Front Desk Sign In
Support
Answers to common questions are below. If yours isn’t, email k.fitzgerald310@gmail.com with your device model and iOS or iPadOS version.
Setting up
How do I set up the iPad at the front desk?
Open Front Desk Sign In, type your organization’s name, choose whether staff sign in and whether visitors sign, and tap Start. To keep visitors in the app, use Guided Access, which is built into the iPad: the admin area has a step-by-step guide (tap the lock at the top right, then Guided Access). Keep the iPad plugged in; while the app is open, it keeps the screen on.
Why won’t the admin area open?
It opens with Face ID, Touch ID or the device’s passcode, so the device needs a passcode. Set one in Settings › Face ID & Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode). Without a passcode, anyone at the desk could open the visitor log, so the admin area stays closed.
Can I change what visitors are asked?
Yes, in the admin area under Settings › Sign-in form: whether staff can sign in, whether visitors give their company and who they’re here to see, and whether visitors and staff sign. Below that, list the people and departments visitors can pick. Visitors can still type any name.
Can I write my own privacy notice?
Yes. In Settings › Privacy notice, type your own text. It replaces the standard notice on the welcome and sign-in screens. If your organization has a privacy policy, say where to find it.
Signing in and out
How does someone sign out?
Tap Sign Out, type at least two letters of the name and tap it. The front desk can also sign people out in On Site Now (swipe left on a name), or sign everyone out at the end of the day from the More menu.
What if someone forgets to sign out?
Everyone still signed in is signed out at midnight, so the on-site list and the fire-drill sheet stay right. Turn this off in Settings › Kiosk if people stay overnight.
Can someone sign without drawing?
Yes. With VoiceOver on, the signature box has a Sign with an X action. You can also turn signatures off in Settings.
Does it email the host or print badges?
No. Front Desk Sign In doesn’t send emails or texts and doesn’t print badges, so nothing about visitors leaves the device unless the front desk prints or shares it.
Fire drills
How does the fire-drill list work?
In the admin area, open Fire Drill. It lists everyone signed in, staff and visitors. Tap each person as they reach the assembly point, or print the sheet with AirPrint (or share it as a PDF) and tick it on paper. The fire-drill sheet is free. On this screen the admin area stays open for 30 minutes.
Does it replace our emergency plan?
No. It lists the people who signed in on this device and haven’t signed out, so it’s only as complete as your sign-ins. Use it to help with your roll call, alongside your own emergency procedures.
Keeping and deleting entries
How long are entries kept?
Until you delete them, in the free version. With Pro, choose Settings › Keeping entries › Delete entries after: 7 days, 30 days, 90 days, 1 year or 2 years. Older entries are then deleted automatically, signatures included.
What if the iPad is lost or breaks?
The log is kept only on that device; there’s no cloud sync. The device’s own backup includes it, so turn on iCloud Backup (Settings › your name › iCloud › iCloud Backup) or back up to a computer, and the log can be restored to a new device.
Can two iPads share one log?
No. Each device keeps its own log.
Front Desk Sign In Pro
What does Pro add?
The full history (the free version shows the latest 20 sign-ins; older ones are kept and appear when you unlock Pro), the visitor log as a PDF with signatures or a CSV for a spreadsheet, and automatic deletion after a time you choose. Sign-in, sign-out, signatures, staff sign-in, the on-site list and the fire-drill sheet are free. Pro is a one-time purchase with Family Sharing, and there’s no subscription.
Where do I buy or restore Pro?
In the admin area: Front Desk Sign In Pro at the bottom of the sidebar, or Settings › Front Desk Sign In Pro, where Restore Purchase is too.
Purchases
How do I get a refund?
Apple handles App Store refunds. Request one at reportaproblem.apple.com.
Do I have to pay again on another iPhone or iPad?
No. Sign in with the same Apple Account, open Settings in the app and tap Restore Purchase.