This guide covers: Enable Location permission, Clock in (in-radius check), Clock out, Switch jobs / locations, and Edit location settings.
Enable Location permission
What it does: Grants the app access to your phone's GPS so it can record where you clocked in, check you are inside the work-site geofence, and track mileage if enabled.
Where: Your phone's system prompt the first time you tap Clock In, or later under iPhone Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services → Payrollix / Android Settings → Apps → Payrollix → Permissions → Location.
Steps:
- Open the Clock tab (clock icon) for the first time.
- Tap the big green Clock In button. Your phone shows the system location prompt. The exact wording depends on your device — on iPhone it reads Allow Payrollix to use your location? with Allow Once, Allow While Using App, Don't Allow; on Android it reads Allow Payrollix to access this device's location? with While using the app, Only this time, Don't allow.
- Choose the "while using the app" option to enable normal GPS clock-in, or the one-time option if you're not sure yet.
- If you deny the permission, the app shows a follow-up alert: Location Required — Location permission is required for GPS clock in/out. Would you like to clock in manually instead? with Cancel and Manual Clock.
- If your phone's location services are off at the system level entirely, you get a different alert: Location Services Disabled with Open Settings, Manual Clock, and Cancel options. Open Settings deep-links to your phone's Settings.
Who: Any employee whose employer uses work-site geofencing.
Notes: The prompt wording above varies by device — the React Native useLocation hook detects location-services state via Expo Location on both iOS and Android. The app never tracks you while you are clocked out. If your employer enables Auto Clock-In/Out or Full Route Tracking mileage, the app needs Always / Allow all the time location permission instead of just While Using — you'll get a second prompt for the upgrade.
Clock in (in-radius check)
What it does: Records a clock-in punch and verifies you are inside the work-location radius (default 100 meters).
Where: Bottom tabs → Clock.
Steps:
- Tap the Clock tab. The header shows the day-of-week and date (e.g. Monday, June 19).
- The big card shows Not Clocked In with 00:00:00 in large monospaced numerals. Below it: a location row that reads At [Work Location Name] (green) when you are inside the geofence, Not at a work location (orange) when you are outside, Getting location… while your phone is acquiring GPS, or Location not available if it failed.
- If your employer has multiple sites, tap the Work Location dropdown row to open the Select Work Location sheet modal — each location shows its name, address, and distance (45m away, 2.3km away). Tap the one you're at.
- Optionally type into Add notes (optional) above the buttons.
- Tap the large green Clock In button. The app captures your GPS, checks the geofence, posts to the backend, then shows Clocked In — You have successfully clocked in.
- The card immediately switches to Time Worked with a live ticking timer.
Who: Hourly employees who track time. Salaried-exempt staff usually don't need to clock.
Notes: If you tap Clock In while outside the geofence, the app refuses and offers Outside Work Location — You are 312m away from [Site Name]. Would you like to clock in manually instead? Tap Manual Clock In to file a manual punch with a reason (your manager must approve it). Manual entries show Manual entries require approval from your supervisor in the modal. The app also kicks off mileage tracking automatically if you've enabled Between Sites or Full Route Tracking in Location Settings.
Clock out
What it does: Closes the current shift, computes elapsed time, and writes a timesheet entry.
Where: Clock tab.
Steps:
- With the timer running, tap the red Clock Out button (it replaces Clock In while you're punched in).
- The app captures your GPS one more time, stops mileage tracking if it was running, clears the background geofence monitor, and posts the clock-out.
- You see Clocked Out — You have successfully clocked out. The timer resets to 00:00:00 and the card returns to Not Clocked In.
- The day's punch is appended to the Today's Activity section below the clock card, showing the clock-in time, clock-out time, total hours, work-location name, and any notes.
Who: Hourly employees, after their shift.
Notes: If you forget to clock out and head home, the app's background geofence monitor will fire a push notification when you cross the work-site boundary (works on iOS and Android; requires Always / Allow all the time location permission). After a successful clock-out the app sometimes asks you to rate it in the App Store or Google Play — that prompt self-rate-limits and dismisses without affecting your punch.
Switch jobs / projects
What it does: Changes which work location your active or next punch is recorded against — useful when you work at more than one site.
Where: Clock tab → Work Location dropdown → Select Work Location sheet modal.
Steps:
- On the Clock tab, tap the Work Location row under the timer (it shows the currently-selected site name and a chevron-down).
- The sheet modal slides up from the bottom showing every active work location your employer has set up.
- Each row lists Name, Address, City, and the distance from your current GPS (in meters under 1 km, kilometers above). A green checkmark on a row means you're inside that location's radius.
- Tap the location you want. The modal closes and the Work Location row updates.
- Tap Clock In to record the next punch against the new site.
Who: Multi-site employees.
Notes: If you switch sites while already clocked in, you need to Clock Out first, switch the location, then Clock In again — otherwise the timesheet entry stays tagged to the original site.
Edit location settings
What it does: Controls the privacy switches that gate auto clock-in/out and mileage tracking.
Where: Profile tab → Account section → Location & Tracking.
Steps:
- From the Profile tab, scroll to the Account section and tap Location & Tracking.
- The top card explains Your Privacy Matters — Location is only tracked while you are clocked in. No tracking when off the clock.
- The Location Tracking section has one master toggle: Enable Location Features. Turning this off also disables auto clock-in/out and breadcrumb mileage (the app warns you with a destructive confirm).
- The Auto Clock-In/Out section has a single toggle, only enabled if your employer has configured a dwell time. When on, the app auto-punches you in after you've been on-site for X minutes (default per work location) and out when you leave the geofence.
- The Mileage Tracking section has three radio options: Off · Between Sites (records start/end GPS, straight-line distance — good for simple reimbursement) · Full Route Tracking (records GPS breadcrumbs — good for IRS deduction records). Full Route Tracking requires the location acknowledgment toggle.
Who: Any employee.
Notes: Auto clock-in/out and Full Route Tracking both need Always / Allow all the time location permission at the system level — open iPhone Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services → Payrollix (or Android Settings → Apps → Payrollix → Permissions → Location) and pick Always / Allow all the time if Payrollix asks. You can change any of these settings at any time; they take effect immediately.
Related: Mobile timesheets · Time off requests · Mobile dashboard & paystubs.