Tablet kiosk check-in (NFC/RFID)

Workers clock in and out by tapping an NFC/RFID fob on a tablet mounted at the site — an alternative to the QR selfie flow, built for crews with no smartphone or low digital literacy.

What you need

A tablet

Any Android tablet with a front camera and Wi-Fi or LTE — e.g. a Lenovo Tab M9. Mount it at the entrance, camera facing the workers.

A USB HID reader

A 13.56 MHz USB NFC/RFID reader that emulates a keyboard — it “types” the fob ID and an Enter. Plug it into the tablet with a USB-OTG adapter. No driver, no app.

Fobs

13.56 MHz key fobs or cards — one per worker.

A mount

A stand or wall mount at chest height, plus power. Put the browser in kiosk/full-screen mode.

Set up the kiosk

  1. Open the project → the Tablet kiosk (NFC) card → set an enrollment PIN and press Generate kiosk link. The link is secret — do not print it or post it on a wall.
  2. On the tablet, open that link in the browser and switch to kiosk / full-screen mode.
  3. Plug the USB reader into the tablet (USB-OTG). It behaves like a keyboard.
  4. Mount the tablet at the entrance with the front camera facing the workers.

Enroll fobs (on the tablet)

The reader is on the tablet, so bind fobs there — on the same reader that does check-in, so a stored code always matches. On the kiosk screen tap Assign fob (bottom), enter the enrollment PIN, search and pick the worker, then tap their fob on the reader — it binds instantly. Repeat for the crew. One fob maps to one worker; a lost fob is removed and reissued. (You can also enroll from Workers → a worker → Fobs (kiosk) if you have a reader plugged into your computer.)

How workers use it

A worker taps their fob to the reader. The screen shows their name and the time — green for check-in, and a later tap checks them out. The front camera takes a photo automatically. No login, no typing, no QR to scan.

Photo & review. The tablet photo is a light check against “buddy punching”. If the camera is unavailable the check-in still records — it is simply flagged for review. Managers review kiosk shifts under Attendance (filter Source = KIOSK).
Keep the kiosk link secret. Unlike the printable QR poster, the kiosk link lets a device check anyone in — never print or post it. If a tablet is lost, rotate the link from the project and the old tablet stops working.
Docs