About the Caregiver app and web portal
Careswitch gives caregivers two ways to do the same work: the Careswitch mobile app (iPhone and Android) and a caregiver web portal you can open in any browser. From either one you can sign in, view your schedule, clock in and out of shifts, record care tasks, write a care summary, capture signatures, and respond to shift offers. This guide walks through each part step by step.
The mobile app also has two messaging features that are easy to confuse, so it helps to know the difference up front: Chat is for messaging real people at your office and your coworkers, while Looper is an AI assistant that answers care questions and helps you with shift tasks. They are separate tabs.
The iPhone and Android apps are very similar; where a screen looks or behaves a little differently we have called it out. The web portal looks a bit different from the apps and uses slightly different wording on a few buttons, which we also note below.
What you need
iPhone: iOS 18 or later.
Android: Android 10 or later.
Web portal: any modern web browser on a phone, tablet, or computer.
You must be an employee of at least one home care agency that uses Careswitch. Your agency invites you by email and text message.
If your phone is on an older operating system than the minimums above, update it before installing the app, or use the web portal instead.
Download the mobile app
On an iPhone, open the App Store. On an Android phone, open the Google Play Store.
Search for Careswitch.
Tap Get (iPhone) or Install (Android) to download the app, then open it.
Sign in
Careswitch does not use a username or password. You sign in with a one-time 6-digit code. How you start depends on where you are signing in:
Mobile app: sign in with your mobile phone number. The app sends the code by text message.
Web portal: sign in with either your email address or your mobile phone number — the sign-in field is labeled Email or mobile number. If you use your phone number you get the code by text; if you use your email you get it by email.
Sign in on the mobile app
Open the app. On the sign-in screen, type your number into the phone number field.
Tap Send Code.
Check your text messages for the 6-digit code and type it in.
Tap Verify Code.
Sign in on the web portal
Go to the Careswitch login page. In the Email or mobile number field, type your email or your mobile number.
Tap Sign in.
Enter the 6-digit code (sent by text if you used your phone, or by email if you used your email).
Tap Verify. (If you need a new code, tap Resend code.)
If your code does not arrive
Work through these steps before asking your office for help:
Send the code again. On the mobile app, tap Resend Code (this returns you to the phone number screen so you can send a new code). On the web portal, tap Resend code.
Make sure you used the same phone number or email your agency has on file for you.
On the web portal, try the other option: if your phone code is not arriving, sign in with your email instead, or vice versa.
Wait a moment and try again.
Only contact your office if the phone number or email on file for you is wrong — an admin has to update it, or you can update the number or email you sign in with yourself (see Manage your account below).
Use the web portal
Everything you can do in the mobile app for a shift, you can also do in a browser. After you sign in to the web portal, open the Schedule page to see your shifts. From there you can open a shift to view its care plan, clock in, record care tasks, add a care summary, capture signatures, and clock out — the same workflows described below. This is useful when your phone is dead, out of storage, or you simply prefer a computer.
Find your way around (mobile app)
Along the bottom of the app you will see these tabs:
Shifts – your weekly schedule.
Job Board – open shifts you can claim.
Looper – an AI assistant for caregivers (the tab icon is the infinity symbol). It answers care questions and helps you with shift tasks. It is not team messaging.
Chat – direct messages with your office and coworkers.
Inbox – your notifications.
View your schedule
Tap the Shifts tab. It opens to the current week. (On iPhone this screen is titled My Shifts; on Android it is titled Shifts; in the web portal it is titled Schedule.)
Move to a different week using the arrows. On iPhone, use the back and forward arrows in the week strip near the top. On Android, use the back and forward arrow buttons near the bottom of the screen.
Tap any shift to open its details.
If a week has no shifts, the app tells you there are none for that week and reminds you to use the arrows to view other weeks. On Android, if you have navigated away from the current week, tap Today in the top corner to jump back.
Review an upcoming shift
On the Shifts tab, tap a scheduled shift.
Open the Care Plan to read the care plan for that shift.
To get driving directions, tap the residence address (look for Directions); this opens your maps app.
Respond to shift offers and attendance requests
These are two different prompts. Read which one you are seeing:
A shift offer (Accept or Decline)
When your agency offers you a shift, open it from the Shifts tab. The detail screen shows two buttons:
Tap Accept Shift to add the shift to your schedule, or
Tap Decline Shift to pass on it.
This is different from claiming an open shift on the Job Board (covered below).
An attendance confirmation (Yes or No)
If your agency asks you to confirm attendance for a shift you are already scheduled for, the detail screen shows the message Please indicate if you will be attending this shift. with two buttons:
Tap Yes to confirm, or tap No to decline.
Confirm your choice when asked. If you choose No, the office is notified and you are removed from the shift.
Clock in
On the Shifts tab, tap the shift you are starting, then start the clock-in.
The first time, allow the app to use your location when asked.
Check that the clock-in time is correct. You can edit it.
If you are clocking in early or late, a required explanation field appears. Type a short reason — you cannot submit without it.
If you are away from the client's address, the app shows Outside the verified location with the prompt Why are you clocking in from a different location? Fill in this required field.
On the web portal, tap Clock in to finish. (On the mobile app, confirm the clock-in.)
If your GPS is off or unavailable
If location sharing is off or your location cannot be found, the app shows Location unavailable with the note You may continue, but your agency may later request an explanation. You are not blocked — your time is still recorded and you can proceed.
If you have no signal
Clocking in sends your action to Careswitch's servers, and there is no offline queue. If you have no connection, the action fails and is not saved. Reconnect when you can and try again — adjust the clock in time and add an explanation if you are now clocking in late.
Record care tasks
Open the in-progress shift and go to the task list.
Tap a task to record it. Choose a status – Complete, Declined, or Not Needed.
Add a note if the task asks for one. Some tasks require a note before you can save — this is set per task by your agency, so only certain tasks will block you.
Save that task. Repeat for each task in the list.
Add a care summary
The care summary is a short description of how the visit went. Whether it is required depends on where you are:
Web portal: a care summary is always required to clock out. The field is in the Care summary section, with the prompt Briefly describe what happened during the shift. If you leave it blank, clock-out fails with You need to provide a care summary.
Mobile app: a care summary is required only if your agency's care plan asks for one. If it is required and you leave it blank, the app will not let you finish clocking out.
Either way, type a brief description of the visit before you clock out.
Clock out and submit
Before you can see the clock-out form, all required care tasks must be recorded. If any are left, you will see Complete required tasks first with the message You have N required care task(s) left to record. Finish them before clocking out. Tap Complete tasks, record the remaining tasks, then return to clock out.
Open the in-progress shift and start the clock-out.
Confirm the Clock in and Clock out times. If you are clocking out early or late, fill in the required explanation field that appears (for example, Why are you clocking out early?). If you are away from the client's address, fill in the required location explanation.
Add your Care summary (see above).
If your agency tracks travel, enter Travel time (minutes) and Mileage (miles) under the Travel section. If you enter a value, a short explanation becomes required.
If signatures are required, the Verification section appears. Sign in the Employee signature area and have the client sign in the Client signature area. If the client cannot sign, check the Client unable to sign box. (On the mobile app, the equivalent labels are Care Recipient Signature and an Unable to Sign option.)
On the web portal, tap Clock out & submit. (On the mobile app, submit the clock-out.)
Fix a missed or completed shift
If you forgot to clock in or out, open that shift from the Shifts tab and use the same clock-in and clock-out steps above to fill in the correct times and details.
For a shift that is already marked complete, open it from the Shifts tab. You can still:
Update a task's status or notes, or delete a task record.
Edit the care summary.
Add a signature that is still required and missing.
One thing you cannot change after a shift is completed is the recorded clock-in and clock-out times — those are locked. If a recorded time is wrong on a completed shift, ask your office to correct it.
Claim open shifts from the Job Board
Tap the Job Board tab. It lists open shifts you may be able to work.
Tap a listing to see its details and description.
To take it, tap Claim Shift (it reads Claim Shifts for a repeating schedule). The shift is added to your Shifts tab and your office is notified.
If you are not interested, tap Not Interested.
To hide shifts you have already claimed, turn on the Hide Claimed toggle. To refresh the list, use Refresh or pull down on the list.
If a claim is rejected for overtime
Some agencies block shifts that would push you into overtime for the week. If that applies, the claim is rejected with Sorry, you are not eligible for this open shift post at this time. Please try again later. This is expected — try a different shift, or ask your office if you believe it is a mistake.
Use Chat
Tap the Chat tab to see your conversations.
Tap a conversation to open it, type your message, and send. You can also attach photos and files.
If you work with more than one agency, tap the Switch Workspace control (the two-arrows button) to switch which agency's conversations you see. Note this switcher is for Chat — it does not change which agency's shifts or Job Board you are viewing.
On iPhone, if your role allows it, start a new direct message using the compose button in the top corner. On Android, use the search box at the top of the chat list to find a conversation.
Ask Looper
Looper is an AI assistant for caregivers, on the tab with the infinity icon. Use it for practical home-care guidance — activities of daily living (bathing, dressing, mobility, feeding), health monitoring, safety and fall prevention, nutrition, dementia and behavioral support, wound-care basics, and equipment use. Looper can also help you with shift tasks like clocking in and out, recording care tasks, writing a care summary, and reviewing a shift or care plan.
Looper is guidance, not a replacement for professional judgment. For a true emergency (chest pain, stroke symptoms, severe bleeding, difficulty breathing, a fall with head injury), call 911 right away. For concerning but non-emergency situations, contact your supervisor or the nurse on call. Looper is different from Chat, which is messaging with real people at your agency.
Check your notifications
Tap the Inbox tab to see notifications such as new open shifts, new shift assignments and offers, and requests to confirm attendance for an upcoming shift. A badge on the tab shows how many are unread. Tap Mark All Read to clear them at once, or pull down to refresh the list.
Manage your account
The phone number and email you sign in with belong to your own account, and you change them in your account settings — not on your employee profile. This matters: if you get a new phone number, update it in your account settings so you can still receive your login code. The contact details your agency keeps on your employee profile are separate and are edited by your office; changing those does not change what you log in with.
A note on admins
If you can't clock in or out yourself — for example you forgot, or your phone wasn't working — your office can do it for you. An admin can clock you in on your behalf with Mark In Progress on the shift, and complete the shift for you with Mark Completed. A manual entry by the office records no GPS location, so your own clock-in and clock-out are still preferred whenever you can — they capture your real time and location.
Your office can also review everything you record — task responses, care summary, and signatures — on the shift's Care tab in the web app.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use Careswitch on a computer instead of my phone?
Yes. Sign in to the web portal with your email or mobile number, open the Schedule page, and you can view your shifts, clock in and out, record tasks, add a care summary, and capture signatures — the same as in the app.
Do I sign in with my phone number or my email?
On the mobile app, phone number only. On the web portal, either email or mobile number — the field is labeled Email or mobile number. Both send a 6-digit code.
My login code never arrived. What do I do?
Send the code again (Resend Code on mobile, Resend code on the web), and confirm you used the phone number or email your agency has on file. Make sure texts from +1 (833) 390-0974 are not blocked by your phone or carrier. On the web portal, try signing in with your email instead of your phone (or the reverse).
Why won't the app let me clock out?
Usually one of two reasons: you still have required care tasks to record, or your care summary is empty. Finish the required tasks, add a care summary, then clock out. On the web portal a care summary is always required; on mobile it is required only when your agency's care plan asks for it.
Can my manager clock me in or out?
Yes. If you can't do it yourself, an admin at your office can clock you in on your behalf using Mark In Progress on the shift, and finish it for you with Mark Completed. A manual entry by the office doesn't capture GPS location, so your own clock-in and clock-out are still best whenever you can.
What happens if I clock in away from the client's home or with my GPS off?
You can still clock in. If your location is off or unavailable, you will see Location unavailable and can continue. If you are away from the client's address, a required field asks you to explain why. Either way your agency may follow up later.
What's the difference between an offer, an attendance request, and a Job Board shift?
A shift offer uses Accept Shift / Decline Shift. An attendance request for a shift you already have uses Yes / No. An open shift on the Job Board uses Claim Shift (or Claim Shifts).
Can I fix a shift after it's marked complete?
Yes — reopen it to update task records, edit the care summary, and add a missing signature. You cannot change the recorded clock-in and clock-out times once the shift is complete; ask your office to correct those.