Auto clock in/out automatically tracks when employees start and finish their shifts using GPS/geofencing.
It is important to understand that Auto Clock In/Out may not provide the highest level of accuracy for tracking, and users should exercise caution when relying on it.
To enable Auto Clock In/Out feature, please contact your Timeero Representative for assistance.
Setting up Timeero for automatic clock in/out requires 3 steps:
- Log in to the web portal
- Go to Company Settings > General
- Turn on Allow automatic clock in/out based on GPS location
- Turn on Require all users to select a job to clock in
- Turn on Require users to be within geofence to clock in
- Click on Save
Once you have the correct company settings, go ahead and create a job or choose an existing job. Once your job is set up correctly, your final step will be to set up the phone for the automatic clock in/out.
This video will walk you through setting up a job & phone for the automatic clock in/out with geofencing.
Job & Phone Set up
Every geofence requires you to have a job address.
Once you add the job address, you will need to select Use as the primary address for the job. Once you check that box, a pin will be placed on the map. This is the job location. If you would like to move the pin to a more precise location, you can do so with your mouse. Next, check the Require Geofencing box. This setting ensures that a geofence is created. Set the geofence size by dragging the bar left to right. 100 meters is the minimum boundary that can be created. You will see the geofence boundary (circle) on the map. When a user enters the circle, he or she will be automatically clocked in. When the user exits the circle, he or she will be automatically clocked out. Lastly, turn on Clock in and Clock out under the Geofence Actions. Please see the photo below for proper Job setup.
💻 Geofence Actions
What this tells us is what to do when a user arrives or departs the geographical boundary.
The options for ON DEPARTURE are similar to ON ARRIVAL.
Do Nothing - If this is selected, the user must manually clock into and out of the job. If the user clocks in before arriving at the site and/or clocks out after leaving the site, the timesheet will be flagged for you to see.
Show Smartphone Notification - If this is selected, the user will be reminded to manually clock into and out of the job upon arrival and departure. If the user clocks in before arriving at the site and/or clocks out after leaving the site, the timesheet will be flagged for you to see.
Clock In / Clock Out - Turn this on to have the user be automatically clocked in upon arrival and automatically clocked out upon departure.
The app can choose to do nothing when the user leaves the job site. This can be useful for situations where a user needs to run an errand and does not wish to get clocked out.
However, if you want to remind the user to clock out when leaving the geofence, then use Show notification. It is important to remember that the Show notification option only triggers when the user is clocked into this specific geofence.
Regarding the Members section. By default, these are left blank meaning the geofence actions will apply to all users. However, if you want to apply this to specific people within your company, you can go ahead and choose those individuals. You can choose those people and you can also deselect them that way it only applies to the people that you've chosen to have this apply to.
These settings are very important to get right. And once you have the job set up correctly, you can go ahead and hit the Save button to save your changes.
Setting up the mobile app 📲
Next, ensure that the mobile app is correctly set up. Each employee will need to make sure they are logged into the app.
NOTE: Do not force close the app. Geofence will not work if the app is forced closed.
The first thing you want to do is ensure that your phone has the correct location setting. To do this, we will need to go to the Settings app on the iPhone or Android device and give the Timeero app the proper location permission, which is Always. You will also need to turn on Background App Refresh, Motion, Fitness, and finally, Precise Location. If the mobile device is not set up correctly, automatic clock in/out will not work.
Next, open the Timeero app & head over to settings, and choose** Automatic Clock In/Out.**
By default, it is turned on and the workdays are set from Monday to Friday. What this means is that automatic clock in/out through geofencing will only happen during the weekdays between 8 am and 6 pm. These settings can be configured to suit the user's needs.
For automatic clock in/out to work, all settings must be configured correctly. Please double check that you have the correct Company Settings, Job settings, and Mobile settings.
If you have any questions about the automatic clock in and out, you can check out our troubleshooting article or reach out to our support team.
Instructions for Android
If your Admin has set up Timeero for an automatic clock in/out in the company settings, you will need to be sure that your phone is configured correctly so that this feature works properly.
Automatic Clock In/Out Android
Instructions for iOS
If your Admin has set up Timeero for an automatic clock in/out in the company settings, you will need to be sure that your phone is configured correctly so that this feature works properly.
Automatic Clock In/Out on iOS
Troubleshooting
Automatic clock in/out should be used for some, but not all, use cases. This article will cover troubleshooting, best use cases, the pros & cons of this feature, and how it works.
Is this feature right for my company?
Yes, if...
- Jobs are at least 3 miles apart from each other
- There are 100 jobs or fewer assigned to each user
- Precise clock in and out times are not a requirement
- You do not require GPS tracking during travel time between jobs*
- You do not require mileage tracking during travel time between jobs*
- Users have data plans on their device
No, if...
- Jobs are less than 3 miles apart from each other
- Each user has more than 100 jobs assigned to them
- Precise clock in and out times are required
- You require GPS tracking during travel time between jobs*
- You require mileage tracking during travel time between jobs*
- Users do not have a data plan on their device
* Users must be clocked in to track time, GPS & miles. If automatic clock out is turned on, when the user departs the job, they will be clocked out & GPS, time & miles will not track. If GPS, time & mileage tracking is required during travel time between jobs, choose 'DO NOTHING' on departure in the Geofence Actions section for each job. Users must manually clock out of their last job if 'DO NOTHING' is selected.
What are the pros & cons of using automatic clock in/out?
Pros
- Hands-off approach for users hitting multiple sites per day
Cons
- Obstructions might result in incorrect geolocation data; hence the user will not be clocked in or out
- Gps, miles & time will not be tracked between jobs if automatic clock out is turned on
- Drive by clock-ins
- Device "warm-up" is required
- Clock in/out times are not always "precise." Clock ins/outs can be late. Especially for Android users since the geofence service doesn't continuously check for location. Expect some latency. Typically, it's less than 2 minutes, but if the device has been stationary for a long period of time, latency may increase up to 6 minutes.
Troubleshooting your current automatic clock in/out setup
If automatic clock in/out is not working, please double-check the following items:
- Company Settings and Job Settings
- Each device must have the Automatic Clock in/out toggle turned on inside the Timeero mobile app
- Each device must have working days and times set inside the Timeero mobile app
- Mobile App Settings for iOS
- Mobile App Settings for Android
- Users must be logged into the mobile app
- The location permission for Timeero must be set to Always or Allow all the time
- The mobile app must be running in the background. It cannot be force closed (swiped up & out).
- Battery saver and battery optimization must be turned off
- A data plan is required for each device
- GPS devices need to "warm up." If the device has been stationary for a long period of time, it won't work.
What should your employees do to ensure they will be automatically clocked in/out?
- Stay logged into the mobile app. Logging in and out may change the app settings.
- Before heading to work each day, open the mobile app. Remember, the app has to be running in the background. It's common for users to force close the app after their work day, the night before.
- Confirm the tracker checklist is at 100%
- Confirm the automatic clock in/out toggle is on and working days/hours are set correctly
How does automatic clock in/out work?
When a user moves around, geofences are deleted and re-created based on the user's location. That is because Apple allows 20 active geofences per device at one time, while Google allows 100 active geofences at one time. The 20 or 100 closest jobs are activated during the user's travel. That is why it's best to use this feature if you have 100 jobs or fewer assigned to each user. The more jobs, the more time it takes to search for jobs & activate geofences closest to the user.
When it comes to using GPS to automatically clock in/out users, margins of error are to be expected. Users are automatically clocked in/out based on their GPS location (clock-in is triggered when they enter the geofence & clock-out is triggered when they exit the geofence). So GPS accuracy plays a big role in ensuring users will be clocked in when they arrive and out when they depart.
GPS point accuracy depends on several factors, such as the quality of the GPS chip in your phone, GPS satellite signal strength in an area (for example, traveling under a bridge or in a parking garage) & weather conditions. The accuracy of a GPS signal can be compared to the quality of a phone call; many factors are at play. A factor that may influence GPS accuracy is the frequency of data retrieval. The more often the device sends data, the more accurate the location & mileage will be. That is why setting your location access to Always and Allow all the time is a must. If data retrieval is not frequent enough, for example, setting your location access to only while using the app, you may experience inaccuracies.
Timeero displays the accuracy reported to us by the GPS satellites, on our route maps and on our who's working page. The "breadcrumbs" are actually GPS points. You can view the GPS accuracy when you click on each GPS point (the orange dot, aka breadcrumb). The smaller the number, the better. Simply put, if you see an accuracy reading of 4.32 m, the user was within 4.32 meters of that dot. If the accuracy shows 15 m, the user was within 15 meters of that dot.
GPS works by transmitting signals from the phone’s GPS receiver chip to the GPS satellites to pinpoint your location. The area where those satellites intersect will be your location. It's easier to visualize this on a map. Learn more about how GPS works here.
To enable Auto Clock In/Out feature, please contact your Timeero Representative for assistance Setting up Timeero for automatic clock in/out requires 3 steps:
- Configure the company settings
- Create a geofence around the job address and turn on geofence actions
- Mobile phone set up
Log in to the web portal:
- Go to Company Settings > General
- Turn on Allow automatic clock in/out based on GPS location
- Turn on Require all users to select a job to clock in
- Turn on Require users to be within geofence to clock in
- Click on Save
Once you have the correct company settings, go ahead and create a job or choose an existing job. Once your job is set up correctly, your final step will be to set up the phone for the automatic clock in/out.
This video will walk you through setting up a job & phone for the automatic clock in/out with geofencing.
Job & Phone Set up
Every geofence requires you to have a job address.
Once you add the job address, you will need to select Use as the primary address for the job. Once you check that box, a pin will be placed on the map. This is the job location. If you would like to move the pin to a more precise location, you can do so with your mouse. Next, check the Require Geofencing box. This setting ensures that a geofence is created. Set the geofence size by dragging the bar left to right. 100 meters is the minimum boundary that can be created. You will see the geofence boundary (circle) on the map. When a user enters the circle, he or she will be automatically clocked in. When the user exits the circle, he or she will be automatically clocked out. Lastly, turn on Clock in and Clock out under the Geofence Actions. Please see the photo below for proper Job setup.
💻 Geofence Actions
What this tells us is what to do when a user arrives or departs the geographical boundary.
The options for ON DEPARTURE are similar to ON ARRIVAL.
Do Nothing - If this is selected, the user must manually clock into and out of the job. If the user clocks in before arriving at the site and/or clocks out after leaving the site, the timesheet will be flagged for you to see.
Show Smartphone Notification - If this is selected, the user will be reminded to manually clock into and out of the job upon arrival and departure. If the user clocks in before arriving at the site and/or clocks out after leaving the site, the timesheet will be flagged for you to see.
Clock In / Clock Out - Turn this on to have the user be automatically clocked in upon arrival and automatically clocked out upon departure.
The app can choose to do nothing when the user leaves the job site. This can be useful for situations where a user needs to run an errand and does not wish to get clocked out.
However, if you want to remind the user to clock out when leaving the geofence, then use Show notification. It is important to remember that the Show notification option only triggers when the user is clocked into this specific geofence.
Regarding the Members section. By default, these are left blank meaning the geofence actions will apply to all users. However, if you want to apply this to specific people within your company, you can go ahead and choose those individuals. You can choose those people and you can also deselect them that way it only applies to the people that you've chosen to have this apply to.
These settings are very important to get right. And once you have the job set up correctly, you can go ahead and hit the Save button to save your changes.
Setting up the mobile app 📲
Next, ensure that the mobile app is correctly set up. Each employee will need to make sure they are logged into the app.
NOTE: Do not force close the app. Geofence will not work if the app is forced closed.
The first thing you want to do is ensure that your phone has the correct location setting. To do this, we will need to go to the Settings app on the iPhone or Android device and give the Timeero app the proper location permission, which is Always. You will also need to turn on Background App Refresh, Motion, Fitness, and finally, Precise Location. If the mobile device is not set up correctly, automatic clock in/out will not work.
Next, open the Timeero app & head over to settings, and choose** Automatic Clock In/Out.**
By default, it is turned on and the workdays are set from Monday to Friday. What this means is that automatic clock in/out through geofencing will only happen during the weekdays between 8 am and 6 pm. These settings can be configured to suit the user's needs.
For automatic clock in/out to work, all settings must be configured correctly. Please double check that you have the correct Company Settings, Job settings, and Mobile settings.
If you have any questions about the automatic clock in and out, you can check out our troubleshooting article or reach out to our support team.
Instructions for Android
If your Admin has set up Timeero for an automatic clock in/out in the company settings, you will need to be sure that your phone is configured correctly so that this feature works properly.
Automatic Clock In/Out Android
Instructions for iOS
If your Admin has set up Timeero for an automatic clock in/out in the company settings, you will need to be sure that your phone is configured correctly so that this feature works properly.
Automatic Clock In/Out on iOS
Troubleshooting
Automatic clock in/out should be used for some, but not all, use cases. This article will cover troubleshooting, best use cases, the pros & cons of this feature, and how it works.
Is this feature right for my company?
Yes, if...
- Jobs are at least 3 miles apart from each other
- There are 100 jobs or fewer assigned to each user
- Precise clock in and out times are not a requirement
- You do not require GPS tracking during travel time between jobs*
- You do not require mileage tracking during travel time between jobs*
- Users have data plans on their device
No, if...
- Jobs are less than 3 miles apart from each other
- Each user has more than 100 jobs assigned to them
- Precise clock in and out times are required
- You require GPS tracking during travel time between jobs*
- You require mileage tracking during travel time between jobs*
- Users do not have a data plan on their device
* Users must be clocked in to track time, GPS & miles. If automatic clock out is turned on, when the user departs the job, they will be clocked out & GPS, time & miles will not track. If GPS, time & mileage tracking is required during travel time between jobs, choose 'DO NOTHING' on departure in the Geofence Actions section for each job. Users must manually clock out of their last job if 'DO NOTHING' is selected.
What are the pros & cons of using automatic clock in/out?
Pros
- Hands-off approach for users hitting multiple sites per day
Cons
- Obstructions might result in incorrect geolocation data; hence the user will not be clocked in or out
- Gps, miles & time will not be tracked between jobs if automatic clock out is turned on
- Drive by clock-ins
- Device "warm-up" is required
- Clock in/out times are not always "precise." Clock ins/outs can be late. Especially for Android users since the geofence service doesn't continuously check for location. Expect some latency. Typically, it's less than 2 minutes, but if the device has been stationary for a long period of time, latency may increase up to 6 minutes.
Troubleshooting your current automatic clock in/out setup
If automatic clock in/out is not working, please double-check the following items:
- Company Settings and Job Settings
- Each device must have the Automatic Clock in/out toggle turned on inside the Timeero mobile app
- Each device must have working days and times set inside the Timeero mobile app
- Mobile App Settings for iOS
- Mobile App Settings for Android
- Users must be logged into the mobile app
- The location permission for Timeero must be set to Always or Allow all the time
- The mobile app must be running in the background. It cannot be force closed (swiped up & out).
- Battery saver and battery optimization must be turned off
- A data plan is required for each device
- GPS devices need to "warm up." If the device has been stationary for a long period of time, it won't work.
What should your employees do to ensure they will be automatically clocked in/out?
- Stay logged into the mobile app. Logging in and out may change the app settings.
- Before heading to work each day, open the mobile app. Remember, the app has to be running in the background. It's common for users to force close the app after their work day, the night before.
- Confirm the tracker checklist is at 100%
- Confirm the automatic clock in/out toggle is on and working days/hours are set correctly
How does automatic clock in/out work?
When a user moves around, geofences are deleted and re-created based on the user's location. That is because Apple allows 20 active geofences per device at one time, while Google allows 100 active geofences at one time. The 20 or 100 closest jobs are activated during the user's travel. That is why it's best to use this feature if you have 100 jobs or fewer assigned to each user. The more jobs, the more time it takes to search for jobs & activate geofences closest to the user.
When it comes to using GPS to automatically clock in/out users, margins of error are to be expected. Users are automatically clocked in/out based on their GPS location (clock-in is triggered when they enter the geofence & clock-out is triggered when they exit the geofence). So GPS accuracy plays a big role in ensuring users will be clocked in when they arrive and out when they depart.
GPS point accuracy depends on several factors, such as the quality of the GPS chip in your phone, GPS satellite signal strength in an area (for example, traveling under a bridge or in a parking garage) & weather conditions. The accuracy of a GPS signal can be compared to the quality of a phone call; many factors are at play. A factor that may influence GPS accuracy is the frequency of data retrieval. The more often the device sends data, the more accurate the location & mileage will be. That is why setting your location access to Always and Allow all the time is a must. If data retrieval is not frequent enough, for example, setting your location access to only while using the app, you may experience inaccuracies.
Timeero displays the accuracy reported to us by the GPS satellites, on our route maps and on our who's working page. The "breadcrumbs" are actually GPS points. You can view the GPS accuracy when you click on each GPS point (the orange dot, aka breadcrumb). The smaller the number, the better. Simply put, if you see an accuracy reading of 4.32 m, the user was within 4.32 meters of that dot. If the accuracy shows 15 m, the user was within 15 meters of that dot.
GPS works by transmitting signals from the phone’s GPS receiver chip to the GPS satellites to pinpoint your location. The area where those satellites intersect will be your location. It's easier to visualize this on a map. Learn more about how GPS works here.