Workforce management · Mobile
Employee attendance app: on the phone, no app store needed
The staff panel opens in the phone’s browser and is added to the home screen with one tap; it behaves like an app and updates arrive on their own. To be clear: we have no native app on the App Store or Google Play — the phone version is a PWA (progressive web app). For staff without a phone there is a shared tablet at the door.
Why is the employee attendance app not in the app stores?
In workforce management the phone has a clear job: take clock-ins, pass on requests, deliver notifications. For that we chose a PWA that runs in the browser and is added to the home screen instead of a native app downloaded from a store. As a result, nobody has to install anything on each employee’s phone, track versions or manage devices.
This is written so you know before set-up, not to hide a gap: you will not find a “MedyAjans” staff app in the app stores. The phone version is the same system as the web interface on a computer; a change on one screen shows on the other.
For staff without a phone, or who do not want to use their personal phone for work, clock-in with a personal PIN on a shared tablet at the door is ready; the mobile version is an option, not a requirement.
This page covers the employee side of the mobile version: what is done on the phone, what happens without a connection, when location is taken and how it is added to the phone. How the clock-in methods (GPS, QR, shared tablet) compare is on the clock-in page.
Mobile attendance tracking: what does the employee do on the phone?
Everything an employee needs during the day is done from the phone; managers approve the same actions on their own screen.
Clock-in and out
Location-verified clock-in within a defined work area, or scanning a QR code posted at the workplace. If the company wants, a photo (selfie) is taken at clock-in; no face recognition is performed.
Breaks
Planned and actual breaks are kept apart; a break the employee forgets to end finishes automatically when its time is up and the employee is notified.
Leave requests
Pick the leave type and dates, attach a sick note if needed; remaining leave and the request’s stage are on the same screen.
Overtime requests
A request is opened against the shift currently clocked in; the choice of time off instead of premium pay is the employee’s.
Own shifts
Employees see their own shifts on the phone; if the company allows, they request a shift swap with a colleague.
Notifications
Leave approvals, missed clock-ins and clock-in/out reminders arrive as push notifications and e-mail.
Store app versus PWA
Both sit on the phone as an icon; the difference is in installation, updates and management.
| App downloaded from a store | Our mobile version (PWA) | |
|---|---|---|
| Installation | Downloaded from the store on each phone | Added to the home screen from the browser with one tap |
| Updates | Depend on the employee updating | Arrive automatically |
| Version tracking | Phones left on old versions are tracked | Not needed |
| Device management | May be needed in business use | Not needed |
| Listed in a store | Yes | No — a link or address is shared |
The table is a general comparison; the right-hand column is our product today. No date has been given for publishing a native app.
What happens with no signal on site?
Mobile clock-in is needed most where the connection is weakest: construction sites, warehouses, basements.
- The record waits on the phone — without a connection, the clock-in or out is stored on the phone with the tap time and sent when the connection returns.
- The tap time counts — the timesheet uses the moment the employee tapped, not the moment it was sent.
- The manager sees the difference — a record taken offline is flagged “received offline” on the manager’s screen.
- Location on a weak signal — the accuracy margin is taken into account; an employee at the workplace is not wrongly rejected because of weak GPS.
When is phone location taken?
Location is taken only while the shift is open and the app is open; location arriving outside working hours is not stored. The work area is verified at clock-in and clock-out; location taken during the shift is used on the manager’s live map and — if the company enables it — in an alert sent when the employee stays outside the work area for a long time. That alert tells the manager the duration only, not the location.
How long location and photo records are kept is a company setting; expired records are destroyed. No fingerprint or face data is requested: the Turkish Personal Data Protection Board’s principle decision 2026/921 held that processing biometric data for working-time tracking is unlawful even with explicit consent. Details in the KVKK-compliant employee tracking guide.
Who uses which device?
Field and shift staff
The mobile version on their own phone: clock-in by location or QR, leave and overtime requests, viewing shifts.
Staff without a phone
The shared tablet at the door: select your name, enter your personal PIN; a photo can be required if the company wants.
Managers and HR
The web interface on a computer, or the same panel on a phone: live board, approvals, timesheets and reports.
How is it added to the phone?
Open the invitation link
The employee opens your company’s own address (yourcompany.medyajans.com.tr) in the phone’s browser and signs in.
Add to the home screen
The browser’s “add to home screen” option creates an icon; from then on it opens like an app.
Grant permissions
Allow location for location-based clock-in and notifications for reminders when asked.
Clock in for the first time
The first clock-in is made in the work area or next to the QR code; the record appears on the manager’s live board.
What is a PWA, and what difference does it make to the employee?
A PWA (progressive web app) is a web application that opens in the browser but can be added to the phone’s home screen as an icon. Tapping the icon opens it in its own window without an address bar; for the employee it usually looks no different from an app downloaded from a store.
The difference is in the work behind it: nothing is installed on each employee’s phone, nobody asks “did you update?”, and no phone left on an old version has to be tracked. The staff panel and the manager panel are parts of the same system; a clock-in on the phone appears on the manager’s live board at the same time.
For the same reason the product is not tied to a phone: when an employee changes phones, they open the address on the new one and sign in. Pricing is per employee, not per device; the same employee signing in from a phone, a tablet and a computer costs nothing extra.
Which task is done where?
Employee tasks are designed for the phone, managers’ bulk tasks for the computer; both write to the same record.
| Task | Employee phone | Shared tablet | Manager panel (web) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clock-in and out | By location or QR | With a personal PIN | Manual roll call and corrections on the employee’s behalf, with a trail |
| Leave request | Opened; remaining leave shown | — | Approve or reject |
| Overtime request | Opened against the open shift record | — | Pre-approval and final approval |
| Shifts | Own shifts, swap requests | — | Plan and approve swaps |
| Timesheets and reports | — | — | Monthly approval; PDF, CSV and Excel export |
A dash means the task is not done from that device. Because the manager panel also runs in the browser, it can be opened on a phone.
Checklist before starting phone-based tracking
Technical set-up takes minutes; the real preparation is telling employees what is collected and why.
- Define the work areas — location and radius for each branch or site; on the spot, “use my current location” is enough.
- Post the QR codes — each location has its own code, tied to that location; scanning a photo of the code elsewhere does not become a clock-in.
- Decide on the photo rule — whether a photo is required at clock-in is a company setting; if it is, tell employees that no face recognition is performed.
- Choose the retention period — how long location and photo records are kept is a company setting; expired records are destroyed.
- Inform employees — tell them in writing which data is processed and why. A data processing agreement and an employee privacy notice template are ready in the panel.
- Do not forget staff without phones — connect the shared tablet and hand out PINs.
Where does phone-based tracking help most?
What they share: employees do not pass the same door all day. Each sector page explains how the system is set up there.
Construction sites
Each site is a separate work area; without a signal the clock-in waits on the phone and is sent when the connection returns.
ViewFurniture workshops
QR or tablet in the workshop; the fitting team clocks in by location at the customer’s address, kept apart as a field clock-in.
ViewRestaurants and cafés
Several clock-ins a day for split shifts; a shared tablet behind the till for staff without phones.
ViewSources
The article references in this guide are based on these official texts (in Turkish). Legislation can change; check the current text before acting.
Employee attendance app — frequently asked questions
Do you have an app on the App Store or Google Play?
No. The phone version is a PWA: it opens in the phone’s browser and is used like an app once added to the home screen. We have no native app in the stores and no date has been given for one; we want you to know that before set-up.
Who updates the mobile version?
Nobody has to; updates arrive on their own. As there is no installation package downloaded from a store, updating is not left to the employee; no version tracking or device management is needed.
What if an employee does not want to use their personal phone?
It is not required. They select their name on the shared tablet at the door and clock in and out with their personal PIN. The web interface can also be used from a computer; the phone is an option, not a requirement.
Is location taken when the phone or the app is closed?
No. Location is taken only while the shift is open and the app is open; location arriving outside working hours is not stored. The retention period is a company setting and expired location records are destroyed.
What does an employee need to do after changing phones?
Open your company’s address on the new phone, sign in with their own details and add it to the home screen. The account belongs to the person, not the phone; clock-in, leave and overtime records live in your company’s system, not on the phone, so nothing is lost and no reinstallation is needed. If the old phone holds an offline record waiting for a connection, connect it to the internet before switching.
Do we need to give employees a privacy notice for phone-based tracking?
Location and photos are personal data; we recommend telling employees in writing which data is processed and for what purpose. A data processing agreement and an employee privacy notice template are ready in the panel; complete the notice for your workplace with your legal adviser.
Why might notifications not arrive?
Push notifications depend on the phone’s notification permission; if it was refused when asked, it has to be enabled in the phone settings. Leave request, approval and missed clock-in notifications are also sent by e-mail.
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