Screen lock issues on Android

General troubleshooting

There are some users having trouble with the Android secure screen lock and Golf Pad TAGS. Try these steps to allow Golf Pad TAGS to work with a secure screen lock:

1. Disable 'Lock instantly' with power/side key (settings may have different names based on the phone model used).

2. Set 'Lock automatically' (after screen turned off) to 1 sec or more.

3. Some security apps can force a secure screen lock to appear despite the settings above. Generally, a sign of this problem is the user will see a secure screen lock appear after unlocking Golf Pad's SmartLock screen. Consider disabling security app during a golf round.

4. Turn NFC off and turn it back on.

5. Enable screen pinning in Android system settings as described here, then pin Golf Pad when you start the round.

6. If the app doesn't recognize TAGS with the screen pinned, unpin it. See more about pinning/unpinning combinations on the Google support page.

We also demonstrate these settings in this Android set up video starting at 2:20. 

Android 8 (Oreo) and later

Some phones running Android 8 don't block access to notifications bar or navigation bar, even when SmartLock is active. This may result in app switching, accidental inputs and/or tags not always scanning properly. Please use the Android's screen pinning feature to work around the issue:

1. Follow the instructions on this page to enable screen pinning in Android system settings, then pin Golf Pad when you start the round.

2. Use SmartLock as usual during the round. Be sure to press the power button before putting the phone in your pocket, and swipe up from the bottom along the middle of the screen (or use fingerprint reader) to resume Golf Pad scorecard.

3. Once you finish the round or if you need to switch to another app, unpin Golf Pad (usually by pressing and holding the Back and Overview buttons at the same time).

NOTE: some phone models don't properly support pinning in combination with gesture navigation introduced in Android 10. If you notice any issues using both at the same time, please disable gesture navigation while playing golf. 

Other activity in pinning mode

If someone calls you or if you get a message in the pinning mode, unpin the screen before answer this call or message. Pinning and unpinning combinations depend on the phone and Android OS. See more instructions at the Google support page.

Contact support

If you still experience problems, send us a report after the following steps:

1. Verify NFC is enabled in Android settings: go to Settings > Wireless & Networks > More, tap on the NFC switch to activate it. 

2. Go to Golf Pad preferences > Golf Pad TAGS.

3. If there's 'Settings must be updated' warning, tap 'Update' button.

4. Edit all settings/Pin Golf Pad.

5. Scan a tag to assign it to a club in TAGS settings. Note, the location of the NFC antenna varies on different phone models. Try scanning all around the back of the phone and against the top edge. Once you found the spot with the best scanning range, use it for tagging shots during a golf round.

6. Take off a phone case (some cases block an NFC chip, e.g. Samsung original cover).

7. Assign all TAGS to clubs.

8. Start a new round and scan a TAG in the main scorecard view. Check if shots are added to the scorecard.

9. Turn on SmartLock by pressing the power button or long tap the tag icon in the top right corner.

10. Scan TAGS in SmartLock mode and check if scanning works properly.

11. If scanning fails, go to preferences > Help and support > Question or problem? > Contact us via email and send us a report.