First Student Connect for iPhone

The good stuff

What surprised me was how fast the notifications showed up. One morning, my bus route got rerouted due to construction - I saw it on the app before my supervisor even sent a message. That saved me a few minutes of confusion. Also, the Innovation Portal bit? Yeah, that’s not for regular staff, but if you’re an external partner - like a school district rep or a transit agency - it lets you pitch ideas or see what First Student’s working on. Feels a little niche, but it’s neat seeing how they’re testing smart city stuff. The news feed for each facility is also solid. You can see what’s happening at your local hub, which helps if you’re switching shifts or covering for someone.

The not-so-good

And yeah, it’s not perfect. The interface is… basic. Like, really basic. No animations, no dark mode, and the layout feels stuck in 2014. If you’re not already part of the network, you can’t use it at all - no public access, no trial. So if you’re not an employee or a registered stakeholder, skip it. Also, it doesn’t do much beyond posting updates. No chat, no file sharing, nothing interactive. If you’re used to apps like Teams or Google Workspace, this feels like a barebones version of those. And the “best practices” section? It’s there, but it’s not searchable. Just scroll through a wall of text. Not helpful when you need something fast.

Bottom line

If you’re a First Student employee or a partner with access, this app is worth the download. It’s free, it works, and it keeps you in the know without cluttering your inbox. But if you’re just curious or outside the organization? Don’t waste your time. It’s built for insiders, not the public. For its target audience, it’s functional - not flashy, but gets the job done. So if you’re in the system, grab it. Otherwise, move on. It’s not going to win any design awards, but it does what it promises.