Contents of this article is applicable to the following users
Tier: START UP, GROWTH, SCALE
Product: StaffAny
Platform: Mobile
Access Level: Owner/Manager/Supervisor/Employee
With Live Facial Recognition, StaffAny ensures that the right staff member is clocking in and out, adding an extra layer of security and authenticity to attendance tracking.
This feature uses real-time face verification with photo evidence to confirm the employee's identity during every clock-in and clock-out action.
This guide will cover the following:
Face Registration
If your assigned section has face recognition enabled, you will see the following message when you open your StaffAny Mobile App on the Daily tab:
Tap Register Face.
Position your face within the frame shown on screen.
The camera screen now includes three enhancements to help you capture a clear photo:
Dark frame overlay: The area outside the face frame is dimmed so you can clearly see where to position your face.
Flash toggle: A flash icon appears at the bottom-left of the camera screen. Tap it to turn flash on or off. Flash uses a screen flash (not hardware torch) and is available on the front camera only. Flash is off by default.
Photo guidelines: A panel labelled "Ensure the following:" appears on screen with four reminders: position your face in the frame, have good lighting and avoid shadow and backlight, do not move, and no accessories.
Take the photo.
The system checks that the photo shows a single live face with sufficient quality. If the check fails, you will see an error message with a Retake option. Take a new photo directly. Do not use a printed photo or an image from another screen.
Tap Confirm to complete your face registration.
Once done, your face data is securely saved and used only for verification during clock in/out.
Note: If re-registration fails the liveness or face quality check, your previously saved face data is not changed. You can try again at any time.
Clock in / Clock out
After registering your face, you can clock in and out as usual.
In Mobile app, go to Daily (you will be able to see your assigned shift)
Tap the Clock In button.
When prompted, position your face in the frame to verify your identity.
The same camera enhancements are available during clock-in and clock-out:
Dark frame overlay
Flash toggle at the bottom-left of the camera screen.
Photo guidelines
Once verified, you'll see a confirmation screen with your clock-in time, e.g.
"Checked in to Section ABC at 12:04".
You can also follow the same process to Clock Out, Break Start or Break End in your shift.
Tips for Ensuring Accuracy
Ensure you are in a well-lit environment.
Avoid wearing accessories that cover your face (e.g. masks, hats).
Keep the phone camera at eye level straight. Do not put phone from below you or facing your side face.
If the system fails to detect your face, try repositioning slightly or contact your admin.
Tap on Back to Daily. You have clocked in/break/clock out successfully.
Please note that you can only clock in/out in sections with the Facial Recognition method after your face has been registered properly.
Troubleshoot Verification Errors
If face registration or face verification fails, you will see a message on screen with a recommended action. Use the table below to understand what each error means and what to do next.
Error message | What it means | What to do |
Liveness check failed — please try again with a live photo | The system could not confirm that you are physically present in front of the camera. This check applies to both face registration and clock-in/out. | Tap Retake and take a new photo in good lighting. Do not use a photo of a photo or an image from another screen. |
Face not recognized — please try again or contact your manager | Your face did not match the registered profile. | Tap Retake and try again. If the issue persists, ask your manager to verify your biometric data in My Team. |
No face detected in image — please ensure your face is clearly visible | The camera could not detect a face in the photo taken. | Move to a well-lit area, face the camera directly, and tap Retake. |
Multiple faces detected — please ensure only your face is visible | More than one person was visible in the frame. | Step away from other people and tap Retake. |
No clear face detected — ensure background is not over-exposed, no specs reflection, and face is not covered | Image quality was too low for verification. | Improve lighting, remove reflective glasses, uncover your face, and tap Retake. |
Keep your head straight and face the camera directly before trying again | Your face was angled or turned away from the camera. | Look straight into the camera and tap Retake. |
Move closer so your face fills most of the guide | Your face was too far from or too small in the camera frame. | Move the phone closer to your face so it fills the on-screen guide, then tap Retake. |
Improve lighting, clean the lens, and steady the device before taking the photo | The photo was blurry, dark, or obscured. | Move to better lighting, wipe the camera lens, hold the phone steady, and tap Retake. |
Invalid face verification token — please try again | The verification session expired or was invalid. | Tap Retry. If the error continues, return to Daily and start the clock-in again. |
Face recognition service timeout — please try again | The verification request took too long to complete. | Tap Retry after a few seconds. If the issue persists, check your internet connection. |
Face recognition service temporarily unavailable — please try again later | The verification service is temporarily unavailable. | Tap Retry after a short wait. If the issue continues, contact your manager. |
Center your face in the frame and leave a little space around it | Your face was too close to one edge or off-center in the frame. | Re-center your face in the on-screen guide and tap Retake. |
Show your entire face, including forehead and chin, inside the capture guide | Part of your face was cropped out of the frame. | Step back slightly so your full face fits within the guide, then tap Retake. |
Step back slightly so your whole face fits inside the guide | You were too close to the camera. | Move the phone a little further away so your entire face is visible, then tap Retake. |
Show your entire face clearly with all facial features visible inside the capture guide | Key facial features were not fully visible or were obscured. | Remove anything covering your face and ensure all features are clearly visible inside the guide, then tap Retake. |
Too many requests — please wait before trying again | The service received too many requests at once. | Wait a minute and tap Retry. If the error continues, contact your manager. |
Note: Errors that ask you to Retake mean the photo did not pass verification — take a new photo and try again. Errors that ask you to Retry are service or connection issues, wait a moment and try again without retaking the photo.
FAQ
Q: What if I schedule a support staff from a non Facial Recognition section — how can they clock in/out in my section with the Facial Recognition method?
A: They need to have their biometric data set up in their My Team profile. If the staff is not tagged to a section that uses Facial Recognition, they will not see the face registration flow in the mobile app.
So you can use this flow to set up their biometric data:
Owner access upload staff's photo in their My Team - Biometric Data
Tag staff to FR section so they can register their face by their own, after that can untag the staff back from the FR section.
Q: I keep getting "Face not recognized" even though I registered my face correctly. What should I check?
A: First, try again in a well-lit area facing the camera directly. If the error continues, ask your Owner or Manager to check your biometric data in My Team > Biometric Data and re-upload your face profile if needed.
Q: My verification keeps timing out. What should I do?
A: Check your mobile internet connection and try again. If timeouts persist, contact your manager, this may indicate a temporary service issue.
Q: I tried to re-register my face but got a liveness error. Is my old face data still saved?
A: Yes. If re-registration fails the liveness or face quality check, your previously saved face data is not changed. You can continue to use your existing registered face for clock in/out and retry registration at any time.
Q: The app seems stuck or is taking a long time during clock-in. How do I know which step is causing the delay?
A: The clock-in flow has four distinct stages. The screen you see tells you exactly where the delay is happening:
Camera is visible but controls are greyed out — the app is resizing and compressing your photo locally on the device. This usually completes in under a second. If it is stuck here, try moving to a brighter area and retaking the photo.
"Uploading your photo…" — the compressed photo is being securely uploaded to StaffAny's servers. A slow or unstable internet connection at this stage causes the delay. Switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data, then tap Retry.
"Verifying your photo…" — the photo is being checked for liveness and face match by the verification service. Heavy traffic or a temporary service issue can slow this step. Wait a few seconds and tap Retry. If the timeout error appears, check your connection and try again.
"Processing…" — the clock-in record is being created in StaffAny. If this takes longer than usual, check your internet connection. If it does not complete, return to Daily and check whether your attendance was recorded before trying again.
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