# Clocking in and out on your phone

Clock in and out, and take breaks, from the Schedule tab of the Mays app — plus what the messages mean when the app won't let you clock in.

For: Employees · On: iOS, Android · [Help Center](https://www.mays.app/help) › [Time clock](https://www.mays.app/help/time-clock) · Last updated October 13, 2026 · Mays Team

Clock in and out from the **Schedule** tab of the Mays app. The card at the top shows whether you're on the clock, and has your break and clock-out buttons.

The time clock is part of scheduling in Mays. If your app has no **Schedule** tab, your company doesn't use it — ask your manager how to record your hours.

## Clock in

1. Open the **Schedule** tab. The card at the top says **Not clocked in**.
2. Tap **Clock in**.
3. The first time, your phone asks to share your location with Mays — to check you're at work when you clock in. Your location is only checked at the moment you clock in.
4. While the button says **Getting your location…**, your phone is finding where you are. It waits a few seconds at most. If it can't find you in time, you're still clocked in, and the card says *Clocked in without your location — your phone couldn't find it in time.*

![The Schedule tab in the app before a shift: Not clocked in with a green Clock in button, above the Open shifts, Shift offers, Time off, Availability, My Hours and Team schedule cards](https://mays-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/site/help__clock-in-on-your-phone__01-not-clocked-in.d97aed60e6.png)

The card changes to **On the clock** with the time you started — for example *Since 5:44 AM* — and you get a **Clocked in** notification.

![The clock-in card while working: On the clock, Since 5:44 AM, the line Rest break due by 9:44 AM, and the Start break and red Clock out buttons](https://mays-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/site/help__clock-in-on-your-phone__02-on-the-clock.527aca6a80.png)

## Take a break

Tap **Start break**, and **End break** when you're back. Your location may ask you to pick which break you're taking, or make you take a break's full length — see [Taking breaks](https://www.mays.app/help/time-clock/taking-breaks).

## Clock out

1. Tap **Clock out**.
2. If your location asks, answer the question about your breaks — see [Taking breaks](https://www.mays.app/help/time-clock/taking-breaks).
3. You may be asked **How was your shift?** Pick one to five stars, add a comment if you like, and tap **Submit** — or tap **Skip**. Your manager sees your rating and comment in the logbook for that day.

![How was your shift? with four of five stars filled in and the Add a comment (optional) field](https://mays-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/site/help__clock-in-on-your-phone__03-how-was-your-shift.51487eb2f8.png)

You get a **Clocked out** notification, and the shift appears under **My Hours** — see [My Hours and estimated pay](https://www.mays.app/help/time-clock/my-hours-and-pay).

## Couldn't check if you're clocked in

If the app can't reach Mays when it opens the **Schedule** tab, the card says **Couldn't check if you're clocked in**, with the reason and a **Retry** button — instead of *Not clocked in*, because you may well be on the clock. Tap **Retry** once you have a connection. After tapping an NFC tag you see the same message; tap the tag again to retry.

## When the app won't let you clock in

Your manager decides how and when you can clock in. Instead of the **Clock in** button you might see:

| Message | What it means |
| --- | --- |
| *Use the kiosk to clock in.* | Your store clocks in only on its shared kiosk. (Once you're on the clock this line goes away — breaks and clock-out still work on your phone.) Tapping the store's NFC tag says the same — *South clocks in at the kiosk.* See [Shared kiosk devices and PINs](https://www.mays.app/help/time-clock/kiosk-mode). |
| *Tap the store tag to clock in, or use the kiosk.* | Tap your phone on the store's NFC tag. See [Clocking in with NFC tags](https://www.mays.app/help/time-clock/nfc-tag-clock-in). |

Or, after you tap **Clock in**, one of these:

| Message | What to do |
| --- | --- |
| *You can punch in at 8:45am.* | You're too early for your shift. Try again at that time. |
| *No shift scheduled today.* | Your store only lets people clock in when they're scheduled. A shift just after midnight counts, so you can clock in for it before midnight. Otherwise, talk to your manager. |
| *You're too far from South to punch in.* | You need to be at the store. If you are, move near a window or step outside for a better GPS signal and try again. The app always uses a fresh reading of where you are, never one from earlier. |
| *You are already clocked in.* | You're still on the clock from earlier — maybe at another store or on the kiosk. Clock out first, or ask your manager to fix it. |

Android and iPhone both show the store's own reason.

## Good to know

- **Outside store** next to *On the clock* means your phone was away from the store when you clocked in. You're still clocked in; your manager just sees it flagged.
- **You can always take breaks and clock out on your phone**, even at stores where you must clock in on the kiosk or with a tag.
- **Working at more than one location?** The app always clocks you in at your first location — the one shown on your **Profile**. To clock in at a different store, use that store's kiosk or NFC tag.
- **Your manager changed how you clock in?** The app picks up the change the next time you open it or go back to the **Schedule** tab — there's no need to sign out.
- **Can't clock out?** *This shift is in a closed pay period, so it can't be changed. Ask a manager to reopen the period.* means payroll for that shift is already done. Ask your manager, who can reopen the period and fix your time.
- **Forgot to clock out?** Tell your manager, who can fix the time. Some stores close forgotten punches automatically at a set time; you'd get a notification saying *You were automatically clocked out at 10pm — contact your manager if this is wrong.*
- **Notifications** about your punches can be turned off under **Profile → Notifications → Time clock** — see [Notifications](https://www.mays.app/help/mobile-apps/push-notifications).
- **Tasks:** at some stores you only see the day's tasks once you're clocked in — see [Why can't I see my tasks?](https://www.mays.app/help/tasks-checklists/why-cant-i-see-my-tasks).

## Related articles

- Time clock: [Taking breaks](https://www.mays.app/help/time-clock/taking-breaks) — Start and end breaks in the Mays app, pick the right break, see when one is due, and answer the break question when you clock out.
- Time clock: [My Hours and estimated pay](https://www.mays.app/help/time-clock/my-hours-and-pay) — See your hours for each pay period and an estimate of your pay before taxes under My Hours in the Mays app.
- Time clock: [Clocking in with NFC tags](https://www.mays.app/help/time-clock/nfc-tag-clock-in) — Put NFC stickers at your store so staff clock in by tapping their phone on one — set them up on the web, tap to punch on iPhone or Android, and troubleshoot.
- Time clock: [Shared kiosk devices and PINs](https://www.mays.app/help/time-clock/kiosk-mode) — Turn a store tablet or phone into a shared kiosk where staff sign in with a 4-digit PIN to clock in, take breaks and do their tasks — and manage kiosks from the web.
- Scheduling: [Your schedule in the app](https://www.mays.app/help/scheduling/my-schedule-on-mobile) — The Schedule tab in the Mays app shows your upcoming shifts, lets you confirm them, and opens open shifts, shift offers, time off, availability, your hours and the team schedule.
- Mobile apps: [Notifications](https://www.mays.app/help/mobile-apps/push-notifications) — Mays notifies you in the app about shifts, tasks, approvals and chat. See them all under the bell, choose which ones reach your phone, and fix notifications that don't arrive.
- Tasks & checklists: [Why can't I see my tasks?](https://www.mays.app/help/tasks-checklists/why-cant-i-see-my-tasks) — The Tasks tab is empty or a checklist is missing? Usually you need to clock in, it's outside the checklist's hours, or it isn't assigned to your role or location. Here's how to check.

## Still need help?

Send us a support request and a real person on the Mays team will get back to you.

[Contact support](https://www.mays.app/contact?topic=support) · [Call +1 (561) 286-3939](tel:+15612863939)

Canonical: https://www.mays.app/help/time-clock/clock-in-on-your-phone