Check in & check out: GPS, selfie, QR

Employees mark attendance from their phone by opening the AttendFirst employee attendance app in a browser, tapping Check In, and letting the browser capture GPS or a selfie. Employees can check in and out multiple times a day to track work, breaks, and field visits. No app install is required. AttendFirst is a web app that works on any Android, iPhone, or desktop browser.

The mobile check-in screen

Open app.attendfirst.com/m on any phone browser. The screen has four zones, top to bottom:

• Greeting + clock: Good morning/afternoon/evening, <name>, today’s date, and the live time in 12-hour format. The clock ticks every second.
• Selfie toggle: turn on to require a selfie with every check-in. The toggle is remembered per device in local storage, not synced to the account.
• Primary action button: one of Check In, Take Break + Check Out, or End Break, depending on your current state (see below).
• Today’s Sessions: a live list of sessions for today. A pulsing green dot marks the open session. Tap the list to see all sessions with start and end times and durations.

A bottom nav bar switches between Home, Leaves, and Calendar.

How check-in works

Tap Check In. AttendFirst does one of two things, depending on the Selfie toggle:

• Selfie off (default): the browser asks for location permission on first use, then silently captures GPS coordinates. The check-in completes in about one second.
• Selfie on: a full-screen camera opens. Tap the shutter, review the frame, and tap Use Photo. The selfie and GPS are sent together.

If location permission is denied or GPS times out after 10 seconds, AttendFirst still records the check-in with method manual, and your admin sees this and can follow up. A successful check-in flashes a green Checked in! toast and the button layout flips to the Working state.

States and buttons

AttendFirst never shows more than two buttons at once. The mobile home adapts to your current state:

State	What you see	What tapping does
Not checked in	Big Check In button	Starts your first work session
Working	Working since HH:MM badge + Take Break and Check Out	Take Break opens a picker of break types; Check Out closes the day
On break	On <break name> Xh Ym warning badge + End Break	Closes the break session and starts a new work session automatically
All sessions closed	Today’s In/Out times + Check In Again	Opens a new work session

The Take Break picker shows whatever break types the admin has configured under Session types (common examples: Lunch Break, Tea Break, Site Visit).

Multiple sessions per day

You can check in and out any number of times in one day. Each session is one row in the sessions list. Work minutes and break minutes are totaled separately.

Time	Action	Session
09:05	Check In	Work
13:00	Take Break → Lunch Break	Lunch Break
13:40	End Break	Work
16:00	Take Break → Tea Break	Tea Break
16:15	End Break	Work
18:10	Check Out	(session closes)

The day’s record shows 8 h 30 m worked, 55 m on break, status Present.

The desktop view

The desktop route app.attendfirst.com/attendance has the same check-in card plus a history table. Use the This month filter to switch between date ranges. Each row shows date, first check-in, last check-out, status, and the number of sessions. For the full day-by-day rules behind the status column, see Attendance status reference.

Late, half-day, and absent

Attendance status is calculated from the first check-in against the shift assigned to that day of the week.

• Present: first check-in is within the shift’s grace window.
• Late: first check-in is after the late threshold (default 30 minutes after shift start).
• Half day: total work time is less than the half-day threshold (default 4 hours).
• Absent: no check-in at all on a working day, with no approved leave.
• On leave: the day falls inside an approved leave request.

Thresholds are configured per shift. See Working hours and shifts.

Frequently asked questions

Can I check in without GPS or a selfie?

The Selfie toggle defaults to off. If you leave it off and deny location permission, the check-in is recorded with method manual and no location proof. Your admin can still see the timestamp and the attempt.

What if my location is wrong?

GPS uses the browser’s built-in location service. Indoors with a weak signal, it can drift by a few hundred meters. Toggle Selfie on for a second proof of presence, or move near a window and retry.

What happens if I forget to check out?

The open session stays open. Your admin can close it from the /admin/attendance page. Work time is calculated from check-in to whenever the session was closed (not to the end of the day), so forgetting to check out can still cost work hours. Set a 6 PM phone reminder if this keeps happening.

Can my admin backdate attendance for me?

Yes. See Manual attendance. Admins can backfill any date with a status and work hours. Useful for days when the phone was dead or the internet was down.

Do I need to install an app?

No. AttendFirst is a web app. Open it in Chrome, Safari, or any modern mobile browser, sign in, and use it like any website. Tap the share menu and Add to Home Screen for a one-tap icon.

I’m the admin. Do I check in the same way?

Yes. Admins are also employees. The same /m and /attendance routes work for anyone with a login.

Related docs

• QR attendance setup. The no-hardware alternative to a biometric attendance machine. Printable QR or tablet station.
• Kiosk mode and QR check-in. What the scan flow looks like for employees.
• Onboarding. Set up the company before the first check-in.
• Working hours and shifts. Configure shift timings, late rules, and half-day rules.
• Session types. Configure what appears on the Take Break picker.
• Manual attendance. Admin backfill for missed days.
• Attendance status reference. Full list of statuses and what each one means.