PunchMe Manager app for owners and HR
Updated 2026-11-07
What it is
PunchMe Manager is the phone app for owners, HR and managers. It lets you approve requests, check today's attendance, review flagged punches and reach your staff from your phone. It works with the same account and data as the web dashboard.
It is a separate app from the employee app. Employees don't need it.
Who uses it
- Company owners.
- HR, office managers and anyone you invited to the dashboard with a role.
What each person sees depends on their role and scope. A person limited to one office or team only sees employees in that office or team. See Roles and permissions.
Where to find it
PunchMe Manager is available for Android and iPhone. Look for PunchMe Manager in your app store.
On iPhone, the Manager app does not get push notifications yet. Open the app or the dashboard to see what is waiting. The in-app Notifications list still works.
Sign in
- Open PunchMe Manager.
- Enter your dashboard email and password. This is the same login you use on the web.
- Tap Sign in.
There is no email code here. Forgot your password? Reset it on the web dashboard sign-in page.
App lock
App lock protects the app with your fingerprint, face or phone screen lock.
- It is on by default.
- It asks when you open the app, and again after the app has been in the background for more than 2 minutes.
- On Android it uses your fingerprint or screen lock. On iPhone it uses Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode.
- Turn it off in More → Settings → App lock.
- If your phone has no screen lock set, the app can't check anything and opens straight away.
You don't need to unlock right after signing in, because you just typed your password.
Company picker
If you belong to more than one company, the app asks you to Choose company after sign-in. Each company shows your role and its account status.
- To switch later, go to More → Settings → Switch company.
- On Android, tapping a push from another company switches to that company.
- If your account isn't a member of any company, ask your company owner to invite you from the dashboard.
Tabs
The bottom bar has up to five tabs. You only see a tab if your role allows it.
| Tab | Shows when you can |
|---|---|
| Home | Always |
| Approvals | View leaves, attendance, expenses, employees or payroll |
| Attendance | View attendance |
| People | View employees |
| More | Always |
A red number on Approvals is the count of requests waiting. A red number on More is your unread notifications.
Home
The top of Home shows your company, a greeting, the date and today's attendance: present, late, absent, on leave and not in. Tap a bar to open that list in the Attendance tab.
Below are cards. Each card shows only if your role allows it:
- Pending approvals: total waiting, with the two biggest kinds. Tap to open Approvals.
- Open tickets: helpdesk tickets waiting for a reply.
- Flagged punches: punches waiting for review.
- Payroll: this month's run status.
- Wallet: balance and days left (or trial days left). Turns red at 3 days or less.
If the account is paused for an unpaid wallet, Home says "Your PunchMe account is on hold" with an Open billing button. See Billing and wallet.
Pull down to refresh.
Approvals
Approvals is one inbox for every request waiting for you. Tap a request to see the details and decide.
| Request | Decide on mobile? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Leave | Yes | Approve, reject, or forward for final approval |
| Attendance correction | Yes | Final approvers also see manager-approved requests |
| Expense claim | Yes | Receipt preview shown. A reason is needed to reject |
| Profile change | Yes | Shows old and new values. A reason is needed to reject |
| Document | Yes | File preview shown. A reason is needed to reject |
| Overtime and comp-off | Yes | No comment field |
| Resignation | Yes | Accept and set the final last working day, or reject with a reason |
| Loan or advance | Reject only | Tap Approve on web. Approving needs the repayment terms, which you set on the dashboard |
If your company uses two-level approval and you are the first approver, approving a leave or expense may be refused. The app then shows Forward for final approval. See Leaves and Expenses.
If you can view a request but not decide it, the sheet says "You can view this request but not decide it."
Attendance
Attendance shows one day at a time. Tap the calendar icon to pick another date.
Filter chips: All, Present, Late, Absent, On leave, Half day, Not punched, and Flagged if you can manage attendance.
Tap a person to see their punches and checks: check-in and check-out times, hours worked, work mode, how the punch was verified, distance from the office, GPS accuracy, face score, liveness, mock GPS and flags.
Reviewing flagged punches
- Open the Flagged chip, or tap the Flagged punches card on Home.
- Tap a punch and read the checks.
- Add a note if you like.
- Tap Keep punch to accept it, or Reject (mark absent).
See Flagged punches.
People
Search by name, email or employee code. Tap a person to open their profile:
- Call, WhatsApp and Email buttons, when the details are on file.
- Work details: department, shift, office, work mode, type, joining date and Device bound since.
- Leave balances, if you can view leaves.
- Reset device, if you can edit employees. It unbinds their phone and signs it out. See Device binding.
More
| Item | What it does | Who sees it |
|---|---|---|
| Notifications | Your in-app inbox, grouped Today, Yesterday and Earlier. Mark all read at the top | Everyone |
| Post notice | Write a title and message, pick all employees or one office, then Post and notify | Can edit settings |
| Helpdesk | Employee tickets. Reply, or Mark resolved | Can view helpdesk |
| Reports | Download a month as CSV: monthly attendance, late comers, loss of pay, fraud flags, and payroll summary (journal) | Can export reports or view payroll |
| Payroll runs | Monthly totals: employees, gross, net, finalised date. Finalize on web opens the dashboard | Can view payroll |
| Billing | Wallet balance, next charge, amount due and wallet history. Top up on web | Can view billing |
| Settings | App lock, switch company, sign out | Everyone |
Tapping a notification opens the right place, such as Approvals or the helpdesk ticket.
See Notices, Helpdesk, Payroll and Notifications.
What you can't do in the app
Use the web dashboard for:
- Approving loans and advances.
- Running and finalising payroll.
- Topping up the wallet.
- Adding employees, offices, shifts and roles.
- Changing company settings and attendance rules.
Push notifications
On Android, the app asks for permission to show notifications (Android 13 and newer). After that, every in-app notification you get is also pushed to your phone. For example: a new leave request, a punch that needs review, or a low wallet balance. See Notifications.
Signing out stops pushes to that phone.
Limits and edge cases
- iPhone: no push notifications yet.
- The People list shows up to 200 employees at a time. Use search to find others.
- The Approvals count for loans covers the whole company, even for people limited to one office or team.
- The Manager app has no device binding. You can sign in on more than one phone.
- Reports files are saved where you choose. Open them in Sheets or Excel.
Related
Common questions
Can I sign in with the email code like employees do?
No. The Manager app uses your dashboard email and password. Employees use the email code in the employee app.
Why can't I see the Attendance or People tab?
Your role doesn't include viewing attendance or employees. Ask your owner to change your role. See Roles and permissions.
Why does a loan request only offer "Approve on web"?
Approving a loan needs repayment terms, like the start month and the monthly amount. You set those on the dashboard. You can still reject a loan in the app.
How do I stop the fingerprint prompt?
Go to More → Settings and turn off App lock.
I'm HR but I can't see Post notice.
Posting notices needs permission to edit settings. The default HR role doesn't have it. Ask your owner to add it, or post from an account that has it.