Great Clips Online Check-in

Review by eFreeware

Great Clips Online Check-in is a free Android app from Great Clips, Inc., the company behind the salon chain of the same name. It shows estimated wait times at salons near you and lets you put your name on the waitlist before you leave the house. The appeal is simple: you spend less time sitting in a lobby chair waiting for your turn.

The app has been downloaded more than 10 million times and holds a 4.8 average from 647,932 ratings, with 33,401 written reviews on top of that. It was first released in May 2011 and was last updated in September 2026. There are no ads and no in-app purchases, which fits the purpose well: a utility that should get you in and out quickly.

Checking wait times before you leave

The core of the app is a search for salons near you, each showing an estimated wait based on current conditions in that salon. Those estimates update in real time, so you can watch the number move while you decide. If you have a regular location, you can save it as a favorite so it is quicker to reach the next time.

What I like about this setup is the decision it enables before you commit to anything. If one salon is showing a long wait and another a short one, you can pick accordingly rather than driving over and finding out. The estimate assumes you are taking the next available stylist. If you ask for a particular stylist when you arrive, the developer notes your wait may be longer.

Joining the waitlist from wherever you are

Once you have chosen a salon, you tap the check-in button and enter your name and phone number, then confirm. That puts you on the waitlist without a login, an email address or a profile. From there the app shows your estimated wait counting down and your place in line, so you can time your arrival for just before you are next.

ReadyNext is the feature that makes this workable if you are not already nearby. A text arrives once the wait is down to 15 minutes, your signal to leave for the salon. When you get there, you let the staff know you have arrived and they confirm your details to finish the check-in. If you are running late, your name stays on the list for a short period rather than disappearing immediately.

Canceling is straightforward: once you are checked in, the salon appears on the home screen and you can cancel from there at any time. That matters if your plans change, because it frees the spot for someone else.

Getting set up and what the app needs

There is very little to set up. You search, pick a salon, tap check in, enter your name and phone number, and confirm. No account, email or profile is involved, which keeps the process short. If you want the ReadyNext text alerts, you sign up for those with your phone number.

Online check-in is only available while the salon is open. It is not offered during the first five minutes after a salon is scheduled to open, so that people already standing in the salon when the doors open get their names on the list first. The last check-in slot is half an hour before the salon closes. Walk-ins are still taken at closing time, though the app will not check you in then.

Perms and formal updos are the only services left out of the app. Not all salons do perms, and booking ahead is usually needed for them, so the developer suggests phoning the salon first. If you do not have a mobile device, the same check-in is available through the Great Clips website on a computer or tablet, and walking in without checking in remains an option.

Where the wait estimate has limits

The estimate is built around taking the next available stylist, so it is a guide rather than a promise about your exact start time. Requesting a specific stylist when you arrive can push your wait beyond what the app showed. Stylist schedules are not published, which the developer attributes to safety and privacy reasons, so you cannot plan around one stylist's shift.

The service window is also worth keeping in mind. If you tend to decide on a haircut late in the evening, the 30-minute cut-off before closing will occasionally catch you out, and the five-minute blackout after opening means an early check-in is not possible. These are reasonable rules for a walk-in salon, but they do shape when the app is useful.

Who this fits best

This is for people who use Great Clips salons and dislike the uncertainty of walking in. If you fit haircuts around errands, a lunch break or the school run and want to know roughly how long you will wait, checking in from wherever you are is the point of the app. The text alert at the 15-minute mark is what makes it practical when you are not already close by.

It also suits households where several people need cuts in one trip. You can check in ahead, arrive close to your turn and keep the visit short. Anyone who prefers to book a specific stylist at a set time is working against how the app is built, since the estimate assumes the next available stylist and schedules are not shared.

Because there is no account to create and no cost to install, trying it carries little risk. The main requirement is simply being near a participating salon when you want a cut.

A useful shortcut for walk-in haircuts

Great Clips Online Check-in does one job and does it without clutter: it shows you how long the wait is and holds your place while you get on with something else. The absence of ads, purchases and sign-up steps keeps the experience focused, and the ReadyNext alert is the detail that turns a wait-time display into something you can actually plan around.

The limits are the salon's rules, not the app's fault: check-in only while open, nothing in the first five minutes, nothing in the last 30, and no online check-in for perms or formal updos. If you want a specific stylist or an appointment-style booking, this is not the tool for that.

For regular Great Clips customers who want a haircut without a long lobby wait, it is a sensible install. Search your salon, check the estimate, check in, and head over when the text arrives.

What's new in version 6.89.0 (2026092301)

Leaves are falling, and so are our bugs. This update rakes up a few fixes and polishes the app so you can check in and enjoy the crisp air. 🍁