Random Log Out's

Retail & Point of Sale
1

I’ve noticed recently, maybe for 3-4 months that a couple of my POS systems with Shopify POS will randomly log themselves out of Shopify.

It starts with Shopify POS acting kinda strange like none of the functions work. Everything just sits there and tries to load. Your only option is to force close the app.

As soon as you force close the app and re-open it, it presents you with the log in QR code.

This creates issues because I am the only one who has the ability to log back into the Shopify account as no other staff member has login credentials and it seems to always happen when I’m not present at the store.

Using the QR code it presents to log back in remotely doesn’t work half the time even though it says the system was successfully logged back in resulting in me having to make in person visits each time to manually log back in.

Support has been zero help. Just the normal troubleshooting steps. And says sometimes it will sign out if there’s been a long period of inactivity which isn’t my case. These machines are used 12 hours out of the day, every day.

I’ve reset the iPads. Uninstalled POS app and reinstalled it. I’ve used the “Reset Account” from the POS app settings. They all work for a while but eventually the logging out will start again. It can go days or weeks without it happening, then randomly it will do it multiple times a day or multiple times a week.

Has anyone else experienced this?

2

Hey @Skivvies4001 ,

That definitely doesn’t sound like expected behavior. If your POS devices are being used continuously throughout the day, they shouldn’t be signing out simply because of inactivity.

Since you’ve already tried resetting the iPads, reinstalling the Shopify POS app, and using Reset Account, it sounds like you’ve already covered the standard troubleshooting steps.

A few things I’d suggest checking are:

Make sure all iPads are running the latest version of iPadOS and the latest Shopify POS app.
Verify that your Wi-Fi connection is stable, as intermittent connectivity can sometimes cause authentication issues.
Consider whether the issue started after a specific Shopify POS or iPadOS update.

Because the problem is occurring across multiple POS devices and the remote QR sign in is also unreliable, it may point to an authentication or session-related issue rather than a problem with an individual iPad.

When contacting Shopify Support again, I’d recommend providing the approximate timestamps of when the unexpected sign outs occur, along with the affected POS device names. That can help them review the authentication logs and determine whether there’s an underlying account or platform issue.

I’d also be interested to know whether other merchants have experienced similar random sign outs over the past few months, as that could help identify whether this is a broader issue rather than something specific to your setup.

Thank You !

3

Hi @Skivvies4001

This is not what I expect to happen, especially when the point of sale system is used every day. Since you have already installed the app again and reset the iPads, I think you should check a few things.

  • You need to make sure all the iPads are using the version of iPadOS and the Shopify POS app.
  • You should check if there are any settings for managing the devices, security policies, or network settings that are making the app ask for a password again.
  • If this only happens on some devices, try signing into the point of sale system on a different iPad to see if the problem is with the device or the system.
  • The next time it happens, write down the exact time and tell Shopify Support so they can look at the logs for the device.

The fact that logging in with a QR code from a distance is also not working makes me think this is a problem with authentication or sessions, not that the system has been inactive. If many merchants are having the problem, Shopify will probably need to look into it on their end to figure out what is going on with the Shopify POS.

4

Hi there,

Sounds like a session bug on Shopify’s end, not something you’re doing wrong. Two suggestions in the meantime :

  1. Give a trusted staff member their own login with limited permissions (Settings > Users) so they can scan the QR code and get the register back online without you driving in. Also, they don’t need full admin access for this.

  2. Check if all iPads share the same account - A session refresh on one device can sometimes log the others out, you can try separate logins per device - rules this issue out.

And next time it happens, note the time and device name. A few of those entries can get support to check and monitor the authentication logs, instead of running the standard script.

Hope it gets sorted :slight_smile:

5

Yes.

All iPads are running same iOS and Shopify POS versions. All iPads are logged into the same iCloud account and Shopify POS are all logged in using the same admin account.

There’s no additional profiles or MDM’s installed on the iPads. Essentially the iPads are stock except for the Shopify POS apps.