This covers configuring the Guest Manager Check In iOS app after it’s installed: the scan mode, what staff see, when check-in opens, and staff permissions. For installing the app and signing in, see Install the check in app; for archiving devices and plan limits, see Device management and limits.
Requirements: The Check In app installed on an iPhone or iPad, signed in with an Access code and PIN.
Scan modes
The app scans in one of three modes:
- Check in — marks an attendee as arrived. Checking in a free ticket costs one credit; paid tickets don’t consume credits. See Credits and free tickets.
- Check out — marks an attendee as departed. Check-out scans never cost a credit.
- Verify — checks a ticket’s validity without recording a check-in.
Signature capture is available on check-in only, not on check-out.
Customizing the attendee list display
Tap the three-lines icon in the upper left of the app to show or hide fields in the attendee list.
To control which custom fields appear, configure them on the computer under the ticket type’s Ticket Fields, and associate each field to the ticket type there.
Custom fields must be mapped as ticket fields during attendee import — not as Contact fields or Contact tags. If a field was imported with the wrong mapping, re-upload it with the correct mapping and sync the app. See Import attendees from a CSV.
After changing field configuration on the computer, trigger a manual sync in the app under Settings → Sync status → Sync.
Check-in time windows
If the app shows that check-in has not started, or blocks early arrivals, the ticket type has a time restriction. Edit the ticket type and set When can an attendee be checked in? to the window you want:
- Anytime (no requirement) — no time restriction; use this for events without fixed dates.
- Within event start and finish — only during the event’s scheduled time.
- Same day — the day of the event (requires the event to have a date set).
- A fixed lead time such as 30 minutes before event starts or 1 hour before event starts.
Attendees are never shown this setting.
Staff permissions
The app has two permission levels, set per PIN in the Guest Manager backend:
- Full access — staff can look up attendees, scan barcodes, and add walk-ins.
- Scan-only — the Lookup tab is hidden; staff can only scan.
Granting access to the Lookup tab also allows adding tickets — there is no separate permission for lookup without ticket-adding. The delete-attendee button cannot be disabled at any permission level.
To restrict which events a PIN can scan, assign a category to the event and to the PIN. Categories control scanning permission only — they do not filter which events appear in the Lookup tab. To hide other events entirely, use scan-only mode, or create an event-specific device login from the event’s Devices page. See Install the check in app for creating and scoping PINs.
Check-in flash color
The full-screen color shown on a successful check-in is set per ticket type. Green is the default; other colors such as yellow and purple are available. Edit the ticket type to change it.
Syncing to the app
The app works offline — check-ins are stored on the device and uploaded once internet is restored. New attendees and setting changes made on the computer don’t appear on a device until it reconnects and syncs.
To force a sync, open Settings → Sync status → Sync in the app.
Reinstall the app after a large archive
The app only downloads data that is not archived. Archiving old events is how you keep that working set manageable — for an organization with several years of history, it is the difference between a device syncing everything it has ever sold and syncing only what is live.
There is one gap worth knowing about. Archiving controls what the app downloads from that point on; it does not reach back and tell devices that already hold the old data to drop it. A device that synced last year’s events keeps them in its local database indefinitely. So archiving on its own does not shrink or speed up a device that was already in service.
To actually realize the benefit, delete and reinstall the Check In app on your devices after a large archive. It comes back with a clean copy of just the active set.
Sync before you reinstall. Deleting the app erases its local data, including any check-ins that have not been uploaded yet. Open Settings → Sync status on every device and confirm it is fully synced first.
Unarchiving works the other way and needs no intervention: restored records come back down on the next sync on their own. A reinstall is still the fastest way to get a device onto a clean set after a large restore, but nothing is lost if you skip it.
None of this affects correctness. New attendees, scans, and setting changes keep syncing normally either way — this is about how much data each device carries and how quickly it works through it.
Related articles
- Install the check in app — credentials, PINs, and signing in additional devices.
- Device management and limits — archive devices, free up slots, and plan device caps.
- Scan validity rules and multi-use passes — control how many times a ticket or pass can be scanned.
- Check-in actions — SMS alerts, signatures, and product pickups on check-in.
- Supported scanners — pair an external laser or Bluetooth scanner.
- Web check in — check attendees in from a computer.
FAQ
Is there an Android or web version of the app?
The Check In app is iOS only — iPhone and iPad. There is no Android app. Android devices can scan through the Shopify POS plugin, which supports barcode scanning but not badge printing.
The app shows “Ticket not found” for a valid ticket.
The scanner may be scoped to a single event. Switch the scope to scan all events inside the app.
My camera stopped working after pairing a Bluetooth scanner.
That’s expected. When a SocketMobile Bluetooth scanner is paired, it takes over from the camera. Disconnect the Bluetooth scanner to switch back to camera scanning.
Can attendees check themselves in at a kiosk?
No. The app is operated by staff, who scan attendees’ barcodes. There is no kiosk or self-service mode.
Can staff see custom registration answers while scanning?
Yes. The app displays a ticket’s custom field answers when it’s scanned.
A device isn’t showing recently added attendees.
The most likely cause is no internet at the venue. The app caches data locally and works offline, but new attendees added on the computer only appear after the device reconnects and syncs. Trigger a manual sync once it’s back online.
