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Mobile App Setup

Mobile App Setup — Technician Guide


This page explains how technicians should install and set up Creative Job Hub (CJH) on their phones, what permissions are required, and how to use critical mobile features (clocking in, location tracking, camera photos, and working offline).




1) Which app to use: PWA vs. native

  • PWA (recommended for most technicians): Install CJH from the browser using Add to Home Screen. The PWA behaves like an app, works offline, and supports camera, geolocation and many native features. See PWA Install for exact steps. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
  • Native app (if your organization distributes one): If your tenant provides a native iOS/Android app, install it from the App Store or Play Store. Native builds may offer slightly more consistent push/background-location behavior.




2) Sign in and first run

  1. Open the installed app (or the web app and add it to home screen).
  2. Sign in with the credentials provided by your admin (email + password or SSO if enabled).
  3. Accept any permissions prompts that appear — the app will request location, camera and notification permissions as needed (details below).




3) Clock in / technician presence

  • Technician locations appear on the Jobs Map only when the technician is clocked in (or otherwise set active). Make sure to clock in at the start of your shift so dispatchers can see your live location. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}




4) Location & permissions (critical)

Permissions needed

  • Location (foreground and, if required by your workflow, background): Required for live technician tracking and routing. CJH updates technician locations frequently (locations update ~every 15 seconds; jobs refresh ~every 30 seconds) to support real-time tracking. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
  • Camera: Required to take job photos that attach to jobs/properties.
  • Notifications: Needed for push alerts (job assignments, updates).


Granting and checking permissions

  • When the app first requests permissions, grant them. If you declined before, go to the device Settings → Apps → Creative Job Hub → Permissions (or iOS Settings → CJH) to re-enable.
  • If your team uses background location tracking, technicians should allow the highest reasonable permission (iOS: “Always”, Android: allow background location). Document why background tracking is used to avoid confusion.


Common issues

  • If your location does not appear on the map: ensure you are clocked in, location permission is granted, and location services are enabled. Battery savers or OS-level optimizers can block background updates — if you need continuous tracking, add CJH to the device’s whitelist or battery-exemption list. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}




5) Camera, photos & portfolio

  • Use the in-app camera to capture job photos — photos are saved to the job record and appear in the Job Portfolio for later reference. The app supports native camera capture (native builds use the Capacitor Camera plugin) and browser capture in the PWA. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4} :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}
  • Tagging: If your tenant uses photo tags (e.g., before, during, after), use them consistently so managers can filter photos in the Portfolio.




6) Offline use & sync

  • CJH is offline-first: it queues changes locally (IndexedDB) and syncs automatically when the device reconnects. Typical queued items include job updates, photo uploads, payment records and client notes. Test offline behavior by creating a sample job update/photo while offline, then reconnect and confirm the item synced. :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}
  • Large photo uploads: Prefer Wi-Fi for multiple or high-resolution photos to avoid cellular timeouts and to speed sync.




7) Payments and deposits (technician notes)

  • Technicians may record payments in the field. Payments recorded offline are queued and synchronized on reconnect — verify the payment appears in the Payments list after you regain network connectivity. Payments that are deposits or linked to estimates will show as deposits and will be linked to the estimate record for reconciliation. :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}





9) Practical tips for technicians

Always clock in when your shift starts — otherwise dispatchers will not see your location. :contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9} Grant location permission promptly and, if your workflow requires it, allow background location. Take photos using the in-app camera so they attach to the correct job/property and queue for upload if offline. :contentReference[oaicite:10]{index=10} Prefer Wi-Fi for uploading many photos or large files. If a job or photo doesn’t appear after reconnecting, open the app and check the sync status — you may need to sign out/in or explicitly re-sync in some cases.




10) Troubleshooting — quick checklist

Location not showing

Are you clocked in? (Must be clocked in to appear on the Jobs Map.) :contentReference[oaicite:11]{index=11} Is location permission granted and are location services enabled? Is the app optimized away by battery settings or OS power-saver? Whitelist CJH if continuous tracking is needed.


Photos not uploading

Check network connectivity; large images may wait until a Wi-Fi connection is available. Confirm the app shows no remaining queued uploads. :contentReference[oaicite:12]{index=12}


Payments not appearing

Confirm the device reconnected; offline payments sync on reconnect. If they still do not appear, collect a screenshot of the payment entry and contact support. :contentReference[oaicite:13]{index=13}


Push notifications not received

Verify device notification permission and that tenant push configuration is enabled. Check server logs if you have access or ask an admin to verify push provider settings. :contentReference[oaicite:14]{index=14}




11) Need help?

If an issue persists, gather the following and open a support ticket:

Device platform & OS version (iOS/Android and version). App version (or browser + PWA install method). Short description of the problem and the steps you took. Screenshots of the error or the app’s queued items / sync status.




Related articles: PWA Install; Permissions & Location (admin notes); Camera & Photos; Offline & Sync.


References

  • PWA install & offline queue notes — project README. :contentReference[oaicite:15]{index=15} :contentReference[oaicite:16]{index=16}
  • Technician location / clock in & update cadence — Jobs Map View. :contentReference[oaicite:17]{index=17} :contentReference[oaicite:18]{index=18}
  • Camera native integration & Portfolio — package.json + Job Portfolio code. :contentReference[oaicite:19]{index=19} :contentReference[oaicite:20]{index=20}
  • Offline payments & deposits behavior — Payments/Payments list. :contentReference[oaicite:21]{index=21}


Updated on: 10/01/2026

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