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Each iPad needs to be linked to your store once: that’s pairing a device. You always start by designating the main register, then pair the secondary devices one by one. The procedure is the same in restaurant mode and retail mode.

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Before you start

  • Access to the backoffice on a computer.
  • The iPad connected to the store Wi-Fi, with the NowOS app installed (see What hardware you need).
  • An internet connection for setting up the main register.
Publish your menu in the backoffice before pairing secondary devices: until the main register has received a published menu, secondary devices can pair but have nothing to sell. See The menu.

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Designate the main register

The main register is designated from the backoffice, with a one-time token you scan on the iPad.
1

Generate the token in the backoffice

Open Settings → Devices, then click Generate claim token. A QR code appears. It is single-use and expires after 5 minutes.
2

Choose the role on the iPad

Open NowOS on the iPad. On the How should this iPad run? screen, tap Primary POS.
3

Scan the QR code

On the Claim this iPad screen, tap Open camera and point it at the QR code shown in the backoffice. Can’t scan? In the backoffice, click Can’t scan? Show the raw token, copy the token, and paste it on the iPad in the Or paste the token field. Then tap Continue.
4

Name the main register

Give it a clear name, for example “Front counter iPad”. This name shows up in the backoffice and on the pairing screen of the other iPads. Tap Claim as Primary.
If the token has expired, simply generate a new one in the backoffice.
The iPad becomes the store’s main register. For its day-to-day role, see The main register.

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Pair a secondary device

The main register must be on, with the app in the foreground.
1

Show the code on the main register

On the main register, signed in as a manager, open More → Add a device and tap Show pairing QR. A QR code appears with a countdown and an 8-character code.
2

Choose the role on the new iPad

Open NowOS on the new iPad and tap Secondary device. This step is automatic on iPhone: an iPhone is always a secondary device.
3

Scan the code

On the Pair this device screen, tap Scan QR code, then point the camera at the QR shown on the main register. The QR tells the device which register to join, so no network selection is required.
4

Name the device

Check the suggested name and edit it if needed — for example “Dining room iPad” — then tap Pair this device. The device joins the main register, loads the menu, and shows the staff sign-in screen. See Signing in to the register.

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Without scanning: use the code from the main register

A secondary-device code always comes from the main register. The token generated in the backoffice is only used to claim a main register; do not use it here.
1

Show the code on the main register

Open More → Add a device and show a QR. Note the 8-character code displayed below it.
2

Choose pairing without scanning

On the new device, tap I can’t scan the QR code, enter the 8-character code, and select the main register discovered on Wi-Fi.
3

Confirm

Tap Continue, name the device, then tap Pair this device. If no register is found, check the Wi-Fi before using the advanced network options.

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Check that everything is in place

  • In the backoffice (Settings → Devices): the page shows the main register’s status (Online, last sign of life) and the Paired devices table — each device’s name, model, app version, pairing date, last activity, and connection state.
  • On the main register: More → Add a device lists paired devices under Paired devices.
  • On a secondary device: More → This device shows the connection state (Primary reachable: Yes) and the device identity.

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Unpair a device

Everything happens in the backoffice, on Settings → Devices.
  • A secondary device: click Release on its row in the Paired devices table. The device signs out the next time it syncs; to serve again, it must be re-paired on-site.
  • The main register: click Release primary.
Releasing the main register stops the store immediately: secondary devices lose their main register and can no longer take orders. Use Release primary only to replace or reset the main register, then generate a new token to designate it again.