Scanning QR codes offline using the FareHarbor iOS app
Last updated: October 5, 2022
When you are disconnected from the internet, you can still check in customers offline without disrupting the flow of activity, then synchronize these results later when you are back online in FareHarbor.
Please note that the ability to check in customers while offline is currently available only for iOS devices running version 2.11 or higher of the FareHarbor iOS app. Please make sure to check the Apple App Store for the most recent version.
Enabling offline mode
Important: Offline QR scanning only works for bookings associated with the availabilities for the date that you have selected on the Choose what to check-in screen. This functionality does not apply when the Any date option is selected.
Follow these steps to enable offline QR scanning:
- Open the QR scanning by tapping on the QR icon on the app toolbar at the bottom.
- Tap the Settings (gear) icon in the top-right corner.
- Move the Offline mode toggle to the “on” position (green).
Tap Close in the top-right corner to dismiss the Scan Settings dialog box.
Bookings associated with the availabilities for the date that you have selected are automatically downloaded to your iOS device.
Start scanning.
If you lose your internet connection after the bookings have been downloaded to your device, you will still be able to successfully check in your customers.
The dotted line on the scanned booking details shows that the booking has been checked in while offline. As soon as your connection to FareHarbor is re-established, the synchronization with your Dashboard occurs automatically.
During the synchronization, Ready to Scan/ Syncing offline data.. is shown.
If the sync is successful, you will see Ready to Scan, and you can continue scanning.
Sync conflicts
What is a sync conflict?
A conflict appears when there is a mismatch between the online and offline check-in scan status. For example, if you are ready to scan for activity A but you lose your internet connection, you can still continue scanning the bookings that have been downloaded up to that point. If in the meantime, another Dashboard user changes one of the bookings online and modifies its check-in status, the customer’s booking statuses will be out of sync. Since your phone does not have internet access, you are not notified about this change right away. During the next sync, his booking will be flagged in the Conflicts report as having a conflict.
If conflicts occur during synchronization, the 
icon appears in the top-right corner of the scanning details, and the status changes to Ready to Scan/ Sync conflicts found:
Tap on the icon to view the conflict details.
The action that you performed is highlighted by a dotted line, and the specific reason for the conflict is shown directly below. In the following example, the booking was cancelled online either before or during the scanning process at the same time it was being scanned offline.
You can dismiss individual bookings by tapping on the booking, or clear the entire list of conflicts by tapping Dismiss All.
Note: When there is a conflict, the online version takes precedence during the sync, however the status can be modified at any time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I see a “Download failed” error message?
If the bookings fail to download to your device, an error message will be displayed in red.
To resolve this issue, go directly to the QR Scan Settings screen to retry the download.
Why do I see a “Booking not found” error when attempting to scan a QR code offline?
This error indicates that the booking cannot be identified (for example, your customer has made the booking after you lost your internet connection). You can go through the troubleshooting steps here to fix this issue.
Why aren’t my scanned booking details removed when I tap the Clear scan history button?
This occurs because your bookings have not yet been synced online, or there are conflicts associated with them. Once you re-connect to your network and the sync is performed, or if you dismiss the conflicts associated with your bookings, your scanned booking details will be dismissed.
Can I scan without checking in customers when offline?
Yes, you can scan without checking in customers when offline.
Can I search bookings while I am offline?
You will not be able to search any bookings until you re-establish your internet connection.
Can I scan offline using an external handheld device?
Yes, it is possible to scan QR codes offline using a handheld device, provided that the handheld device is connected through Bluetooth to the app (and you are not using the independent offline storage functionality of your handheld device). The sync will be done once you re-establish your internet connection.
Why do I not see the “Ready to scan / Offline – Will sync once connected.” message when trying to scan QR codes offline?
In order to be able to scan QR codes offline, you must first have downloaded all bookings from that availability to your local device. Once you have gone online and downloaded the booking information, you will see this message and be able to scan offline.
Can I scan offline if I see the message: “Offline – Check your internet connection”?
No. That means that the bookings have not been successfully saved locally for scanning. You will need to connect to the network, select the availabilities that you would like to scan and wait for some moments for them to be downloaded. Once you drop offline and see the status Ready to scan / Offline – Will sync once connected, then you will be able to scan without wi-fi connectivity.
How do I remove the conflicts report?
To remove the conflicts report, click the Dismiss all button on the conflict report and the log will be deleted.