How to Scan a QR Code in Mission Control

Scan the entry QR code of a visitor in Mission Control so that MyWatchtower selects the property and the visitor, then approve or deny the entry.

A resident can give a visitor an entry QR code. When you scan the code in Mission Control, MyWatchtower finds the visitor and the property for you. You then approve or deny the entry. This article is for community staff who work the gate.

Before you start

To open Mission Control, your role needs Gates set to Add & edit. To read a QR code, it also needs QR codes set to View. By default, the Admin, Supervisor and Gate Attendant roles have both.

Your community must use QR codes. An Admin turns them on in the community settings. See *Enable QR Codes and Set the Daily Cap*.

QR code types

A resident sets the use limit when they create the code. See *How to Create a QR Code for Your Guest*. You scan each type the same way:

One-time use: the code works for one entry.

Limited uses: the code works for a set number of entries.

Unlimited: the code has no use limit.

Each code also has a daily limit, which the community sets. The default is 3 entries a day. When a code reaches the daily limit, the scan shows an error, and the code works again the next day. When a limited code has no uses left, MyWatchtower keeps the code. A new scan finds it, but you cannot approve the entry.

Open the scanner

1. Open Mission Control. If your role can open gates, MyWatchtower opens it when you sign in, and when you select Dashboard in the navigation.

2. Select the scan button at the top right of the page. When your community uses QR codes, the button reads Scan license / QR code. When it does not, the button reads Scan license, and the scanner reads only driver's licenses.

On a computer, the scan dialog opens. In the MyWatchtower app on a phone or a tablet, the camera opens.

Mission Control at step 1, with the Scan license / QR code button at the top right next to Select access point

Scan the code

With a handheld scanner on a computer

1. Make sure that the Scanned license or QR code box has the cursor. If it does not, click inside the box.

2. Scan the QR code on the visitor's phone or printed pass. The data shows in the box, and MyWatchtower reads it at once.

3. If nothing happens, click inside the box and scan again.

You can also type the code in the box by hand. Then select Continue. The button shows only when the box holds text.

The Scan license or QR code dialog, ready for a scan, with an empty Scanned license or QR code box and the Cancel button

With the camera in the app

1. Point the camera at the QR code. Keep the code inside the box on the screen.

2. If the light is low, select Turn on flashlight. If the camera stops and starts again, the flashlight goes back to your setting.

If the camera cannot read the code after a few seconds, a tip shows on the screen. After about 25 seconds, the camera closes and the scan dialog opens. Type the code by hand, or select Scan with camera to try again in better light.

If the app cannot use the camera, a message tells you why:

If the camera permission is off, select Open settings and allow the camera. When you come back to the app, the camera starts again.

If the camera did not start, close the other apps that use the camera. Then select Try again.

Read the result

When MyWatchtower finds the code, it selects the property and the visitor for you, and opens step 3, Entry.

A banner under the top bar shows QR code scanned and the name of the visitor. To see the details of the code, select View scanned data. To remove the scan, select Clear scanned data.

The Record entry card shows the property, the visitor and a QR code visitor row. That row shows the type of the visitor and the uses that are left, or Unlimited.

If a limited code has 2 uses or fewer left, the card shows a warning. If it has no uses left, you cannot approve the entry.

Read the notes of the property and the visitor, and the contacts of the property, at the left of the screen.

The Scanned data dialog does not show the internal ID of the code, so you have no code number to read to a visitor.

A guest or a vendor can have an entry schedule. If the visitor is outside their schedule now, MyWatchtower does not select the visitor. A message tells you the schedule. The property stays selected, and the visitor shows in gray in the list. You cannot select the visitor until the schedule allows it.

If the dialog shows an error, read it. The code can be expired, deleted, at its daily limit, or from another community. Do not let the visitor in on that code. Ask the visitor to get a new code from the resident, or call the contacts of the property.

Approve or deny the entry

1. Make sure that the name on the screen matches the person at the gate. Also make sure that the property is correct.

2. If you want MyWatchtower to open a gate when you approve, select the access point in Select access point.

3. Select Approve entry, or Deny entry. To deny an entry, you must type a reason in Notes.

When you approve the entry of a limited code, the code loses one use. A restricted visitor shows a red card, and you can only deny the entry. For the full steps, see *Record an Entry in Mission Control*.

Troubleshooting

If the code does not scan, make sure that the whole code is on the screen and not damaged. Ask the visitor to make their screen brighter. Then type the code by hand.

If the camera does not open in the app, read the camera message. Select Open settings to allow the camera.

If the code is used up or at its daily limit, do not let the visitor in on the code. Ask the visitor to contact the resident for a new code.

If the name does not match the person, ask for a photo ID. If you cannot explain the difference, deny the entry and write the reason in Notes.

In offline mode, you cannot scan a QR code or a license. Find the visitor by name and record the entry. MyWatchtower keeps the entry on the device and sends it when the server is available again.