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Facial Recognition

Facial recognition lets staff clock on and off by looking at an iPad mounted at work, using the NoahFace app. Nobody can clock on for someone else, there's nothing to remember or carry, and clock-ons are kept on the iPad if the internet drops.

Required planEnterprise
Required accessTo register staff on the iPad: NFC tags, Fingerprints, Facial

Before you set up facial recognition

  • Facial recognition is part of the Enterprise plan. Talk to our sales team before you buy an iPad or mount.
  • You need an iPad running iPadOS 14 or later. NoahFace recommends a standard iPad; an iPad Mini also works, and an iPad Pro adds optional 3D liveness detection. See the facial recognition hardware.
  • You need a registration code from Microkeeper to connect the app to your account. Contact our support team for it.
  • Each manager who registers staff needs NFC tags, Fingerprints, Facial ticked under Manager Options in their Access Control, and an email address on their profile. That's where their registration passcode is sent.

Mount and power the iPad

The iPad is meant to stay mounted on a wall, powered and connected. Mount it:

  • Where the light is steady through the day, and not facing a window.
  • With the camera at the top, either flush to the wall with the camera 150 to 155cm from the ground, or from 130cm, angled slightly up. On a bench, angle it further up.
  • Securely, so it can't be moved, tilted or easily taken.

Mounting height for the iPad: the camera 1.3 m from the ground, angled slightly up so it sees staff of different heights

Keep it charged with the iPad's own power adaptor, a higher-wattage adaptor with a USB extension cable, or a Power over Ethernet adaptor. An iPhone charger isn't enough. Check the iPad holds its full charge with NoahFace running: a very bright screen or the camera zoom setting drains it faster.

Connect it by Wi-Fi, by Ethernet through an adaptor, or by 4G or 5G. NoahFace's own guide covers the best iPad settings: see Setting up your iPad.

Connect NoahFace to Microkeeper

  1. Download NoahFace from the App Store and open it.
  2. Click Next, then choose Connect to connect the app to your account.
  3. Enter the registration code from Microkeeper.
  4. Allow NoahFace to use the camera.
  5. Choose whether the lighting where it's mounted is Constant or Variable, then click Start.

Your active staff, Locations, Roles and Jobs appear in the app automatically. When staff clock on, they can choose where they're working and what they're doing, as they would on the Employee Console.

Register each employee's face

  1. The employee stands about an arm's length from the iPad and looks at it until the green bar at the top reaches 100%. If it doesn't, they turn their head slightly, move a little closer or further away, or take off their glasses.
  2. They press Register and choose their name.
  3. A manager enters their registration passcode, from the email Microkeeper sent them, to finish. The manager stands to the side so they're not in the camera's view.
  4. The employee steps away, then back in front of the iPad to check it recognises them.

The email Microkeeper sends managers with their NoahFace registration passcode

An employee's first clock-on by face ticks Facial Recognition under Employee Clocking on their profile. On their timesheet, those clock-ons show the facial recognition icon.

Adjust the camera for clear faces

Recognition depends on a bright, clear picture of each face. To adjust it, a manager touches the NoahFace icon at the bottom right, enters the admin passcode, and opens Settings > Camera.

  • Steady indoor lighting: set the shutter speed to a fixed value, usually 1/30 or 1/15, then adjust the ISO until faces are bright and clear.
  • Changing light: set the shutter speed to automatic, then adjust the brightness.

NoahFace camera settings with shutter speed, ISO and brightness

Facial recognition troubleshooting

Why doesn't the iPad recognise people?

Usually because of light behind them, such as a window or spotlight. Their faces come out too dark to recognise, and changing the brightness doesn't help. Move the iPad away from windows, add blinds or tinting, or light faces from the front, such as with a light above the iPad. Newer iPads handle backlight much better than older ones.

A face too dark to recognise because the camera faces a bright window

Why didn't a manager get the registration passcode?

Check their Access Control has NFC tags, Fingerprints, Facial ticked under Manager Options, and their profile has an email address.

Do clock-ons still count if the internet drops?

Yes. The iPad keeps each clock-on with its time and sends it to Microkeeper once it's back online.

Guides related to facial recognition

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