> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ofatoura.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Logging In, Quick PIN, and Switching Users

> Sign in to the oFatoura ePOS waiter app with your email and password, set up a Quick PIN, lock the app on idle, unlock offline, and switch between staff without a full logout.

The oFatoura ePOS waiter app runs on a phone or tablet at your restaurant. This page explains how to sign in for the first time, set up a Quick PIN for fast unlocking, control the idle lock, and switch between staff members who share the same device without signing everyone out.

## Signing in with email and password

The first time you open the app on a device, you sign in with your oFatoura account email and password.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the app">
    Launch the ePOS app on the device. You will see the sign-in screen.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter your email and password">
    Type the email address and password for your oFatoura staff account — the same credentials you use for the web dashboard.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Optionally turn on Remember Me">
    Turning on **Remember Me** saves your email address on this device so you do not have to retype it next time. Your password is never stored — only the email is remembered for convenience.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Tap Sign In">
    The app verifies your credentials, connects you to your branch, and brings up the home screen.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Once you are signed in, the app connects to live updates (so tables, orders, and kitchen tickets refresh in real time) and sets up printing for your device. This happens automatically in the background right after login.
</Note>

### If sign-in fails

If your email or password is wrong, or the device cannot reach the server, the app shows an error message and keeps you on the sign-in screen. Check the following:

* Make sure the email and password are correct (passwords are case-sensitive).
* Confirm the device has a working internet connection.
* If you have forgotten your password, ask an administrator to help reset it, or change it from the app settings once you are signed in.

## Setting up a Quick PIN

A Quick PIN is a short numeric code (4 to 8 digits) that lets you unlock the app and switch users quickly without typing your full password each time.

<Warning>
  The Quick PIN is set in the **web dashboard**, not in the app. Open your account security settings in the browser and create your Quick PIN there. The app reads this server-side PIN — it does not let you create one directly.
</Warning>

To set or change your Quick PIN, go to your security settings in the web dashboard and choose **Quick PIN**. Once it is saved, you can use it to unlock the app and switch users on any device you sign in to.

<Info>
  If you have not set a Quick PIN yet, the app falls back to your email and password for unlocking and switching. Setting a PIN simply makes day-to-day use faster.
</Info>

## App lock and idle timeout

The app can lock itself so that an unattended device does not stay open. When locked, the app keeps your work in place — your tables, carts, and open orders are preserved — and only asks for your PIN (or password) to get back in.

### Locking the screen

* **Lock now:** tap the lock icon in the top bar of any screen to lock immediately.
* **Lock on idle:** the app locks automatically after a period of inactivity, based on your chosen timeout.
* **Lock on background:** the app locks as soon as you switch away from it, depending on your timeout setting.

### Choosing the idle timeout

Open the app settings and set the **App lock timeout** to control how quickly the app locks itself:

| Timeout    | When the app locks                              |
| ---------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| Immediate  | Locks as soon as the app goes to the background |
| 30 seconds | Locks after 30 seconds of inactivity            |
| 1 minute   | Locks after 1 minute of inactivity              |
| 5 minutes  | Locks after 5 minutes of inactivity             |
| 15 minutes | Locks after 15 minutes of inactivity            |

<Tip>
  On a shared device at a busy station, a shorter timeout (immediate or 30 seconds) keeps orders secure between staff. On a dedicated device that one person uses all shift, a longer timeout is more convenient.
</Tip>

<Note>
  The lock state is per device. Locking the app on one tablet does not lock it on another.
</Note>

## Unlocking the app

When the app is locked, enter your Quick PIN on the numeric keypad to unlock. You stay signed in as the same user, and everything you had open is exactly where you left it.

If you have not set a Quick PIN, the app asks for your password instead.

### Offline unlock

You can still unlock with your Quick PIN even if the device temporarily loses its internet connection. The app keeps a secure copy of your PIN check so a brief network drop does not lock you out of your own session.

## Switching users without signing out

Several staff often share one device across a shift. The app lets you hand the device to another team member without a full logout, so nobody loses their open tables or carts.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the user switcher">
    From the lock screen or the user menu, choose to switch user. You see a grid of staff members who have already signed in on this device.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pick a cached user and enter their PIN">
    Tap the team member you want to switch to and enter their Quick PIN. The app switches to that user without signing anyone out, and their work is preserved.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add another user if needed">
    If the person you need is not in the grid, choose to add another user and sign them in with their email and password. After that first sign-in, they appear in the grid for fast PIN switching from then on.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Switching users keeps each person's session and data intact. It is not the same as signing out — open orders and carts are not discarded.
</Note>

## Removing a user from the device

When a staff member no longer uses a shared device, you can sign them off it so they no longer appear in the user grid.

<Warning>
  Signing another user off the device requires the **Manage Device Users** capability. Staff without it can switch users but cannot remove someone else from the device.
</Warning>

To remove a user, open the device user list, select the person, and sign them out from this device. Their cached session is cleared, and they will need to sign in again with their email and password (and PIN) to use this device next time.

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Switching Branches on the ePOS App" icon="git-branch" href="/epos-app/branch-switching" />

  <Card title="ePOS App Settings and Manager Overrides" icon="settings" href="/epos-app/settings-and-overrides" />

  <Card title="ePOS Waiter App Overview" icon="smartphone" href="/epos-app/index" />

  <Card title="Manager Override PINs for Sensitive Actions" icon="key" href="/staff/manager-override-pins" />
</CardGroup>