at the end.

6. Enter your zip code under Where do you need care?

   Once you type 5 digits, the app locks it in and moves on by itself. If Wyndy has a greeting for your city, it shows under the zip.

7. Look through the sitters near you, then tap Continue.

   The app shows "Finding sitters in your area" for a moment, then Take a sneak peek at sitters near you: a stack of cards for real sitters nearby, with a count of how many there are. Some cards carry short tags in capitals drawn from the sitter's profile and time on Wyndy, such as their school or a skill. The tags only appear on these sign-up cards. Swipe a card right to add that sitter to your Favorites, or left to move past them. Swiping left on someone you'd favorited takes them back out, and the app says "You unfavorited" with their name. At the end, tap Replay cards to go through them again. Tap Skip any time.

8. Enter your first and last name, then tap Continue.

   The screen asks What's your full name? so sitters know who they're chatting with. Both names are required.

9. Enter your email and tap Continue.

   Wyndy sends your bookings and receipts here. Got a referral code from a friend? Type it in the optional Referral code box under Have a referral code?. Tapping Continue here creates your account.

10. Add a profile photo, then tap Continue.

    Tap Add a photo, then Choose from Library or Take a Photo. On Adjust photo, drag to reposition and pinch to zoom, then tap Use photo. A clear, friendly, well-lit photo helps sitters feel at ease. A photo is required to continue.

11. Answer How did you hear about us?

    Pick one option and tap Continue, or tap Skip. This step is optional.

12. Choose a membership plan.

    The membership screen reads "Start a free trial to continue". Every new parent starts with a membership here; there's no Skip. Pick Annual ("Free trial or $100 credit") or Monthly ("$40/mo, $10 credit/mo"). On Annual, the Free trial switch is on: tap Start free trial to try it free for 7 days. Turn the switch off to pay for the year now and get $100 in Wyndy credit, with Pay today & get $100. On Monthly, tap Subscribe. The fine print under the button shows what's charged and when. Confirm with the App Store or Google Play, then tap Get started on Membership unlocked.

13. Tap Allow notifications, or Not now.

    Notifications are how you hear that a sitter applied, booked in, or sent a message. Your phone then asks for permission.

That's it. If you picked Meet new sitters, you land on the Sitters tab. Otherwise you land on the Jobs tab, where Post a job sits at the bottom.

What each answer is for

Membership or pay per job

Every new parent starts with a membership at sign-up. If you started the free trial and cancel before it ends, you aren't charged, and you can keep posting jobs, booking sitters and paying in the app per job. The difference shows up in the fees on each job.

The annual plan is billed once a year, after the free trial if you took it, and the monthly plan every month, through the App Store or Google Play. If your membership ends, you can start it again from Me, then Membership. See Wyndy Membership for the full details.

If you already have an account

A number that already has a parent profile signs straight in after the code. You only see the account screens when the number is new to Wyndy.

You signed up before with an email and password

1. On Create your account, tap I already have an account.

   The screen is titled Sign in to your account.

2. Enter your email and password, then tap Continue.

   Forgot it? Tap Forgot password, enter your email and tap Continue. Wyndy emails you instructions to reset it.

If no account matches, you'll see No Account Found. Tap Create New Profile to start fresh, or Contact Support if you think it's a mistake.

Your email is already in use

If you reach the email step with an address that already has an account, the app says "It looks like you already have an account. Please sign in." Tap Sign In to sign in with that email and password.

Good to know

• Leaving part way. Your account exists once you tap Continue on the email step. If you close the app after that, the next sign-in picks up at the zip code or the photo, wherever you stopped.
• The Favorites you swipe. Sitters you swipe right on during sign-up are saved to your Favorites once your account is created. Find them under Me, then Favorites.
• Log out mid-sign-up. Tap the ⋯ at the top right of any sign-up screen, then Log Out.
• Code problems. "Invalid code" means the digits didn't match; check the text and try again. "Code expired" means it's too old; tap Resend Code. "Too many attempts" means the app is busy; wait a little and try again. "Invalid phone number" means the number didn't look right; check it and try again.
• No sitters in your area yet. If the search finds no one nearby, you'll see "More sitters are on the way" and can tap Continue to finish signing up. If sitters couldn't load, you'll see "We hit a little snag"; carry on and they'll be ready later.
• Photo tips. While you adjust your photo, the app may point out "No face detected", "More than one face detected" or "No smile detected". These are suggestions only and never stop you from continuing. If there's more than one face, it asks Which one is you? so you can center on yourself.
• One number, two profiles. The same phone number can hold a parent profile and a sitter profile. See Accounts and signing in.
• Suspended or disabled accounts. If your account has been suspended, the app shows Account Suspended after you sign in. Tap Contact Support if you think it's a mistake, or Logout. A disabled account sees "Account disabled" when it tries to sign in.

Questions

Do I need a card to sign up?

No. You add a card when you book your first sitter, and you're only charged after the job is done.

When do I verify my ID?

Once, before your first booking or before you message a sitter you haven't booked. It isn't part of sign-up. See ID verification for parents.

Can I skip the profile photo?

No. The Continue button stays grey until you add one. You can change it later from your profile.

I skipped notifications. How do I turn them on?

Turn them on for Wyndy in your phone's Settings app. See Notifications.

Related