Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the Owner and how is it assigned?
The first account created after installing the app becomes the Owner automatically. The Owner has full control over employee management, app settings, and data.
What is the difference between Owner, Admin, and Employee?
Owner — full control including app-level settings (theme, offline mode, idle lock) and the ability to promote or demote admins.
Administrator — can manage employees, reset passwords and PINs, and view employee reports. Cannot change app-level settings.
Standard Employee — logs in via PIN. Can add and manage products, record discards, and view product reports.
How do employees log in?
Standard employees tap their name on the employee selection screen and enter a PIN. On first use they are prompted to create a PIN. Admins and the owner log in using a password from the admin login screen.
What happens after too many wrong PIN attempts?
After 5 failed PIN attempts the account is locked for 5 minutes. An admin or owner can also clear the lockout immediately by resetting the employee's PIN from the Employee Details screen.
How do I add a product?
Open Product Details from the home screen or admin dashboard. Scan the barcode to auto-fill from Open Food Facts, or enter fields manually. Required fields are product name, brand, weight, quantity, expiration date, barcode, and category. Tap Save Product when done.
How do I add a new expiration date for the same product?
Load the existing product in Product Details, then enable the Add New Expiration toggle next to the Save button. Set the new expiration date and quantity, then tap Add New Expiration. This creates a new record without overwriting the existing one. Use this when new stock arrives with a different date.
How do I replace a product photo?
Open the product in Product Details. Tap the overflow menu (⋮) in the top right corner and select Replace Photo. The camera launches and the new photo replaces the previous one when you save the product.
What is the bell icon on the expiration field?
The bell enables an optional 7-day early warning reminder for that specific product. A filled bell means it is enabled. The reminder is scheduled when you save the product and clears automatically if the quantity drops to 0.
What is discard tracking?
When items are expired or damaged, open the product in Product Details, tap the overflow menu (⋮), and select Discard. Enter the quantity being discarded and an optional reason. The on-hand quantity updates immediately and the discard is logged and included in reports.
What does offline mode do?
Offline mode disables the Open Food Facts barcode lookup. Barcode scanning still works and populates the barcode field, but no product data is auto-filled. Use this in environments without reliable internet. Offline mode is a toggle in the Administrator Dashboard and can only be changed by the Owner.
What does the idle lock do?
When enabled, the app automatically returns to the employee selection screen after a period of inactivity. This prevents an unattended device from staying unlocked. The toggle is in the Administrator Dashboard and can only be changed by the Owner.
Can I reset an employee's password?
Admins and the owner can reset passwords for admin accounts from the Employee Details screen. This generates a temporary password that expires in 24 hours. Standard employees use PINs and do not have passwords to reset — use Reset PIN instead.
How do I reset an employee's PIN?
Open Employee Details, load the employee record, and tap Reset PIN. The current PIN is cleared. The employee will be prompted to create a new PIN the next time they select their name from the kiosk screen.
Can ownership be transferred to another admin?
Yes. The owner can transfer ownership to any existing admin from the Administrator Dashboard overflow menu. Biometric or device credential verification is required before the transfer completes. Recovery enrollment is cleared on transfer and must be re-enabled by the new owner.
What if all admins are locked out?
From the login screen, tap the overflow menu (⋮) and select Reset App Data. This permanently deletes all employees and all inventory data and cannot be undone. Use this only as a last resort for locked-out devices or device handoff.
Do I need an internet connection?
Only for barcode lookup through Open Food Facts. Inventory, photos, discards, reports, and all other features work fully offline. You can also disable barcode lookup entirely using the offline mode toggle.
Where is my data stored?
All data is stored locally on your Android device. No data leaves your device. There are no cloud accounts, no sync, and no external servers involved.
Why does the app request notification permission?
Notifications are used for expiration reminders (fires on the expiration date) and the optional 7-day early warning alerts. On Android 13 and above the app will request permission the first time a reminder is scheduled.
What happens if I delete a product?
Deletion is permanent. There is no undo feature at this time.