Running a busy restaurant or café means your point of sale is constantly in use. And when multiple staff members are working the same shift, it's easy for sales and tips to end up under the wrong name.
Auto-lock is a Pro Plan feature that solves this by automatically returning your device to the staff selection screen after a period of inactivity or once a key action is completed. This means that every transaction is always linked to the right person, without relying on staff to manually switch between profiles.
💡 Good to know: Auto-lock isn't available on Yoco handheld devices just yet. The staff switching screen will still appear between sessions, but auto-lock triggers and inactivity timers can only be enabled on Counter and the Yoco POS App running on a mobile/tablet for now.
Before setting up auto-lock, you'll need to add team members and set up staff profiles in the Yoco App (mobile or web). Learn how to set up staff profiles.
Give your team credit for every sale they make
Auto-lock is set up directly on your Counter or in the Yoco POS App running on your mobile/tablet. Once enabled, your device will automatically lock and return to the staff selection screen in one of two ways:
Lock after inactivity
The device locks after a set period of no activity, e.g. 30 seconds.
Lock after an action
The device locks as soon as a defined action is completed, e.g. when a payment is processed, an order is saved, or a receipt is sent.
💡 Good to know:
Both of the above options require staff to select their profile and enter their PIN before the next transaction can begin. This keeps your sales data accurate and your staff reporting reliable.
Auto-lock can only be enabled and managed by these user types: Administrator, Manager, and Supervisor.
A staff widget shows who's logged in throughout every workflow, from taking an order to processing a payment. This appears at the bottom of the menu on Counter and the POS App running on a tablet. It appears in the top right corner of the screen in the POS App running on a mobile phone.
On the Core Plan or Plus Plan? Auto-lock is a Pro Plan feature. Upgrade to Pro to unlock it alongside other advanced staff permissions.
Setting up auto-lock
Note: Auto-lock is enabled per device, not across your whole business. So, if you have multiple devices, you'll need to set up auto-lock on each one separately.
Log in to your Counter or the Yoco POS App running on your mobile/tablet.
Select the More tab.
Tap the Auto-lock tile/widget under the Manage Point of Sale heading.
Toggle the Auto-lock switch on. You'll now be prompted to choose between the Lock after action and Lock after inactivity options.
❗Important: Before leaving this screen, make sure you've selected a trigger. If you don’t, the auto-lock feature won't work on your device.
If you select Lock after action, choose which action triggers the lock:
Sending or saving an order
Accepting a payment
If you select Lock after inactivity, choose how long the device waits before locking, e.g. 15 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, 2 minutes etc.
💡 Good to know: Select the Custom option to set your own wait time. Custom values must be between 15 seconds and 59 minutes 59 seconds.
Note: You can return to these settings at any time to enable/disable auto-lock, and to change the trigger action or time frame.
❗ Important: Auto-lock is off by default. Until it's enabled, sales will be recorded under whichever staff member last logged in.
Using auto-lock
Once auto-lock is enabled, your staff will see the following on your point of sale during a shift.
Countdown timer
If you've set auto-lock to trigger after inactivity, a 3-second countdown timer will appear on screen before the device locks. Touching the screen, or scanning a barcode, will cancel the countdown, giving staff time to respond if they're mid-task.
Locked screen
Once the device has auto-locked, either after the set period of inactivity or an action, the staff selection screen appears. Staff must then tap their name and enter their PIN to start a new session.
The staff widget is present on the screens of all Yoco point of sale and handheld devices, showing who's logged in at all times. This avoids any confusion about who's working a session, even during handovers.
Auto-lock FAQs
What happens to an unsaved cart if auto-lock triggers?
What happens to an unsaved cart if auto-lock triggers?
If auto-lock triggers while there are items in the cart, those items will be cleared. The till is being handed to a new staff member, so the cart doesn't carry over. Make sure your staff save or send their order before stepping away.
What if a staff members needs to lock the device manually?
What if a staff members needs to lock the device manually?
Before manually locking the point of sale device, staff will be prompted to either save or discard their unsaved cart first. It won’t automatically be cleared.
To lock the device manually, staff can:
Tap the lock button in the Sell tab.
Tap the profile avatar in the side navigation.
Go to More → Lock
Will auto-lock trigger during a card payment?
Will auto-lock trigger during a card payment?
No, the point of sale device won't auto-lock while a card payment is being processed. Once the payment is complete, normal auto-lock behaviour resumes.
What if a staff member can't enter their PIN?
What if a staff member can't enter their PIN?
It depends on the type of staff profile they have:
If they have a PIN but can't remember it, they must tap Forgot PIN on the PIN screen to create a password instead.
If they were never issued a PIN, a password prompt will appear in place of the PIN pad and they can log in using their account password.
Need more help?
Start a conversation with a Yoco Support consultant via our in-app chat.