FAQ
Questions, answered
Everything schools ask before going phone-free with NIX — the product, the verification, the law, and the price.
The basics
What NIX is
What is NIX, in one sentence?+
NIX is a platform that makes phone-free the rewarded default at school — verified with a quick scan of the student ID badge students already carry, with no pouches or new hardware.
What's the difference between Events, Education, and Combo?+
Events rewards students for being present at school events. Education runs a phone-free school day — a cheaper, no-hardware alternative to lockable pouches. Combo is both, built for high schools: the phone-free school day plus event rewards as extra incentive.
Who is NIX for?+
High schools (grades 9–12) — specifically the staff who run events and the administrators who run the school day. NIX is built around how schools already work: existing student ID badges, no new hardware to buy or distribute.
Does NIX require any hardware?+
No. NIX uses physical student ID badges your students already carry and the phone's own location. Nothing to buy, hand out, unlock, or replace.
The mechanism
How verification works
How does the ID scan and geofence verification work?+
The school sets a geofence — around an event or the campus. Students leave their phone outside it (home, car, locker), then staff scan the barcode on their student ID badge at the door. NIX checks that the student's phone is genuinely outside the geofence at that moment and logs the result. A scan takes seconds.
Does NIX track students during the day?+
No. NIX verifies a phone's location at the moment of a scan — it does not follow students through the day, read messages, or monitor what's on the phone. Verification, not surveillance.
What if a student doesn't have their phone at all?+
That's the goal — a student whose phone is at home is exactly what phone-free looks like. NIX verifies the phone is away wherever it is; students without phones still scan in and count.
Do students scan a QR code?+
No — there's no in-app code to fumble with. Staff scan the barcode on the physical student ID badge the school already issues.
State law
Compliance
Does NIX satisfy my state's school phone law?+
State phone laws require a policy — none we're aware of mandate specific hardware. NIX Education gives you a verified daily log that your phone-free policy is actually being followed, which is what boards and audits ask for. See our state-by-state legislation guide for where your state stands.
Can NIX replace pouches for a bell-to-bell mandate?+
Yes — bell-to-bell laws restrict phones for the whole school day but leave implementation to the school. A verified scan at the door plus a daily compliance log covers the same policy a pouch program covers, without per-student hardware.
The money
Pricing & rollout
How is NIX priced?+
Per school, per year — never per student. Events has a published tier ladder (Starter / Growth / Unlimited); Education and Combo are negotiated per school. There are no hardware costs, and checkout runs through Stripe on the web.
Do students pay anything?+
No. NIX is completely free for students — they never pay. Schools cover the per-school subscription.
How long does setup take?+
About ten minutes. An admin creates the school, sets hours and the campus geofence from the app, and invites staff. Students sign up with their school student ID — no hardware to distribute means no rollout project.
How is NIX cheaper than pouches?+
Pouch programs are reported at roughly $25–30 per student per year, plus replacements. NIX has no per-student hardware, so the cost is a flat per-school subscription. See our side-by-side comparison with Yondr for the details.
Still digging? Go deeper on state phone laws, the NIX vs. Yondr comparison, the case for rewards over confiscation, or the research.
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