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How to Manage Devices

The Devices section lets you register and manage biometric or kiosk clock-in devices connected to Timecloud. Use this to set up hardware terminals at your workplace.

Getting There

  1. Click Settings (cog icon) in the left sidebar.
  2. Select Devices from the settings menu.

Viewing Devices

  • All registered devices are listed in a table.
  • Use the Search bar to find a specific device by name or serial number.

Adding a Device

  1. Click Add Device.
  2. Enter the Serial Number - the unique identifier for your device.
  3. Enter an Alias - a friendly name (e.g. "Front Desk Kiosk", "Warehouse Terminal").
  4. Toggle Notifications on if this device should trigger clock-in alerts.
  5. (Optional) Link the device to specific job layers by selecting from the job layer dropdowns.
  6. (Optional) Set the Device Location - search for the address where the device is physically installed. When a location is set, the Timezone field updates automatically to show the timezone for that location (e.g. "Australia/Sydney").
  7. Click Save.

Editing a Device

  • Click the edit icon next to any device.
  • Update the alias, notifications, job layer links, or location.
  • Click Save.

Updating a Device Location

If a device has been relocated or its address was not set during initial setup, you can update the location at any time.

  1. Click the edit icon next to the device you want to update.
  2. In the Device Location field, search for the new address where the device is physically installed.
  3. Select the correct address from the search results. The Timezone field below the address will update automatically.
  4. Click Save.

To remove a device location entirely, clear the location field and click Save. The timezone will also be removed.

Why Accurate Device Location Matters

Setting the correct location for each device is important because Timecloud uses it to determine the device's timezone. This timezone is used to ensure your biometric scanners handle daylight savings transitions correctly.

When daylight savings starts or ends, Timecloud automatically adjusts the internal clock on your biometric devices so that clock-in and clock-out times remain accurate. Without the correct location set, Timecloud cannot determine the right timezone, which means:

  • Clock-in times could be off by one hour during daylight savings transitions.
  • Attendance records and timesheets may show incorrect working hours.
  • Payroll calculations based on those timesheets could be affected.

If you move a device to a different site or a different timezone, update the device location straight away to keep everything in sync.

Automatic Timezone Detection

When you set or change a device's location, Timecloud automatically determines the timezone for that location and displays it in a read-only Timezone field below the address.

  • The timezone is derived from the device's geolocation - you do not need to set it manually.
  • If you clear the device location, the timezone is also removed.
  • The timezone updates each time the location changes.

Removing a Device

  • Click the delete icon next to a device to remove it.
  • Removing a device does not delete historical clock-in records made through it.

Biometric Automation Settings

These settings control how Timecloud processes clock events from biometric scanners. They appear when your account has biometric automation enabled.

Auto CheckType

  • Toggle Auto CheckType on to let Timecloud automatically determine whether each scanner event is a clock-in or clock-out.
  • When enabled, the system looks at the employee's current working status and assigns the correct direction - no need for the scanner hardware to distinguish In from Out.
  • A 30-second debounce prevents duplicate entries if an employee scans twice quickly.

Auto BreakType

  • Toggle Auto BreakType on to have Timecloud automatically insert break records when it detects gaps between working clock pairs.
  • Requires Auto CheckType to be enabled first.
  • When an employee clocks out and then clocks back in, the gap is labelled as a break using the break rules configured on the assigned shift template.
  • Break rules are applied in the order defined on the shift - the first gap uses the first break rule, the second gap uses the second, and so on.
  • If no break rules remain or a break already exists in the gap period, the gap is left unlabelled.

Biometric Sync

If your organisation uses biometric devices (fingerprint or face recognition):

  • Toggle Sync Employee with Biometrics device on.
  • Click Save Changes to push employee data to all connected biometric devices.
  • This keeps fingerprint and face data up to date when you add or change employees.

Automatic Name Sync

  • When you update an employee's First Name or Last Name in the web app and save, the updated name automatically syncs to their biometric scanner profile.
  • No manual action is needed - the change is pushed to the device within a few minutes.
  • The display name on the biometric device uses up to 25 characters (combined first and last name).

Automatic Card Number Sync

  • Scanner card numbers assigned on the biometric device are automatically synced back to each employee's profile in Timecloud.
  • This runs in the background - card numbers stay in sync without manual data entry.
  • If a card number is already assigned to another employee, the sync skips that card to prevent duplicates.

Tips

  • Give each device a clear, descriptive alias so managers can quickly identify which location or department it belongs to.
  • Always set the device location for every device - this ensures accurate timezone detection and smooth daylight savings transitions.
  • If you relocate a device, update the location immediately so the timezone stays correct.
  • The Timezone field is set automatically when a location is assigned - there is nothing extra to configure.
  • Set the device location for geofence-based reporting - every clock-in from that device will be tagged with the configured coordinates.
  • Auto CheckType is ideal for simple scanners that only record a timestamp without specifying In or Out.
  • Auto BreakType saves time by labelling break periods automatically - just make sure your shift templates have the correct break rules set up.
  • Name changes made in the web app sync automatically - you do not need to re-register the employee on the scanner.
  • Card numbers sync from the device to Timecloud automatically, so there is no need to manually copy them into employee profiles.
  • Test the device connection after setup to confirm clock-ins are registering correctly in Timecloud