There are two ways to start using Sign In App Companion.
Invite users from the portal
Allow users to invite themselves from a tablet running Sign In App
Group Invites & Permissions
To manage group invites and permissions, from your online portal head to Manage > Visitor Groups > Select repeat group > Companion.
Group Invites
The quickest way to get all of your members invited to Companion app is using a group invite. You can send all members of a group a Companion app invite by clicking Send invite under Set-up email to send an invite to all group members:
The email will include a 12-digit authentication code that can be entered into Companion app. Codes can only be used once and are only valid for 72 hours.
Important: Group members who have a device connected or have been sent an invite in the last 72 hours will be excluded.
Group Permissions
You can also amend the companion-app permissions for the group from this tab under App Permissions. Simply tick the boxes for the permissions you'd like to set for the group:
Option | Description |
Can sign in and out | Allow the staff member to sign in from their mobile when on site. |
Can automatically sign in (will show only if 'Can sign in and out' is selected first) | Allow staff to automatically sign in and out as they enter or leave your site’s geofence. |
Can sign in deliveries | Allow this user to sign in deliveries from Companion app. |
Can pre-register visitors | Allow the pre-registration of visitors from this staff member's smartphone. |
Can create evacuation reports | Allow this user to access the site's fire list and generate reports. |
Can view sign in history | Allow this user to view their sign in history. |
Can view today’s sign-ins at all locations | Allow this user to view the days sign-ins at all locations |
PIN Protection
You can also set up pin protection for the group, which would require members to enter a PIN to access the app:
You can then choose when you'd like members to be prompted for a PIN from the following list:
Only when connecting new devices
Every time the app is opened
Daily
Hourly
Weekly
Monthly
Once selected this will automatically save and update for the group. Members would then be prompted to set up a PIN to access the app.
Individual Invites & Permissions
Invite users from the portal
Choosing this option gives you the most control over who has access to Sign In App Companion on your site. As you invite each user from the online portal, you have the option to set their permission levels before they use the app.
From the Sign In App online portal, click People > Select repeat group and you will be presented with a list of staff members to choose from.
Tip: When in the People directory you can switch between different visitor groups using the dropdown:
Once you have selected your repeat group, click on the staff member to open their member drawer and then click on the Companion tab
Under Connected Devices you will see if the member has any connected devices currently, and you can send an invite via email from this section by clicking Send invite:
Once an invite has been sent, you will see a green tick and 'Sent' confirmation along with the date the last invite was sent:
Important: An email address is required on the members page to be invited from the online portal.
Individual Permissions
You can choose per individual, whether to use the group default permissions or override these by setting a custom configuration for the member:
Option | Description |
Can sign in and out | Allow the staff member to sign in from their mobile when on site. |
Can automatically sign in (will show only if 'Can sign in and out' is selected first. | Allow staff to automatically sign in and out as they enter or leave your site’s geofence. |
Can sign in deliveries | Allow this user to sign in deliveries from Companion app. |
Can pre-register visitors | Allow the pre-registration of visitors from this staff member's smartphone. |
Can create evacuation reports | Allow this user to access the site's evacution list and generate reports. |
Can view sign in history | Allow this user to view their sign in history. |
Can view today’s sign-ins at all locations | Allow this user to view the days sign-ins at all locations |
Remember to click Save after changing permissions
Staff invite from a tablet running Sign In App
You can also allow users to generate their invites from Sign In App on a tablet. To enable this, go to Manage > Visitor Groups > Select repeat group > Details tab and under Permissions, tick Allow group members to send themselves a Sign In Companion invitation.
From your tablet, tap the Welcome screen and then tap the magnifying glass in the top right corner and search for your name. From here, click Companion:
You will then have the option to Invite by email which will send a Companion App Invite via email to the member:
Important: When a staff member invites themselves via the app, they do not have access to either pre-registrations or the evacuation list by default. These must be granted by a Sign In App admin user via the portal using the instructions listed in the section above.
Downloading & Connecting the app
Sign In Companion is a free download and is available from Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store. Instructions and links are included on the invitation email, but you can find the links below.
After downloading the app, tap Get started and enter the 12-digit authorisation code from the invitation email. That's it! You're ready to start using Sign In Companion.
Requesting a new code
Companion app invite codes are unique so they can only be used once and they expire after 72 hours. If your code has expired or you've already used the code once, you can request a new Companion app invite directly from the invitation email. Just click the Send me a new code button. If you request a new code whilst the previous one is still valid, you will see a confirmation that your code is still valid.
