Tablet time clock – one tablet on the wall, your team clocks in within seconds.

Shiftdesk Terminal turns a compatible iPad or Android tablet into a shared time clock at your location. Employees select their name or enter their employee number, then clock in with a personal PIN — without their own smartphone or user account.

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For iPad & Android tablets · Included in Pro and Enterprise · No employee account required

Employee clocking in at the Shiftdesk Terminal tablet time clock on the office wall
For iPad & Android tablets
No employee account required
Kiosk mode for continuous operation
Built on GDPR principles

From a shift to a clear record of hours.

See how your team records time and how you keep track of it.

One tablet. Individual PINs.

Each team member selects their name and enters their personal PIN. No personal smartphone is needed.

Entering a personal PIN on Shiftdesk Terminal
Product illustration with sample data.

One tablet. Individual PINs.

Entering a personal PIN on Shiftdesk Terminal

Product illustration with sample data.

The time clock for your team — shared device, personal clock-in

One tablet at your location replaces timesheets and punch cards. Every clock-in lands straight in Shiftdesk time tracking.

Shiftdesk Terminal tablet time clock – employee confirming with a personal PIN on the iPad

Clock in within seconds — without a personal account

Employees select their name or enter their employee number, confirm with their personal PIN — and clock in or out. No one needs a personal account, an app installation or a smartphone for it. That makes the tablet time clock ideal for temporary staff, mini-jobbers and anyone without a company phone.

Shiftdesk Terminal – employee list with search and quick selection on the tablet

Team selection everyone understands

The terminal shows the employee list with search and A–Z quick selection — optionally with profile photos, which the employer has to enable explicitly. Large, clearly labeled controls keep the tablet on the wall easy to use even in passing — during shift changes just as well as with gloves on.

Shiftdesk Terminal – personal overview with daily hours, weekly hours and hours balance

Personal overview while clocking in

After entering the PIN, every employee sees the key figures at a glance: hours worked today, weekly hours, hours balance and the next shift. Questions like „How many hours have I worked this week?“ are answered right at the terminal — without checking back with the office.

Shiftdesk Terminal – running break with visible break time on the tablet time clock

Breaks with a single tap

Start a break, end a break — the running break time is visible at all times. All clock entries flow straight into Shiftdesk time tracking: hours account, target-vs-actual comparison and break guidance based on German Working Hours Act (ArbZG) principles included.

Automatic location assignment

The terminal is permanently assigned to one location. Every clock-in lands at the right location automatically — without a GPS request on the device.

Kiosk mode

The tablet can be locked to a single app: Guided Access on iPadOS, screen pinning on Android.

Guided setup

Launch the terminal app, pair it with the location, mount it on the wall — the setup walks you through step by step.

Time tracking with an internet connection

The terminal sends clock entries directly to Shiftdesk. Provide a stable internet connection and a fixed power supply at the location.

How to set up your tablet time clock

Prepare access in the browser, then set up the dedicated terminal app on the tablet. Keep it connected to power and the internet; you may need to unlock it again after a session expires.

  1. 01

    Prepare kiosk mode in the dashboard

    Set a kiosk password under Settings → Kiosk, then enable kiosk mode. You need an active location and Pro, Enterprise or the 14-day Pro trial.

  2. 02

    Install and pair the terminal app

    Install Shiftdesk Terminal on the tablet. Enter your company slug and kiosk password, then select the location where the device is installed.

  3. 03

    Provide PINs and secure the device

    Give your team their personal PINs. Connect the tablet to power and the internet, then enable Guided Access on iPad or screen pinning on Android.

Shiftdesk Terminal in continuous operation – permanently mounted tablet time clock in a logistics center

Privacy built in — on the device everyone uses

A shared time clock displays personnel data right where many people pass by. That's why Shiftdesk Terminal is conservatively preset by default — and leaves you the choice of what's visible.

Built for the DACH market

Shiftdesk Terminal is built on GDPR principles and tailored to the requirements of businesses in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Employee numbers instead of names

On request, the terminal shows only employee numbers — names then stay invisible to others at the device.

Profile photos by opt-in only

Profile photos appear only when the employer explicitly enables them. By default the list stays photo-free.

No ads, no tracking SDKs

The terminal app contains no advertising and no third-party tracking SDKs.

No GPS request on the device

The location comes from the terminal's fixed assignment — the device does not request any position data.

Hosting in the EU

Core application data is processed in Frankfurt. Other services and data processing are documented in the privacy information; a DPA is available for B2B customers.

More on hosting, encryption and data processing on the page Privacy & Hosting.

One terminal for every location with a rotating team

Wherever employees come and go, the tablet time clock replaces slips of paper, punch cards and shouting across the room.

Tablet time clock in a restaurant – employee clocking in at the Shiftdesk Terminal on the wall

Restaurants & hospitality

Tablet at the counter or staff entrance — service and kitchen clock in as they pass by.

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Tablet time clock in retail – employee clocking in at the terminal in the staff area

Retail

Terminal in the store's staff area — also for part-time and temporary teams without a company phone.

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Tablet time clock in care – nurse clocking in at the Shiftdesk Terminal in the hallway

Care & Hospitals

Time clock at the ward entrance — shift changes without a queue at the PC in the staff room.

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Tablet time clock in a warehouse – employee in a hi-vis vest clocking in at the terminal on the wall

Warehousing & Logistics

Terminal at the gate or entrance — multi-shift operations clock in on arrival, without a smartphone in the hall.

Learn more

Now available for iPad and Android tablets

Download Shiftdesk Terminal for free from the Apple App Store onto your iPad or from Google Play onto your Android tablet.

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Available on the App Store and Google Play · Start your 14-day free trial of Shiftdesk today

What does the tablet time clock cost?

Pro regularly costs €45 per month for up to 12 employees, then €3.90 per additional employee per month. With monthly billing, excluding VAT. You provide the tablet and mount; see the pricing page for annual rates and current promotions.

Kiosk mode incl. Shiftdesk Terminal is included in the Pro and Enterprise plans.

Basic

€25

per month · 6 employees included

  • Shift scheduling with drag and drop
  • Time tracking (timer + manual)
  • Absences with leave balance
  • Up to 3 locations
Try it free for 14 days
Popular

Pro

€45

per month · 12 employees included

  • All Basic features
  • Unlimited locations
  • Payroll preparation & DATEV
  • Tablet time clock (kiosk mode)
Try it free for 14 days

Enterprise

€120

per month · 30 employees included

  • All Pro features
  • Public REST API
  • Budget management & custom fields
  • SLA support (8-hour response time)
Contact us
See all details and pricing calculator

All prices exclude VAT · Cancel anytime · No credit card required

What is a tablet time clock?

A tablet time clock is a permanently mounted tablet at which all employees of a location clock in and out — the modern form of the classic punch clock on the wall. Instead of punch cards, chips or ink ribbons, all it takes is an app on a standard iPad or Android tablet: pick a name, enter a PIN, clock in. The times land straight in digital time tracking, without anyone having to type up timesheets.

The most important difference from the time clock via app or browser: the terminal is a shared device. No one needs their own smartphone, their own account or an app installation. That makes the tablet time clock especially attractive for businesses with temporary staff, mini-jobbers and shift teams where not everyone has a company phone — or where private smartphones have no place on the floor.

Alongside a compatible tablet and mount, you need a Shiftdesk plan with kiosk mode. Recorded hours are available in the business account for working-time balances, target-versus-actual comparisons and payroll preparation. Compare the time-tracking methods in the article „Digital time clock: app, browser or terminal?“.

Terminal, app or browser — which fits which team?

The three capture methods don't rule each other out — they complement each other. The tablet terminal fits everywhere employees physically arrive at a location: store, kitchen, warehouse, ward. The scheduling app with built-in time clock is the right choice for mobile teams, field staff and anyone who already carries their schedule on their own smartphone. And the browser time clock covers office and home office — without installation.

With Shiftdesk, all three methods come together in one system: the target times come from scheduling, the actual times from the terminal, app or browser — the reconciliation happens automatically. The overview on time tracking shows how this works in detail. Background on the obligation to record working hours is provided by the article on the 2026 time-tracking obligation.

Shiftdesk Terminal at a glance

Shiftdesk Terminal is the tablet time clock of the Shiftdesk workforce management platform. It complements time tracking with a shared clock-in terminal at your location and works seamlessly with scheduling and the scheduling app. All clock entries flow into the hours account and payroll prep. More on the topic in the overview on the digital time clock.

Frequently asked questions about the tablet time clock

Which devices does Shiftdesk Terminal run on?▼
For compatible iPads and Android tablets in landscape orientation. Check the device requirements in the relevant store before setup. Operation requires power and an active internet connection.
Do employees need their own account or an app?▼
No. Employees clock in right at the terminal: select a name or enter an employee number, confirm a personal PIN, done. Their own smartphone, an app installation or a personal account are not needed. Anyone who also wants to clock in on the go can use the Shiftdesk scheduling app.
Is Shiftdesk Terminal already available?▼
Shiftdesk Terminal is available as a dedicated tablet app. Use the browser to manage your business and prepare kiosk mode. Install the terminal app on the tablet for shared clocking.
What does the tablet time clock cost?▼
The download is free. Operation requires Pro or Enterprise. Pro regularly costs €45 per month including 12 employees; each additional employee costs €3.90 per month. With monthly billing, excluding VAT. You provide the tablet and mount. You can try Shiftdesk free for 14 days.
How is the tablet locked against other use?▼
You can restrict the tablet to the terminal app using Guided Access on iPadOS or screen pinning on Android. An administrator configures this in the device settings; the terminal app provides instructions.
How does Shiftdesk Terminal handle personnel data?▼
The app is built on GDPR principles: hosting in Frankfurt (EU), no advertising, no tracking SDKs, no GPS request on the device. On request, the terminal shows only employee numbers instead of names; profile photos appear only after explicit activation by the employer. A data processing agreement (DPA) is available for B2B customers.
What happens if the Wi-Fi drops briefly?▼
Clocking requires an active internet connection. Clock entries are not stored offline during an outage. After an error, check the displayed status and retry the action once the connection is restored.
Is every clock entry assigned to the right location?▼
Yes. During setup, the terminal is permanently assigned to one location. Every clock entry on the device is automatically attributed to that location in Shiftdesk — without GPS and without manual selection by employees.

Ready for better shift scheduling?

Start your 14-day free trial now — free and no credit card required. Or book a personal demo.

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