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Gatehouse guard guide

How to scan QR passes from the ArmorPass gatehouse app, what each scan result means, and how the entry log is kept.

As a guard, your work with ArmorPass comes down to two actions: scanning passes and recording what happens. On every scan, the gatehouse app tells you whether the pass is valid and who authorized it. Your judgment is still irreplaceable: the app informs, you decide and stay in control.

Your access to the gatehouse app

The condominium administration hands out access to the gatehouse app and links it to the property you watch over. You do not need a resident account. If you change shifts or move to another property, the administration updates your access; if you cannot get in, tell them before anyone else.

Before your shift starts, it is worth:

  1. Opening the gatehouse app and confirming the right condominium is showing.
  2. Checking that the camera scans properly (test it on any code).
  3. Keeping your phone or tablet charged. Scanning drains the battery over a shift.

How you scan a pass

  1. On the main screen of the gatehouse app, tap the scan button.
  2. Point the camera at the QR code the visitor shows you on their phone (or on paper).
  3. Wait for the read: within a couple of seconds the app shows the result with the visitor's name, the resident who authorized it, and the pass status.
  4. Verify that the name on screen matches the person in front of you.
  5. Confirm the entry and, if asked, note the extra detail the condominium requires (license plate, destination, notes).

If the code is damaged or the screen is badly cracked, the app lets you look up the pass by the visitor's or the resident's name. Use it only when the person cannot show the code.

What each result means

  • Valid pass: the authorization is current and the person matches. Confirm the entry. The resident gets their notification automatically.
  • Expired pass: the pass existed but has already run out. Letting the person through is not appropriate. Tell the visitor to ask the resident for a new pass; the resident can create one in seconds from their app.
  • Already used pass: it was single use and has been consumed. Same answer: new pass.
  • Voided pass: the resident canceled it after creating it. Do not let the person through and report it through the internal channel.
  • No pass or unrecognized code: there is no authorization on record. Apply the condominium's procedure: usually calling the resident from the internal directory, or registering the person as a manual visitor, as the administration determines.

In condominiums or schools that use FastPass, the result shows a valid recurring pass, with the validity the resident or the administration defined.

The entry log

Every confirmed pass goes into the log: who came in, who authorized the pass, at what time, and which unit they are visiting. The administration reviews that log from their panel, and it is the tidy version of the gatehouse notebook: no rushed handwriting and no lost pages.

Golden rule: the log reflects what you do in the app. If you let someone through without scanning, that entry does not exist for the log. If you scan but do not let the person in, the app shows the read but the entry stays unconfirmed. Confirming only what actually enters keeps the log clean, and in the end that protects you.

Child pickup at schools

If you work at a school with ArmorPass, the pickup scan also shows the photo of the authorized person. Your protocol: match the photo against the person present, confirm they are the same, and only then hand over the child. With any doubt about the photo or the name, do not hand over and call inside following the school's procedure. The full guide is in the guide for school families, which is worth knowing too.

Frequent situations

  • The visitor arrives with no phone: the app lets you search for the pass by name. If it does not come up, proceed as a visitor without a pass under the condominium's rules.
  • More people show up than the pass covered: the pass covers the named person only. For companions, apply the condominium's judgment and rules.
  • The connection drops mid-shift: tell the administration and write down on paper whatever you can, to transfer it later. The administration says how that stretch gets reconciled.
  • A resident asks you to let someone through "now, I'll scan later": an entry without a scan is not recorded and notifies nobody. Explain that the pass takes less than a minute, and protect yourself.

Your relationship with the administration

The rules for who comes in and who does not are set by the condominium administration, not by the app. ArmorPass gives you the information at the right moment to apply those rules. If you notice an odd pattern (for example, one unit repeatedly producing expired passes), report it through the internal channel: the administration sees the same log you do and can talk to that resident.

If the gatehouse app fails or behaves strangely, check the troubleshooting guide and tell the administration with as much detail as possible about what you saw on screen.