Attendance with no signal: what happens to an offline punch

By Sayed Zakrea · 1 October 2026

In Dawmly, a clock-in made with no internet is saved on the employee's phone and sent to the server when the connection returns; it is stored on the device, not the server, until then. Offline mode is on by default on every plan, including Free.

The journey of an offline punch

1. The employee taps clock-in with no signal.
2. The app writes the punch to a local outbox on the phone.
3. When the phone is back online, the app replays the outbox to the server.
4. The punch then appears with the other attendance records.

Until step 3, the punch exists only on that phone. It stays in the outbox if the app is closed, so nothing is lost by closing the app.

What else works offline

Attendance punches, visit actions and leave requests queue the same way. The app also keeps a cached copy of the schedule, visits, leave balances and salary data, so employees can still look things up. What can queue follows your plan: a Free account queues attendance punches, leave requests need Starter, and visits need Growth.

Selfies and offline punches

If your company requires a selfie, an offline punch is still accepted, because the photo cannot upload without a connection. That makes offline punches a group worth reviewing.

What to tell your team

• Offline punches are normal; clock in even with no signal.
• Open the app once you are back online so it can sync.
• Avoid uninstalling the app or clearing its data before it has synced, because unsynced punches live on the phone.
• Each module has its own sync toggle in the app's sync settings.

Plans

Offline mode has no plan gate of its own. See offline attendance and pricing.

Frequently asked questions