The Door & Gate Access Mobile App
Door & Gate Access is the member-facing mobile app: members sign in with a one-time code, see the doors they're allowed through at your facility, and unlock them with a tap. This page explains the member experience end-to-end so admins can support members — sign-in, the dashboard, unlocking, app lock, history, and settings.
For screenshot walkthroughs of each surface, see the companion pages: iPhone & Android App, Apple Watch & Wear OS, and CarPlay.
Get the app
The app is available across:
- iPhone and iPad (iOS/iPadOS 18 or later)
- Android phones
- Apple Watch (watchOS 11 or later) and Wear OS watches — wrist unlock without reaching for the phone
- CarPlay — unlock gates and garage doors from the car screen
- Home Screen widget and Control Center control (iOS)
The features and user interface are identical on iOS and Android — screenshots throughout these docs were captured on iOS but apply equally to the Android app. Invitation emails sent from User Access contain the download links.
Signing in
There are no passwords — sign-in is a one-time code (OTP) sent to the phone number or email on the member's User Access record.
- On first launch the app walks through short onboarding screens, asking for precise location permission (needed for geofenced unlocks) and notification permission.
- On the Welcome screen, the member chooses Email or Phone, enters the address/number, and taps Send code.
- They enter the 6-digit code (a Resend code option appears after 30 seconds).
- They stay signed in afterwards — no code needed on every launch.
Sign-in problems members may report:
| Message in the app | Cause | Admin fix |
|---|---|---|
| No record found — "No record could be found matching the … you provided." | The phone/email doesn't match any User Access row at any facility | Check the exact phone/email on their row in User Access; correct typos or add the missing identifier |
| Too many attempts | Sign-in rate limit (network-level, or 5 code requests per hour per contact) | Have them wait — the per-contact limit is a security measure and cannot be lifted |
| Code arrives but verification fails | Mistyped or expired code | Resend a fresh code |
Signing in only proves identity — what the member can unlock is still decided per door by rules and grants.
Choosing a facility
Members linked to more than one facility (same phone/email on User Access rows at multiple facilities) can switch via the facility name at the top of the dashboard (Switch Location). The app can also suggest switching when it detects they're at another of their linked facilities, and an optional Auto-switch to nearest location setting switches automatically when within 250 m.
The dashboard
The Doors & Gates tab lists every door the member can see at the selected facility:
- Doors are grouped by location (the Door location label set in the admin portal), with a large primary door card at the top — members with several doors can pin their favourite with the star.
- Each door shows the icon chosen by the admin, its name, and a live status pill.
- Messages appear as cards at the top: the member's personal message first, then the facility-wide message — coloured by severity (INFORMATION / NOTICE / URGENT). See App Messaging.
- Support contacts (call/email the location) appear according to the App Security setting — by default, when a door is offline or there's limited information.
- A member with no doors sees: "You don't have access to any doors at this location yet. Please contact the location or your site administrator and they'll get you set up."
Door status pills
| Pill | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Unlock | Ready — tap to unlock |
| Unlocked / Re-locking | Just unlocked; counting down the hold time before the door re-locks |
| Move closer to open / Not at site | The member is outside the door's geofence (a distance badge like "250 m away" may show) |
| Door offline | The door controller hasn't reported in — unlocks can't be delivered |
| Under maintenance / Maintenance | The door is in Force closed maintenance mode |
| Open | The door is held open (Force open or auto-unlock schedule) |
| Outside hours / Available {hours} | Outside the configured access hours; shows when it next opens |
| No access | No rule or grant covers this member for this door |
Unlocking a door
- Tap the door's unlock button.
- For geofenced doors the app first takes a fresh, precise GPS fix.
- The request is sent to the server, which makes the full access decision.
- On success: the door unlocks, the app shows Unlocked and a Re-locking countdown for the door's hold time.
When an unlock is refused, the app explains why:
| Server reason | Message the member sees |
|---|---|
| Outside geofence | "Move closer — you're outside the location's geofence." (plus a sheet explaining geofencing with their distance from the site) |
| GPS too imprecise | "Couldn't pin down your location accurately. Try again outdoors." |
| Location unavailable | "Couldn't read your location. Make sure Location is enabled and set to Precise, then try again." |
| Door offline | "Door is offline. Please contact the facility." |
| No rule or grant | "You don't have access to this door." |
| Access disabled | "Your access has been suspended — please contact the facility." |
| Location permission missing | A "Location is needed" sheet with an Open Settings shortcut — geofenced doors require Location set to Precise |
Every attempt — allowed or denied — appears in the admin Access Logs with the reason.
App lock
If the facility enforces app lock (or the member enables it themselves under Profile → App Lock), the app requires device authentication before use:
- Face ID / Touch ID / device passcode is used when available; devices without either are walked through creating a 4-digit PIN ("Required by {facility} — managed by your site administrator.").
- Re-prompting follows the configured grace period; cold launches and longer absences always re-prompt.
- A member signed in to multiple facilities gets the strictest policy across them.
- After 5 failed PIN attempts the app locks out and requires clearing data and signing in again.
History
The History tab shows the member's own access activity at the selected facility — grouped by day, filterable per door. Tapping an entry opens an Access Details sheet with the date, time, door, device, IP, and a map of the unlock location. This mirrors what admins see in the Access Logs, limited to the member's own events.
Profile and settings
The Profile tab lets members:
- Edit their first/last name (email and phone are read-only — "To change your email or phone number, please contact your location or site administrator — these details are managed centrally for security." Admins change them in User Access).
- See their linked locations.
- Configure App Lock (unless admin-enforced), arrival notifications, auto-switch location, and appearance (light/dark/auto).
- Get Support — support is provided by the location's administrator, not a central helpdesk.
- Sign Out from App, or submit a Delete Account & Data request, which notifies the location administrator and clears the device.
Extras
- Home Screen widget and Control Center control (iOS): one-tap unlock of the primary door.
- Apple Watch / Wear OS app: unlock from the wrist; requires the phone sign-in — see Apple Watch & Wear OS.
- CarPlay: unlock gates and garage doors from the car screen — handy for vehicle entries. See CarPlay.
- Arrival notifications: with background location enabled, the app can notify "You've arrived. Tap to unlock a door." when the member reaches the facility.
Related pages
- iPhone & Android App — screenshot walkthrough of the phone app
- Apple Watch & Wear OS — the watch app
- CarPlay — unlocking from the car
- Invitations — getting members onto the app
- How access decisions work
- Geofencing
- App Security & Settings
- Troubleshooting