QuickBooks Time Mobile Time Entry Permissions Not Applying Correctly
Learn how QuickBooks Time mobile time entry settings interact with individual team member permissions and how to resolve conflicts.
If you have enabled mobile time entry for your team in QuickBooks Time but some members still cannot clock in from their phones, the cause is likely a conflict between account-wide settings and individual permissions. QuickBooks Time lets you configure mobile time tracking at the company level, but a manual change to one person’s permissions can override that setting without warning.
How the permission conflict happens
QuickBooks Time gives administrators two layers of control over mobile time entry. The first is the company-wide setting, found under Company Settings, Time Entry Options, then Time Entry. The second is the individual permission on each team member’s profile.
When you turn on mobile time entry for everyone at the company level, most team members gain the ability to clock in and out from the mobile app. However, if someone previously adjusted a single person’s permissions manually, that individual setting takes precedence. The account-wide toggle no longer governs that person. The result is a team member who appears to have the correct setup but cannot track hours on a mobile device.
What the software will not do
QuickBooks Time does not flag the conflict for you. It does not show a warning that an individual permission is overriding the company default. It also does not automatically sync the two layers when you change one. If you switch the account-wide setting back and forth, the manually configured individual permission stays exactly as it was.
The “Allow team members to manage their timesheets” option is another common source of confusion. Selecting this at the company level automatically enables mobile time entry and greys out the individual mobile time entry permission for every team member. That means you cannot customise mobile access for specific people while this broader option is active. You must choose between giving everyone full timesheet management or setting mobile access person by person.
How to resolve the issue
Start by checking the company-wide setting. In QuickBooks Time, go to Company Settings, select Time Entry Options, and then Time Entry. Confirm that “Allow team members to track time on the mobile app” is selected, then save.
If the problem persists for specific individuals, their individual permissions need attention. The same company-level menu lets you adjust mobile time entry for a single team member when the broader “manage timesheets” option is not forcing the setting. Locate the affected person and verify that mobile time entry is enabled on their profile.
Remember that any manual change to an individual’s permissions will override the account-wide default going forward. If you later need to reset that person to match the company setting, you will have to edit their profile directly.
Other permissions that follow the same pattern
Mobile time entry is not the only setting where individual permissions can quietly override company defaults. GPS tracking, geofencing, mileage tracking, timesheet submission, notifications, the “Who’s working” view, and mobile device timezone all live under the same administrative model. If a feature is not behaving as expected for one or two team members, check whether their individual permissions differ from the company configuration before assuming a broader system issue.
For teams that need different access levels for different roles, document any manual permission changes. That record will save time when a setting does not apply as expected weeks or months later.