Running into issues with your door locks in Playground? This article walks through the most common door lock problems, what causes them, and the exact steps to get things working again.
Before You Start
Before diving into a specific issue, it's worth running through a quick checklist. Most door lock problems trace back to one of these items:
Confirm your door lock integration has been activated by Playground. If you just finished hardware installation, email [email protected] to have the integration turned on.
Confirm your controller hardware is powered on and connected to your center's Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
Confirm the Playground mobile app is updated to the latest version on any device being used to unlock doors.
💡 Most door lock issues are resolved by one of the four steps above. If you've verified all of them and the issue persists, use the sections below to narrow down the specific problem.
Door Access Button Is Missing from the Mobile App
If you or a staff member can't see the Door Access option in the Playground mobile app menu, it is usually a role or time-based restriction.
📱 The Door access tab is only available on the mobile app.
Role Issue for Staff
Follow the steps below to make sure that the staff member has the proper permissions added to their role.
From your Admin Dashboard, click into your Integrations tab and select Manage next to Door locks.
Check and make sure that the staff member's role has door access under the "Staff door access via roles" section.
If their role is visible here, move on to the next troubleshooting section here. If their role is not visible here, continue following the steps below.
From your Admin Dashboard, click into your Settings -> Roles tab.
Locate the staff member's role, click the three dots, and select Edit.
Once the editing window is pulled up, scroll to the very bottom of the screen and make sure Door lock permissions are enabled. Editing access is needed for staff to be able to unlock doors using Door access on the mobile app.
Once this is turned on click Save changes and see if the staff member can view the Door access tab. They may need to log out of their account and then back in.
If staff still can't see the Door access tab on their mobile app, follow the instructions in the next section.
Door Access Hours Issue
Door locks can be set up to restrict staff and guardians from opening them at certain times. If a guardian or staff member can't view the Door access tab on their mobile app, check the following information.
From your Admin Dashboard, click into your Integrations tab and select the Manage button next to Door locks.
Select Edit access hours next to both Guardians and Teachers to view what level of access they have been granted.
If the Access level is set to Cannot unlock this door, they won't be able to unlock this door from the Door access tab on their app.
If the Access level is set to Can unlock this door at certain times, make sure the hours of access are set up properly.
If the Access level is set to Can always unlock this door, they should be able to unlock the door under the Door access tab. If they still are not able to view the Door access tab on their app, have them try logging out of their account and back in, force-quitting the app, or deleting the app.
If folks are still having issues viewing and unlocking doors using the Door access tab, review this article if you have a Kisi controller, and this article if you have a MellinTech controller, to confirm that all the implementation steps have been completed.
Doors Don't Unlock When a PIN Is Entered at the Kiosk
If students or staff can check in or out at the Kiosk but the door isn't unlocking, walk through the checks below in order.
Confirm the Kiosk is connected to a door. This is the most common reason why a door doesn't open after a PIN code is entered. To fix this, follow the steps below:
Tap Unlock in the top right-hand corner to unlock kiosk mode. If a door is connected, you will see the "[Door Name] connected to kiosk session".
If you see a door, or if there is no door listed, enter your School PIN to unlock kiosk mode.
If you only had the option to Lock kiosk mode, follow the steps below, as your kiosk must be locked to link it to a specific door.
Tap Lock in the top right hand corner and tap "Tap to select a door connection for this kiosk".
Select the door you want to link and then enter your School's PIN code to finish the process. Click here if you need a more in-depth explanation on linking doors to your kiosk.
Confirm the Kiosk is paired with the right door. If you have multiple doors, double-check the door name shown in the Kiosk connection message matches the door you expect to unlock. You can check which door is currently connected by clicking the Unlock button on mobile.
Test a remote unlock. From the Playground mobile app, tap ☰ > Door Access and tap the door. If the remote unlock works but Kiosk unlock doesn't, the issue is with the Kiosk-to-door connection — repeat step 1 above.
🚨 Each Kiosk device can only be connected to one door at a time. If you've moved a tablet from one entrance to another, you'll need to re-pair it with the correct door.