Troubleshooting & FAQ

Last updated March 2026

Having trouble with Porter? This guide covers the most common issues and their solutions, plus answers to frequently asked questions.

Kiosk Won't Connect

If your kiosk is not loading or is showing a connection error, try the following steps in order.

Check your internet connection — ensure the kiosk device is connected to Wi-Fi or Ethernet
Clear the browser cache — cached data can sometimes cause loading issues
Verify the kiosk URL — make sure you are using the correct URL from Settings > Kiosk
Try incognito mode — open the kiosk URL in a private/incognito window to rule out extension conflicts
Check if the location is active — go to Locations and ensure the location status is set to Active

Kiosk connection error screen with troubleshooting tips

If none of these steps resolve the issue, try restarting the kiosk device. If the problem persists, contact support with your location ID and the exact error message shown.

Notifications Not Sending

If hosts or admins are not receiving notifications when visitors arrive, work through these checks.

Email Notifications

Verify notification preferences are enabled in Settings > Notifications
Check the recipient's spam/junk folder for emails from Porter
Add [email protected] to the recipient's safe sender list
Check the notification logs in Settings > Notifications > Logs for delivery status

Notification settings page with email, SMS, and Slack options

SMS Notifications

Verify your Twilio credentials in Settings > Integrations > Twilio
Ensure the phone number is in the correct international format
Check your Twilio account balance and message logs

Slack Notifications

Test the webhook URL in Settings > Integrations > Slack
Ensure the Slack app has not been removed from your workspace
Verify the target channel still exists and the bot has permission to post

Badge Printer Not Detected

If your badge printer is not being detected, follow these troubleshooting steps.

Ensure the printer is connected and powered on — check USB cable or network connection
Check browser print permissions — the browser may need explicit permission to access printers
Try a test print from the operating system — this verifies the printer works outside of Porter
Ensure the correct printer is set as default — if you have multiple printers, Porter uses the system default
Clear the browser cache — stale cached data can interfere with print detection
Restart the printer — power off, wait 10 seconds, and power back on

Printer troubleshooting checklist with status indicators

For Dymo LabelWriter printers, ensure the Dymo driver software is installed on the kiosk device. Visit the Dymo support site for the latest drivers.

Camera Not Working on Kiosk

If the camera is not activating during the visitor photo step, check the following.

Browser camera permission — the browser must have permission to access the camera. Look for a camera icon in the address bar
Site permissions — go to browser settings and ensure the Porter kiosk URL is allowed camera access
HTTPS required — cameras only work on HTTPS pages. Ensure the kiosk URL starts with https://
Try a different browser — Chrome and Safari have the best camera support for web applications
Check for hardware issues — test the camera with another application to rule out hardware failure

Browser camera permission prompt for the kiosk page

If your kiosk device has multiple cameras (e.g., front and rear on a tablet), Porter will use the front-facing camera by default. You can change this in the kiosk settings.

Offline Mode

Porter includes built-in offline resilience so that visitor check-ins are not lost if the internet connection drops.

How Offline Mode Works

When the kiosk loses internet connectivity, Porter automatically enters offline mode
An offline indicator is shown on the kiosk screen to inform users
Visitor check-ins are queued locally on the device
When the connection is restored, all queued check-ins are automatically synced to the server

Kiosk in offline mode showing the offline indicator banner

Offline Limitations

Badge printing is paused until the connection is restored
Host notifications will be sent once the check-ins sync
Photo capture still works offline (stored locally with the check-in)
The host directory may not be up to date if changes were made while offline

Frequently Asked Questions

Click on any question below to reveal the answer.

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Getting Started Setting Up Your Visitor Kiosk