FaceGate: set up face-recognition door access for your gym, step by step

FaceGate lets your members walk up to your door, look at the camera, and walk in. No cards, no keys, no staff at the entrance. This guide takes you from an unboxed device to your first member opening the door with their face, and answers the question every owner asks next: which app should my members download?

How it works, in one paragraph

Your face-recognition device (for example a Dahua ASI series terminal) stores member faces and opens the door by itself, even if your internet goes down. A small program called the FaceGate Bridge runs on a computer at your location and does two jobs: it copies approved member photos from Timeo onto the device, and it reports each door scan back to Timeo so you see check-ins in your dashboard. You install the Bridge once and forget about it.

What you need

• A supported face-recognition terminal, mounted and connected to your network. We currently support Dahua ASI series devices; message us through Feedback if you have a different brand.
• A Mac or Windows computer at your location, on the SAME network as the device, that can stay switched on during opening hours. A spare laptop works fine.
• The device's IP address on your network and its admin password (you set these when the device was installed).
• An active Timeo subscription. FaceGate is a paid-plan feature.

Step 1: install the Bridge (about 10 minutes)

1. On that computer, log in to your Timeo dashboard and open Devices. You will see a card called FaceGate Bridge with one command for Mac and one for Windows.
2. Copy the command for your computer. On a Mac, open the Terminal app (press Cmd and Space, type Terminal). On Windows, open PowerShell from the Start menu.
3. Paste the command and press Enter.
4. The installer asks for your device's IP address and admin password. You type them on your own computer; they are never sent to Timeo.
5. The installer tests the connection to your device and to Timeo. If something is wrong it tells you exactly what to fix. When the test passes, it sets itself to start automatically, even after a restart.

Within 5 minutes, the FaceGate Bridge card on your Devices page shows Online. That is the whole install.

Step 2: enroll member faces

1. Make sure the member has a clear, front-facing photo on their profile: one face, good lighting, no sunglasses or caps. Members can upload their own photo in the app, or staff can add one on the customer profile.
2. Open Facial Turnstilein your dashboard and approve the member's enrollment. Approval is your control point: only approved members ever reach the door device.
3. Within about 30 seconds the Bridge pushes the face to the device. The member walks up, looks at the camera, and the door opens. The check-in appears in Timeo automatically, and access follows their membership: when a plan expires, entry stops.

Which app should your members use?

• iPhone: the Timeo app on the App Store, search for Timeo or use the link on timeo.my/download.
• Android: download the app directly from timeo.my/download (tap the Android button and allow the install). The app is also coming to Google Play.
• No app at all: everything also works from the browser. Members can open your booking page, buy plans, and show their entry pass from your member web portal; the link is on your dashboard under Settings.

In the app, members sign in with their email, see your business, book classes, buy plans, and show their pass. With FaceGate, most days they will not even need the pass: their face is the key.

If something does not work

• The installer says the check failed: almost always a wrong device IP, a wrong admin password, or the computer being on a different WiFi network than the device. Fix and paste the command again.
• The card shows Offline later: the computer running the Bridge is asleep or off. Turn it on and disable automatic sleep in its power settings.
• A face is rejected: the photo quality is not enough for the device. Upload a sharper, closer, front-facing photo and approve again.