Usually the mobile applications that reach the top of the Apple download charts involve addictive puzzle games, or celerity-based entertainment, but an education application has cracked the Top 3 free iOS downloads in the past week.

“Remind” is a secure text-messaging app that allows teachers to send messages to students and parents, and it was downloaded a record-breaking 400,000 times in one day in the week before Labor Day weekend.

Remind has actually been on the market for several months (and had 100 million users in July), but recently updated its features to allow students and parents to respond to the messages with a predetermined list of approved responses.

The response feature will also allow teachers to send more than simple messages, enabling things like quizzes and assignments through SMS means.

The only other two education apps anywhere on the Apple’s Top 50 list (ranking at No. 25 or higher) are Edmodo and ClassDojo.

Considering the fact that this app is directed at a very narrow segment of the population, landing in the Top 3 (next to the likes of Facebook’s Messenger app) is a pretty big deal. It shows a clear demand from teachers, and their students, to be able to communicate safely and effectively through technology.

The success of Remind will likely spawn several other educational tech apps that better connect teachers with their students, and vice versa. An app like Remind raises student accountability while making it easier for teachers to communicate effectively.

Do you use Remind, or similar technology, to communicate with students and parents?

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