Rock Version 11 is now in Early Release and out on RockSolidChurchDemo.Com for testing. Of all the updates and improvements, Mobile Check-In must be the biggest and most anticipated in this year of the Coronavirus. Churches have been looking for a way to check-in and limit contact with others at the same time. So, what are the new features, and how do we implement them?

V11 introduces a new block designed to allow people to check-in on their mobile devices, but only within a certain proximity to the church. Once they are within a defined geofence area, the page (which defaults to a /mobilecheckin URL) allows them to run something like your "normal" Rock check-in process on their device. After you check-in, the block displays a QR code used for printing labels upon arrival at the church.

But before you start celebrating “contactless” check-in, be sure to think through the logistics. The printer can still be a single point of shared contact, so plan to staff those printers with a person to handle the physical labels to reduce contact further. You might even consider some plexiglass separation like most retailers have adopted. I've concluded that “contactless” check-in isn’t possible, particularly when dealing with kids. But think through people's experience coming to your church and minimizing the risks as best you can.

Implementing this new feature has some loopholes to think through for churches.

1. The iPad app is necessary to print labels based on the QR code. Some churches may need to purchase iPads or reconfigure printers so the iPads can utilize those printers (such as Bluetooth or network-based printing). Make sure you have the latest iPad app installed.

2. Make sure you have a Google Maps API Key properly installed on your system. This API key is necessary for locations and geofencing to work.

3. Create a Geofence for each check-in device that you will use for Mobile Check-In. If you are a multi-campus church, depending on how your check-in is configured, you may be able to use one mobile check-in, or you might have to have one per campus to set the block settings on the mobile check-in launcher correctly.

4. Configure the block settings on the Mobile Check-In Launcher page (e.g., https://www.rocksolidchurchdemo.com/page/103?Page=2624&ExpandedIds=1%2c206&Redirect=false). These allow you to select the device and check-in areas that mobile check-in  will use.  

This much-anticipated feature is an excellent addition to Rock and is reasonably simple to implement. Apart from iPad hardware and printer considerations, most churches can add this to their Rock suite of offerings and anticipate a good user experience.

Mobile Check-In is one of those features driven by the demands of 2020 that will be a part of everyone's Rock experience for years to come.