Dinner is in the oven, and your housemates want to know when it will be ready. A shared status on the iPhone Lock Screen can keep them up to date as you cook.
PingRoom brings that kind of live update to families, friends, housemates, and colleagues. Its Live Activities let a group follow changing information in one card on supported iPhone Lock Screens and the Dynamic Island. Quick Pings handle the shorter moments, such as “I’m outside” or “Home safe,” with a saved button.
Questions and ongoing activities can stay visible on supported iPhone surfaces. Supplied App Store artwork.
One card, from starting to finished
Take pizza night. Create a room for your housemates and start a Live Activity from an example. Customize the steps to show “Preparing,” “In the oven,” and “Ready.” As you update the activity, the same card changes quietly. Finish it when dinner is ready, and PingRoom sends a completion Ping to the room.
Members can check the current step without asking for another update. The full card is available inside the room; its appearance on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island depends on the device, operating system, and notification settings.
The same idea works for a countdown during a shared study session, the score of a match, or progress on a project. Choose an example that fits, customize it, and update it as things change. Connected tools can also supply updates for ongoing work.
Save the updates you send every day
For a message that needs only a tap, save a Quick Ping. A family might use “Home safe,” friends might choose “I’m outside,” and colleagues might keep “Ready for review” within reach. Create a room, invite the people who need those updates, and make the buttons your own with text, emoji, color, and sound.
Each room can serve a different part of your life. Your housemates’ dinner updates and your colleagues’ handovers have their own place and their own Quick Pings.
Quick Pings turn recurring messages into buttons for your room. Supplied App Store artwork.
Ask for an answer or a confirmation
Before cooking, you could send a Question: “Pizza or pasta?” PingRoom supports two to four answer options. The first response decides, and everyone in the room sees the result. Members can answer from the Lock Screen or inside the room.
When you need someone to act, request confirmation from one person or everyone. “Can someone bring plates?” needs one volunteer; another request might need everyone to acknowledge it.
Apple Watch users can send and receive Pings, answer Questions, and confirm requests from their wrist.
Widgets and Siri Shortcuts offer more ways to reach frequently used actions.
Pingo the Pigeon, PingRoom’s official mascot, waits for a chance to get a word in. Brand illustration supplied by PingRoom.
Try it with your people
New users can practice a Ping and a Question with Pingo before creating their first room, then choose a room template to get started.
The practice walkthrough introduces room interactions before inviting other people. Supplied App Store artwork.
PingRoom is free to download. The free tier includes up to five rooms of your own, 20 room joins, and your latest 100 Pings. Pro adds unlimited rooms and joins, scheduled and location triggers, webhooks, and other extras. In the U.S. App Store, Pro costs $9.99 per month or $49.99 per year as an auto-renewing subscription.
Download PingRoom free, invite your people to a room, and save the update you send most often as your first Quick Ping.
