Before you start
- You must have logged into the Factorial mobile app at least once while connected to the internet.
- Offline mode is designed for intermittent connectivity — areas where signal drops temporarily. It is not intended for employees who are offline for several days in a row.
- Your device must have sufficient battery and storage available.
- Offline mode is only available on the Factorial mobile app (iOS and Android). Web and browser clock-in are not supported offline.
How offline mode works
When your device loses internet connection, the Factorial mobile app detects it automatically. You will see a banner at the top of the screen letting you know you are offline.
In this state:
- Only the clock-in widget is available. Other sections of the app are not accessible until you reconnect.
- Any shifts or breaks you record are saved on your device with the exact timestamp of when you clocked in or out.
- Once your device reconnects to the internet, the app automatically syncs your locally saved records with Factorial — both in the background and when you reopen the app.
Clock in and out while offline
- Open the Factorial mobile app. If your device is offline, you will see the offline banner and the clock-in widget.
- Tap Clock in to start your shift. The shift will be saved on your device and shown in the widget with a Pending sync status.
- When you are ready to finish, tap Clock out. The end time is saved locally.
- If your time tracking policy includes a maximum planned duration, a confirmation dialog will appear asking you to confirm tracked vs. planned time — the same as when you are online.
- Once your device reconnects, your shift is synced automatically. The status updates to Synced once confirmed by the server.
Record breaks while offline
- While clocked in, tap Start break.
- If your policy has multiple break types, select the one that applies.
- When your break is over, tap End break.
- If your policy requires a minimum break duration and your break was too short, you will be notified at the moment you end the break — the same behaviour as when you are online.
- Breaks are saved locally and synced automatically when you reconnect.
Select work location and project while offline
When clocking in offline, you can still select your work location (office, home, business trip) and assign a project, just as you would when online. These details are stored locally along with your shift and synced when connectivity is restored.
Geolocation while offline
If your time tracking policy uses geolocation:
- Your GPS position is captured at clock-in and clock-out time directly from your device — no internet is required for this.
- Geofencing checks (whether you are inside your workplace area) also work offline, as they run on the device.
- The map preview will not load while offline, as it requires an internet connection to display tiles. This does not affect your ability to clock in or out.
Note: To test offline mode, turn off Wi-Fi and mobile data but leave Location (GPS) on. If you use Airplane Mode, GPS is also disabled and geolocation clock-in will not work.
Track your sync status
All shifts and breaks recorded during the day are visible in the clock-in widget with one of the following statuses:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ✅ Synced | The record has been successfully saved to Factorial. |
| 🔄 Pending sync | The record is saved on your device and waiting to be synced when you reconnect. |
| ❌ Failed | The record could not be synced. Tap the entry to see the reason and available actions. |
If a shift fails to sync
When a shift or break cannot be synced, you will see a notification on the home screen. Tap Check to open the Failed time entries screen, which shows all entries that could not be synced this month grouped by date.
Tap on any entry to see the specific reason and the actions available to you:
| Reason | What it means | Actions available |
|---|---|---|
| Something went wrong | A temporary server error occurred (e.g. connection issue). | Retry |
| Timesheet approved | Your timesheet for that period has been approved and can no longer be edited. | Retry · Mark as resolved |
| Break type unavailable | The break type you selected is no longer part of your time tracking policy. | Retry · Mark as resolved |
| Shift already exists | A shift already exists on the server for the same time slot. | Retry . Mark as resolved |
- Retry attempts to sync the entry again.
- Mark as resolved permanently removes the entry from the failed list — use this when the entry cannot or should not be synced (for example, if the timesheet was approved and no correction is needed).
If your timesheet was approved and you believe the offline shift should be included, contact your manager or HR team to request a correction.
Note: Failed entries are stored and visible in a log grouped by day. Once resolved or successfully synced, they are removed from the list.
Frequently asked questions
-
What happens if I close the app while offline?
Your recorded shifts and breaks are saved on your device. When you reopen the app, they are still there and will sync as soon as you reconnect.
-
Can I use offline mode if I have never logged in before?
No. You must have logged into the Factorial mobile app at least once while connected to the internet before offline mode is available.
-
Will my missing clock-in alerts be cleared when my shifts sync?
Yes. Once your offline shifts sync successfully, any associated missing clock-in or clock-out alerts are cleared automatically.
-
Can I clock in offline using QR code, facial recognition, or the browser?
No. Offline mode is only supported for the standard clock-in flow on the Factorial mobile app.
Demo
