How to Use a Refurbished Tablet as an Employee Time Clock
Short answer: yes. A refurbished iPad or Android tablet makes a good employee time clock. You mount it by the door, open a time clock in the browser, and staff clock in with a PIN. You do not need a punch clock machine or any special hardware.
We sell refurbished tablets, and our own team clocks in with a browser time clock. This guide covers which devices work, how to lock the tablet to one screen, and what to check before you buy.
What you need
- A tablet with a recent browser. Most browser time clocks need iOS 15.4 or newer, or a version of Chrome from 2022 or later. On the Apple side that means an iPad Air 2, an iPad mini 4, or anything newer.
- Wi-Fi where the tablet will sit. Test the signal at the door or register, not at your desk.
- Power. Plan for the tablet to stay plugged in all day. Mount it near an outlet.
- A wall mount or counter stand. A fixed tablet gets treated like equipment. A loose one walks away.
- Time clock software. We use Kloqk's free time clock, which runs in the browser with nothing to install.
Which refurbished tablet to buy
A time clock is one of the lightest jobs a tablet can do. It shows a keypad and a list of names. You do not need the newest model, a big screen, or much storage.
| What matters | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Software support | Runs iOS 15.4 or newer, or current Chrome on Android |
| Screen | No cracks over the touch area. Light scratches are fine |
| Battery | Matters less than usual, since it stays plugged in |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi only is enough. You do not need a cellular model |
| Front camera | Working, if you want a photo with each punch |
That makes a lower cosmetic grade a smart buy here. The tablet sits in a mount, and nobody sees the back. Browse our refurbished iPads, Samsung Galaxy tablets, or all tablets.
A spare phone also works for a very small team. The keypad is smaller, but the setup is the same.
How to set it up
- Update the tablet. Install the latest system update it supports, then update the browser.
- Create your time clock account on your own computer and add your employees.
- Open the time clock on the tablet. With Kloqk you open the kiosk page and type a code. Staff then clock in with a 4-digit PIN.
- Lock the tablet to that one screen. On an iPad, use Guided Access. On Android, use screen pinning. Kloqk has a step-by-step kiosk mode guide for iPad, Android and Chromebook.
- Turn off auto-lock so the screen stays on during business hours.
- Mount it and test it. Have two people clock in and out before you announce it to the team.
Settings worth turning on
- Photo at each punch. The front camera takes a photo, so one person cannot clock in for another.
- Hide names. If customers can see the screen, show only the PIN pad.
- Automatic clock-out. It closes a shift when someone forgets, and flags it for a manager to review.
Where a tablet time clock fits
A shared tablet works best when people start and end the day in one place. Kloqk has setup pages for restaurants, retail stores and small businesses in general. The same setup suits hotels, daycare centers and cleaning companies with a fixed office, and city departments that need one clock per building. Crews that move between job sites, like construction teams, usually clock in from their own phones with a job site time clock instead.
Before you rely on it for payroll
A time clock records hours. Your state decides how those hours are paid. Break rules, overtime and record-keeping rules differ by state, so check yours. Kloqk keeps a plain-language summary of work rules by state and a set of free time card and overtime calculators. The plans page shows what the free plan covers.
FAQ
Can I use an old iPad as a time clock?
Yes, if it runs iOS 15.4 or newer. That covers the iPad Air 2, the iPad mini 4, and newer models. Older iPads cannot run a current browser, so most web time clocks will not load on them.
Do I need a cellular tablet?
No. A Wi-Fi tablet is enough for a time clock that stays in one place.
Does the tablet need a good battery?
Not really. It stays plugged in, so battery health matters much less than screen condition and software support.
Can staff use the tablet for anything else?
Not if you lock it. Guided Access on iPad and screen pinning on Android keep the tablet on the time clock screen until you enter a passcode.
Disclosure: Kloqk is built by the same team that runs Device Giant. We use it for our own team, which is why we recommend it here. Any browser-based time clock will work with the setup steps above.
