How to set up a time clock kiosk

What you need for a time clock kiosk

A time clock kiosk is a shared tablet by the entrance that every employee uses to clock in and out. To set one up you need:

• A tablet with a working camera (for badges or QR codes) or a touchscreen (for PINs).
• A wall mount or a locking stand.
• Power: an outlet within reach and a cable long enough to route neatly.
• A connection: Wi-Fi that reaches the spot, or a cellular tablet or hotspot.
• Time clock software that runs on the tablet, in the browser or an app.
• Badges or PINs for your employees.

What's the best tablet for a time clock?

The best tablet for a time clock kiosk is a recent one that still gets software updates and has a decent camera. Speed barely matters, so any recent iPad or Android tablet works.

Prices are approximate. Whatever you choose, test the camera that will face your employees. If workers hold badges up to a wall-mounted tablet, that's usually the front camera.

Where to mount the kiosk

Mount it just inside the entrance people use at the start and end of the shift, where a supervisor or a security camera can see it. Good spots share a few traits:

• Height: about chest height for most adults. If wheelchair users will clock in, keep the controls within the ADA reach range, which is no higher than 48 inches for an unobstructed forward reach (2010 ADA Standards, 308.2.1).
• Out of the weather and direct sun: sun causes glare and can overheat a tablet until it shuts down.
• Near an outlet, with the cable secured so it can't be yanked out.
• Within strong Wi-Fi: test the signal at the exact spot, not at the router.
• With room to line up, away from doors that swing into the line.

Lighting for scanning badges

Badge scanning needs even light on the badge and no bright light shining into the camera. Common problems and fixes:

• Backlight: a bright window behind the worker blinds the camera. Mount the tablet so it doesn't face a window.
• Glare: glossy laminate reflects overhead lights. Use matte badge holders, or tilt the tablet slightly.
• Low light: early starts in a dim warehouse or outdoors before sunrise. Add a light above the kiosk.
• Dirty lens: dust on job sites. Wipe the camera every week.

Most tablet cameras read a credit-card-size badge from about 6 to 12 inches away.

Keep it powered, connected and awake

• Keep it plugged in all the time. If the tablet has a battery-protection or charge-limit setting, turn it on to reduce wear.
• Turn off auto-lock. On iPad, go to Settings, then Display & Brightness, then Auto-Lock, and choose Never; Guided Access also has its own Display Auto-Lock option. On Android, set the longest Screen timeout under Settings, then Display; Developer options also has a Stay awake setting that keeps the screen on while charging.
• Silence notifications with Do Not Disturb or Focus so pop-ups don't cover the clock.
• Test the connection at shift change, when everyone's phones join the same Wi-Fi.

A kiosk that loses its connection may not be able to clock anyone in, so plan a fallback before you need it.

How to lock an iPad to the time clock with Guided Access

Guided Access keeps an iPad on one app until someone enters a passcode.

1. 1Open Settings, then Accessibility, then Guided Access, and turn it on.
2. 2Tap Passcode Settings and set a Guided Access passcode that only managers know.
3. 3Under Display Auto-Lock, choose how long the screen stays on during a session.
4. 4Open the time clock in Safari, or in the app you use.
5. 5Triple-click the top button (or the Home button on iPads that have one), then tap Start.
6. 6To exit, triple-click again, enter the passcode and tap End.

If you manage several iPads, Apple's Single App Mode, set through mobile device management (MDM) or Apple Configurator on supervised devices, does the same job without touching each tablet.

How to put an Android tablet in kiosk mode with app pinning

Android's built-in kiosk mode is called app pinning; Samsung calls it Pin windows. Menu names vary by manufacturer and Android version, so if you can't find it, search Settings for "pin."

1. 1Turn it on. On many tablets it's under Settings, then Security (or Security & privacy), then Advanced or More security settings, then App pinning. On Samsung tablets it's usually Settings, then Security and privacy, then More (or Other) security settings, then Pin windows.
2. 2If there's an option to ask for a PIN, pattern or password before unpinning, turn it on.
3. 3Open the time clock in Chrome, or in its app.
4. 4Open Overview (swipe up and hold, or tap the square button), tap the app's icon at the top of its preview, and tap Pin.
5. 5To unpin, swipe up and hold (or touch and hold Back and Overview), then unlock the tablet.

For several tablets, MDM tools can lock Android devices into a dedicated kiosk mode remotely.

How to set up a time clock kiosk, step by step

1. 1Choose a tablet and a mount. Any recent iPad or Android tablet with a decent camera, and a locking mount or stand.
2. 2Update and secure it. Install system updates, set a device passcode, and remove personal accounts and apps.
3. 3Connect and test. Join Wi-Fi, or use cellular, and check the signal where the tablet will hang.
4. 4Open your time clock and pair the tablet. Set the tablet up as your kiosk or scanner and assign it to its location.
5. 5Keep the screen on. Turn off auto-lock and silence notifications.
6. 6Lock it to one screen. Use Guided Access on iPad or app pinning on Android.
7. 7Mount it. About chest height, inside the entrance, plugged in, out of direct sun.
8. 8Test in real conditions. Scan a few badges at the time and in the light of a real shift start.
9. 9Post a sign. Explain how to clock in and who to tell if the kiosk is down.
10. 10Plan a fallback. A supervisor's phone, PIN entry or a paper employee sign-in sheet for outages.

Keeping an unattended kiosk honest

A kiosk nobody watches is where buddy punching happens: one worker scans two badges or types in a friend's PIN. Put the kiosk where a supervisor or camera can see it, compare the day's punches with who you actually saw, and for crews where it matters most, have a supervisor do the scanning instead. More ideas in how to stop buddy punching, and badge tips in how to make employee ID badges.

Setting up TrackBadges on a tablet

With TrackBadges, the kiosk is a web page, so there's nothing to install. Open the one-time setup link on the tablet to pair it as a scanner (no login needed), assign it to its location, and lock Safari or Chrome to that page with Guided Access or app pinning. Workers hold up their printed QR badge to clock in and again to clock out, and anyone without their badge can type their PIN. A supervisor's phone works the same way, so you can add a scanner at another site at any time. The scanner needs a connection, so test the Wi-Fi first.