# Studybugs — Report your child’s absence

> School absence reporting and illness guidance app for parents. (iPhone/iPad app by Studybugs Ltd.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/studybugs/id695307170 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Studybugs Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/695307173)
- Category: Medical, Productivity
- Price: Free
- Age rating: 12+
- Requires: iOS 15.5 · 12 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2013-09-01
- Data updated: 2026-08-24
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/studybugs/id695307170/reviews.md

## What is Studybugs?

A better, safer way to report when your child’s sick and off school. With a few quick taps, you can give the school all they need to know to record your child’s absence.

• Automatically updates the school’s electronic registers, so if any children are unaccounted for, they’ll know right away
• Improves safeguarding by enabling your identity to be verified
• Provides guidance about your child’s illness and whether they should be kept off school
• Reminds you to keep the school posted

When you first sign in, we’ll automatically create you a free account on Studybugs and you’ll also have access to additional features on the Studybugs website, including a map showing illnesses going around near you.

Questions, problems or feedback? Get in touch at feedback@studybugs.com.

## Key features

- Report child's absence
- Automatic register updates
- Identity verification
- Illness guidance
- Absence reminders
- Website access for illness map

## Recent user reviews (10 of 22)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/studybugs/id695307170/reviews.md

### 1/5 — Seriously? Doesn’t need to be an app

*2026-06-08, version 4.0.1*

Imagine a rubbish email client and a single text field form to report sickness. That’s it. Doesn’t need to be an app- web page would be fine. Yet more clutter on my phone.

### 2/5 — Fine

*2026-04-15, version 4.0.1*

Its a fine app for reporting to the school and messaging the office but the user experience of the app is terrible. Why can’t I bulk read or delete messages I don’t need? Simple UX that really needs fixing.

### 1/5 — Awful

*2026-02-16, version 4.0.1*

Needs to have a search button so we can find a message easily. Also should be able to delete messages we no longer need. Awful app

### 1/5 — Useless

*2025-12-11, version 4.0.0*

I was excited with the new update but you can’t do basic stuff in this modern age:
- bulk mark messages read or delete.
- no way to highlight important stuff.
- no way to search..

Come on!

### 5/5 — Easy to use and helpful to know about absence guidance!

*2025-09-04, version 3.7.1*

As above!

### 2/5 — Needs improvement

*2025-05-31, version 3.7.1*

This app is very very basic it’s laughable as well as frustrating. I’ve be been using it for a few years now and it seems as if little or no improvements have been made. The ability to search should be the bare minimum. At present you can not do this, and have to scroll through numerous correspondence to locate what you are looking for.

### 3/5 — Could be better

*2025-05-24, version 3.7.1*

Ok app but could be much more useful with some simple improvements. First the ability to flag messages in the inbox. We receive so many messages that the ability to flag some for later review would be helpful. Also many messages include fixed font messages that can’t be enlarged making them incredibly difficult to read on a phone. Some way of being able to zoom these or adding the ability to read inbox messages in the website would help.

### 5/5 — Stops updating after a few months (UPDATED)

*2025-05-12, version 3.7.1*

The app was great at first, easy to report absence and communicate with teachers but after around 3 months we just stopped getting updates from school and haven’t for the last 5 months
UPDATE: I contacted them via email and responded and fixed the issue in just over a day!

### 2/5 — Please allow delete and search

*2025-05-09, version 3.7.1*

This app is a great idea, but it’s so frustrating when relevant messages get buried by a volley of club cancellations etc that have no bearing on your child.

### 1/5 — Blank screen

*2025-04-26, version 3.7.1*

The idea is great but it constantly gives you a blank blue screen when you swipe up or down to look at further pages.  Only a reboot of the phone brings it back.  It doesn’t stop it happening again.

## Frequently asked questions about Studybugs

### How do I report my child's absence with Studybugs?

You can report your child's absence with Studybugs by opening the app and following the simple steps to input the necessary information. The app is designed for quick and easy reporting.

### Does Studybugs update school registers automatically?

Yes, Studybugs automatically updates the school's electronic registers. This ensures that if any children are unaccounted for, the school is aware immediately.

### What kind of guidance does Studybugs provide about illnesses?

Studybugs provides guidance about your child's illness and helps you determine whether they should be kept off school. This feature assists parents in making informed decisions about their child's health and school attendance.

### Is Studybugs free to use?

Yes, Studybugs is free to use. When you first sign in, a free account is automatically created for you, and you gain access to additional features on the Studybugs website.

### What additional features are available on the Studybugs website?

On the Studybugs website, you can access additional features, including a map that shows illnesses going around in your local area. This provides valuable community health insights.

### How does Studybugs improve safeguarding?

Studybugs improves safeguarding by enabling your identity to be verified. This adds an extra layer of security and assurance for schools regarding absence reporting.

### On which devices can I use Studybugs?

Studybugs is supported on iPhone and iPod devices. The app is designed to be accessible on these Apple mobile platforms.

### How often is Studybugs updated?

The latest version of Studybugs is 4.0.1, and it was last updated on January 29, 2026. This indicates a commitment to regular updates and improvements.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 4.0.1 — 2026-01-29

• We’ve made it clearer whether a message is read or unread.

### 4.0.0 — 2025-12-09

• We’ve updated our brand identity to better reflect our growth. We hope you like our new style as much as we do!

• Don’t worry – we’re still the same underneath and you’ll find everything in the same place.

• Read our blog to find out more about why we’ve made this change.

### 3.7.2 — 2025-11-14

We’ve updated the various bits of third-party software used in the app. This translates to improvements across the board. Yay!

### 3.7.1 — 2023-09-22

• We’ve squash a bug that sometimes meant you couldn’t choose your child’s date of birth.

### 3.7.0 — 2022-09-15

• We fixed an issue where the app might crash if you’re on iOS 16.

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## Related topics

[willsub absences](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/willsub-absences)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-24.*
