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Overview

Pigeonhole uses secure, passwordless authentication to keep your account safe. There are four ways to access your account:
  • Email OTP Codes - One-time passcodes sent to your email (used for your first login)
  • Passkeys - Fast, secure authentication using biometrics or device PIN
  • Password - Optional, set up via My Account
  • PIN-only (staff app) - For staff who only use the mobile app on a shared device and don’t have an email address. See Staff who only use the app

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Which Sign-In Method Should I Use?

The right method depends on whether the device belongs to one person or is shared by the team.
Don’t set up passkeys on shared devices. A passkey is unlocked with the device’s own screen lock — on a shared iPad, that’s the iPad’s passcode. Anyone who knows that passcode could sign in as the person who created the passkey, which defeats the purpose. Passkeys are designed for devices that only one person uses.

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Shared devices: use the mobile app and PINs

On a shared iPad or tablet, the staff mobile app is the recommended way for your team to work:
  1. Send each staff member a PIN. On the Staff page, open the row actions for the staff member and choose Send PIN. The 6-digit PIN is emailed to them. For staff without an email address, choose Set PIN and tell them the PIN yourself (see Staff who only use the app). See also Sending a staff member their PIN.
  2. A manager signs in to the app once on the shared device.
  3. Staff switch to their own account with their PIN using the switch user icon in the app — nobody else needs to sign in with a code or passkey.
  4. Staff can change their PIN at any time from My Account. Staff with a PIN-only login can’t sign in to the web app, so a manager resets their PIN for them instead.
The app keeps each person’s access separate:
  • It locks automatically when it has been in the background for more than a minute, and asks for a PIN to carry on.
  • It asks for the user’s PIN before protected areas such as Safeguarding — every time they’re opened — so only that person sees them.
See Getting Started with the staff app for more on switching users.

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Staff who only use the app: PIN-only access

Many staff only ever use the nursery iPad and never need the web app. They don’t need an email address. Instead, you give them a PIN-only login:
  1. Add the staff member with the Email left blank. See Adding Staff.
  2. Set their PIN. On the Staff page, open the row actions for the staff member and choose Set PIN. The 6-digit PIN is shown to you once. Nothing is emailed.
  3. Tell them their PIN in person, and ask them to keep it to themselves.
  4. They sign in on the app by tapping their name in the user list and entering their PIN, on a device a manager has already signed in to.
Each staff member gets their own login, even without an email address. Everything they record, such as observations, forms and register changes, is saved under their name.
Don’t give several staff members the same shared email address. Staff who share an email address share one login, so the app can’t tell them apart. Their observations and forms may be saved under the wrong person’s name, and they may end up with each other’s permissions. Leave the email blank and use a PIN-only login instead.
A PIN-only login only works in the mobile app. It can’t be used on the web app, and it can’t be used to sign in to the app on a device that nobody has signed in to yet. If the staff member needs the web app later, add their email address to their profile. They keep the same account and PIN, and can then sign in on the web with an email code. See Adding an email address later.

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Shared computers: use a password

We expect most shared-device use to be on the mobile app. If your staff do need to use the web app on a shared computer, each staff member can set up their own password — passwords aren’t set by default. See Setting Up a Password below.
If you have a shared-device setup the app doesn’t cover well, let us know at support@pigeonholeapp.co.uk.

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First-Time Login

The first time you log in, you’ll use a one-time passcode (OTP) sent to your email address.
  1. Navigate to the Pigeonhole login page
  2. Enter your email address
  3. Click “Send code to email”
  4. Check your email for a 6-digit verification code
  5. Enter the code on the login page
OTP codes expire after 10 minutes. If your code expires, simply request a new one.

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Setting Up a Passkey

After your first login, you’ll be prompted to set up a passkey.

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What is a Passkey?

A passkey is a modern replacement for passwords. Instead of typing a password, you verify your identity using something built into your device - like your fingerprint, face, or a PIN. Your passkey is stored securely on your device and cannot be phished, guessed, or stolen in a data breach. Think of it like a digital key that only works when you unlock it with your fingerprint or face - no one else can use it, and you never have to remember anything.

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How Passkeys Are Stored

Where your passkey is saved depends on your device and setup. This is important to understand because it affects whether your passkey works on other devices:
On Apple devices, passkeys are stored in iCloud Keychain by default. When you create a passkey, your Mac or iPhone may prompt you to enable iCloud Keychain if it isn’t already turned on.Because iCloud Keychain syncs across all Apple devices signed into the same Apple ID, a passkey created on your Mac will automatically be available on your iPhone and iPad (and vice versa). This means you only need to set up a passkey once across your Apple devices.To ensure iCloud Keychain is enabled:
  1. Open System Settings > Apple ID > iCloud
  2. Make sure Passwords & Keychain is turned on
On Windows, passkeys are stored locally using Windows Hello. Windows Hello must be enabled before you can create or use a passkey.To enable Windows Hello:
  1. Open Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options
  2. Under “Ways to sign in”, set up one of the following:
    • PIN - Available on all Windows devices (this is the easiest option)
    • Fingerprint recognition - Requires a fingerprint reader
    • Facial recognition - Requires a compatible camera
If you don’t have Windows Hello enabled, your browser may show a QR code instead of a biometric prompt when trying to set up a passkey. If this happens, enable Windows Hello first and try again.
When setting up a passkey on Windows, you may be prompted for your Windows login credentials more than once. This is normal - Windows is verifying your identity at multiple steps during the process.
Unlike Apple devices, Windows Hello passkeys are stored locally on that device only and do not sync between Windows computers. You will need to set up a passkey separately on each Windows device, or use a third-party password manager (see below).
If you use a password manager such as 1Password, Bitwarden, or Google Password Manager, you can choose to store your passkey there instead of in your device’s built-in storage.The main advantage is that your passkey will sync across all your devices where that password manager is installed - regardless of whether they are Apple, Windows, or Android devices.When creating a passkey, your browser may give you the option to choose where to save it. Select your password manager from the list if you’d like to sync it across devices.For setup instructions, consult your password manager’s documentation on how to use passkeys.
On Android, passkeys are stored in Google Password Manager by default and sync across your Google account. On iPhones and iPads, passkeys sync via iCloud Keychain as described above.Simply follow the on-screen prompts when asked to set up a passkey on your mobile device.

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Creating Your Passkey

  1. After logging in with your OTP code, you’ll be prompted to set up a passkey
  2. Follow your browser’s prompts - the experience will vary depending on your device (see above)
  3. Your passkey is now saved and ready to use

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Logging In with Your Passkey

  1. Navigate to the Pigeonhole login page
  2. Enter your email address
  3. Click “Sign in with Passkey”
  4. Authenticate using your fingerprint, face, or PIN

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Using Passkeys on Multiple Devices

How passkeys work across multiple devices depends on how they are stored (see How Passkeys Are Stored above).

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Apple devices (iCloud Keychain)

If you’re using Apple devices signed into the same Apple ID, your passkeys sync automatically via iCloud Keychain. A passkey created on your Mac will work on your iPhone and vice versa - no extra setup needed.

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Windows devices or mixed platforms

Windows Hello passkeys are stored locally and don’t sync between devices. If you use multiple Windows computers, or a mix of Windows and Mac, you’ll need to set up a passkey on each device individually:
  1. On the new device, log in using an email OTP code (click “Send me a code instead” on the login page)
  2. After verifying the code, you’ll be prompted to set up a passkey on that device
  3. Follow the on-screen prompts to register your biometrics or PIN
  4. You can now sign in with your passkey on that device going forward

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Using a password manager

If you store your passkeys in a third-party password manager (e.g. 1Password, Bitwarden), your passkey will be available wherever that password manager is installed. No per-device setup is needed.

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Managing Your Passkeys

You can view and manage all your registered passkeys from your account settings:
  1. Log in to Pigeonhole
  2. Navigate to My Account (click your profile icon in the top right)
  3. In the Passkeys section, you can:
    • See all devices that have passkeys registered
    • Remove passkeys you no longer need
    • Add a new passkey for your current device

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Setting Up a Password (Optional)

If you’d prefer to use a traditional password, you can set one up in your account settings.
  1. Log in to Pigeonhole using OTP or your passkey
  2. Navigate to My Account
  3. In the Change Password card, enter and confirm your new password
  4. Click Set Password
Once set, you can use your password to log in alongside or instead of OTP codes and passkeys. A password is the best option if you need to use the web app on a computer that other staff also use. See My Account for the password rules.

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Browser Compatibility

Passkeys work with modern browsers that support WebAuthn:
  • Chrome 109+
  • Safari 16+
  • Firefox 119+
  • Edge 109+
For older browsers, use the email OTP method or password instead.

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Frequently Asked Questions

No. A passkey on a shared iPad is unlocked with the iPad’s own passcode, so anyone who knows the passcode could sign in as that staff member. That’s a particular concern for sensitive records such as safeguarding.Instead, a manager signs in to the staff mobile app once, and staff switch to their own account using their personal Pigeonhole PIN. See Shared devices: use the mobile app and PINs.
No. Leave the email blank when you add them, then choose Set PIN on the Staff page and tell them the PIN. They sign in to the app by picking their name and entering their PIN. See Staff who only use the app.
No. Staff who share an email address share one login, so their work may be saved under the wrong name. Give each person their own email address, or leave it blank and use a PIN-only login.
If you have set up a passkey on another device but not on the device you’re currently using, your browser may show a QR code. This is your browser offering to let you authenticate using a passkey stored elsewhere (e.g. on your phone or in a password manager).To set up a passkey on this device instead (recommended):
  1. Cancel the QR code prompt
  2. Click “Send me a code instead” to log in via email OTP
  3. Enter the verification code from your email
  4. After logging in, you’ll be prompted to set up a passkey on this device
  5. Follow the prompts to register your fingerprint, face, or PIN
Once set up, future logins on this device will use its own passkey directly - no QR code needed.If you want to use the QR code:Scan the code with your phone and authenticate there. This works well if your passkey is in a password manager that syncs across devices, but is slower than using a device-specific passkey.
This depends on where the passkey was stored:
  • Apple devices (iCloud Keychain): If both devices are signed into the same Apple ID, the passkey should sync automatically. Check that iCloud Keychain is enabled on both devices.
  • Windows computer: Windows Hello passkeys don’t sync from other devices. You’ll need to set up a separate passkey on your Windows computer by logging in via OTP.
  • Password manager: If you saved the passkey in a password manager like 1Password, make sure the password manager extension is installed on your computer’s browser.
If in doubt, the simplest approach is to log in via OTP on the new device and set up a fresh passkey there.
When setting up a passkey on Windows, Windows Hello may prompt you to verify your identity more than once. This is normal behaviour - Windows verifies your credentials at multiple steps during passkey creation. Simply enter your PIN, fingerprint, or face scan each time you’re prompted.
This usually means Windows Hello is not enabled on your device. Without Windows Hello, your browser can’t create a local passkey and falls back to offering a QR code to use a passkey from another device.To fix this:
  1. Open Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options
  2. Set up a PIN (the easiest option), fingerprint, or facial recognition
  3. Try setting up your passkey again
If Windows Hello options are greyed out, your device may be managed by your organisation. Contact your IT administrator to enable Windows Hello.
Yes. You can have as many passkeys as you need. If you use Apple devices with iCloud Keychain, your passkey syncs automatically. For Windows devices or mixed platforms, log in via OTP on each device and set up a passkey on each one. You can view and manage all your passkeys from My Account.
Yes. Go to My Account (click your profile icon in the top right), find the Passkeys section, and remove any passkeys you no longer need. You can always log in via email OTP and set up a new one.
If you lose a device that has a passkey:
  1. Log in on another device using an email OTP code or an existing passkey
  2. Go to My Account and remove the passkey for the lost device
  3. Set up a new passkey on your replacement device
No one can use your passkey without your biometrics or PIN, so your account remains secure even if your device is lost.
  • Check your spam or junk folder
  • Ensure you entered the correct email address
  • Wait a few moments - emails can take up to 2 minutes to arrive
  • Request a new code if needed
  • Contact Pigeonhole Support if you still can’t receive codes

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Helping Parents and Staff with Login

If a parent or staff member is having trouble logging in:
  1. Resend their invitation - Go to the parent or staff list, click the More Actions (…) menu, and select “Send Invite”
  2. Check they’re not registering as a nursery - Parents should log in via the parent portal login page, not register directly (which creates a new nursery account)
  3. Advise on OTP - Ask them to check their spam/junk folder for the verification code
  4. Contact support - If a parent has accidentally registered as a nursery, contact Pigeonhole Support to resolve it