Clocking In When the Device Is Offline
Who this is for: anyone who clocks in on a handheld or a register.
What it covers: what you see when the device has no internet, and the one thing to check before you clock in.
The short version
- You can still clock in. Nothing is broken.
- The device will warn you first with a red box.
- Before you tap through it: make sure you have not already clocked in on another device today.
1. The screen says "Not Verified"
When you open the time clock, you see an orange badge and an orange message:
Not Verified
This device is offline and cannot check your clock status. You may already be clocked in on another device.
This is not an error. It means the device cannot reach the internet right now, so it cannot look up whether you are already clocked in.
Read it carefully. It does not say you are clocked out. It says it does not know.
2. Pick your job and tap Clock In
A red box opens. It looks like this:
⚠ THIS DEVICE HAS BEEN OFFLINE 14 MIN
No network connection — check Wi-Fi
Your clock-in will be saved on this device and sent when the connection returns. Until then it will not appear on any other device or in the back office.
This device cannot check whether you are already clocked in somewhere else. Clocking in again may create a second time card.
At the bottom are two buttons: Clock in anyway and Cancel.
Do not tap straight through. Answer the question in the next section first.
3. Check this before you tap
Did you already clock in today, on a different handheld or register?
| Your answer | What to do |
|---|---|
| No | Tap Clock in anyway. You are done. |
| Yes | Tap Cancel. You are already clocked in. Do not do it twice. |
| Not sure | Tap Cancel and ask your manager to check for you. |
Why this matters
Clocking in twice makes two time cards for one shift. Your hours come out wrong, and a manager has to fix them by hand later.
Normally the device stops this from happening. It cannot do that while it is offline — and that is the whole reason it is asking you.
Never clock in a second time "just to be safe." That is what causes the problem.
4. After the internet comes back
You do not have to do anything.
Your clock-in is saved on the device the whole time. The moment the internet comes back, it sends by itself.
Until then, your clock-in is only on that one device. Nobody on another device, and nobody in the office, can see it yet. That is normal. It is not lost.
5. Tell a manager the device is offline
The red box shows the reason on the line under the heading. For example:
No network connection — check Wi-Fi
or
Wi-Fi is connected but name lookup is failing — check the venue router/DNS
Read that line out to your manager. Those two examples mean completely different things, and they send your manager to two different places to fix it.
This matters for more than clocking in. While a device is offline, orders may not be reaching the kitchen either.
Quick answers
Will I lose my clock-in? No. It is saved on the device straight away.
Do I need to clock in again later, once the internet is back? No. Do not clock in again. It sends by itself.
I tapped Cancel. Am I clocked in? No. Cancel does nothing at all. If you did need to clock in, start again and tap Clock in anyway.
My manager cannot see my clock-in yet. Is something wrong? No. While the device is offline your clock-in only exists on that device. It appears everywhere else once the internet comes back.
The badge says "Not Verified" but I know I am clocked in. Is that a problem? No. The device just cannot check right now. Your existing clock-in is safe. Do not clock in again.
What if I need to start work and this device stays offline? Clock in on another handheld or register that still has internet, or ask a manager to add your time by hand. Do not clock in twice.