Launch your volunteer check-in kiosk onsite

This feature is available on the Pro Plan.

Before launching your first kiosk, make sure you’ve set up the design, titles, and messages volunteers will see. If you plan to accept volunteers without a scheduled shift, you’ll also need to enable walk-in check-ins and add the positions they can choose from.

Customize your volunteer check-in kiosk →
​Set up walk-in check-ins →

Once these are ready, you can open the kiosk on the iPad or tablet you’ll be using and launch it for volunteers to check in and out.

On the iPad or tablet you’ll be using, go to volunteercheck.in in your browser and sign in with your Timecounts admin account. The kiosk is a standalone web application, and admin access is required to set up and launch it. Volunteers don’t need a Timecounts login to use the kiosk. If you manage more than one organization, select the organization you want to launch the kiosk for.
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You can also access the kiosk from the Kiosk Editor in Timecounts by clicking Open Kiosk in the top right.

If a volunteer, staff member, or event lead will be responsible for launching the kiosk, you can create a custom admin role that gives them access to the Kiosk without giving them access to other areas of your organization.
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Go to Settings → Admins to manage roles and permissions.

​Learn more about managing admin access in Timecounts →

Once you’re signed in, you’ll see the Set up your kiosk screen. Before launching, review the options to make sure volunteers will see the right opportunities and can check in the way you want.
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Select your organization
If you’re an admin for one organization, you’ll go directly to the kiosk setup screen. If you manage multiple organizations in Timecounts, you’ll first be asked to choose which organization you’re launching the kiosk for.
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Choose an activity
An activity refers to a specific schedule or event in Timecounts. Your kiosk defaults to All Activities, so volunteers can check-in for any activity available that day.
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If the kiosk is dedicated to a particular schedule or event, select it from the list to limit what’s visible. If you’re not sure, we recommend leaving All Activities selected. Volunteers will search for themselves first, so they’ll only see the opportunities available to them.
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Choose a location
Your kiosk defaults to All Locations, so volunteers can check in for scheduled opportunities at any location available that day.
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If the kiosk is being used at a specific venue or volunteer location, select it from the list to limit what’s available. If you’re not sure, we recommend leaving All Locations selected. Volunteers will search for themselves first, so they’ll only see the opportunities available to them.
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Choose how volunteers find themselves
By default, volunteers check in By Name by searching for and selecting their name. If more than one volunteer has the same name, Timecounts will show part of their email address to help them identify the correct profile.
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You can switch to By Email if you prefer volunteers to enter the email address associated with their Timecounts profile instead. For most organizations, By Name offers the quickest and easiest check-in experience.

Choose whether to offer walk-in check-ins
If you’ve set up walk-in check-ins, turn them On for any kiosk where you want volunteers to check in without a scheduled shift. You’ll also choose the location for this kiosk so their volunteer time is recorded in the right place.
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If you don’t accept walk-ins at this location, simply leave it Off.

Review your messages
Your default kiosk messages are already loaded. If you need to share something specific with volunteers at this location or on this day, select Edit check-in messages to make changes. These changes apply only to this kiosk and won’t change the templates saved in your Kiosk Editor.
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Once everything looks right, click Launch kiosk to switch to volunteer mode. Your kiosk is now ready for volunteers to check in and out.

Once you click Launch kiosk, the volunteer welcome screen will appear and your kiosk is ready to use. Place the device where volunteers will arrive and they can search for themselves to check in and out.
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After each volunteer finishes, the kiosk returns to the welcome screen ready for the next person.
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If you use the kiosk regularly, you can leave it running for days or weeks at a time. This works well for a kiosk that stays at a reception desk, volunteer centre, or other regular check-in location. Keep the device powered on and the browser open, and the kiosk will be ready whenever volunteers arrive.
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You don’t need to relaunch the kiosk each day. Shifts and events will update automatically based on what’s happening that day, and changes to your kiosk design will also be reflected.
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If you update the default titles or messages in the Kiosk Editor, you’ll need to exit and relaunch the kiosk before those changes appear. This prevents your organization-wide templates from replacing any messages that were changed specifically for that kiosk.

When you’re ready to make changes or stop using the kiosk, select the small power icon in the bottom left corner of the welcome screen. The icon is intentionally discreet so volunteers are less likely to exit the kiosk by accident.
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You’ll be asked to confirm that you want to exit kiosk mode. Select Yes to return to the kiosk login screen.

Can I run more than one kiosk at the same time?
Yes. You can launch kiosks on multiple devices at the same time. This is useful if volunteers check in at different entrances, buildings, or locations. Each kiosk can have its own activity, location, walk-in, and check-in options.
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Can I change my kiosk after it has been launched?
Yes. If you need to make changes to your kiosk setup, you’ll need to exit kiosk mode and relaunch the kiosk with your updated options.
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What happens if someone forgets to check out?
Don’t worry, the volunteer’s activity will still appear in Track so you can review it and make any adjustments before approving their hours.
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For scheduled shifts and events, volunteers have up to 5 hours after the scheduled end time to check out. After that, Timecounts uses the scheduled end time and moves the activity to Track for review, or approves it automatically based on your crediting preferences.
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For walk-ins, Timecounts waits until the end of the day for the volunteer to check out. If they haven’t checked out by midnight, their activity is moved to Track. If the walk-in position has fixed hours, those hours can be credited based on your crediting preferences. If it tracks actual time, the activity will appear as Incomplete so you can review it and enter the appropriate hours.
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Either way, the activity won’t be lost. You’ll have a record in Track with the information you need to review and credit their time.