The Awardco Mobile App: An Admin’s Guide

The Awardco Mobile App is dedicated application available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. It's designed to make giving and receiving recognition faster and more accessible for all employees, especially desk-less workers.

This article provides administrators with a high-level overview of the app's features, functionality, key platform requirements, and the differences from the existing Progressive Web App (PWA), ensuring you are prepared to manage and support its rollout.

1. What is the Awardco Mobile App?
2. Important Platform Requirements and Exceptions
3. Core End-User Functionality
4. Key Native Features & Admin Configuration
   • Biometric Login (Face ID/Touch ID)
   • Real-Time Push Notifications
5. Mobile App vs. Progressive Web App (PWA)
6. Managing Mobile App Access for Your Organization
7. Rolling Out the App to Your Organization
8. FAQ

What is the Awardco Mobile App?

The Awardco Mobile App is an application for iOS and Android devices available for anyone to download directly from the official app stores. It delivers a streamlined, mobile-first experience of the Awardco platform. For the best user experience and maximum adoption, we encourage all clients to utilize our mobile app and promote it to their employees.

The mobile app is available for anyone to install; however, the ability for users to actually login within the app is configurable at the company level. If the app is enabled, users for that organization will be able to login at any time. If the app is disabled, users for that organization will not be able to login and will receive a message informing them that login has been restricted by their organization. Admins can enable/disable the app at any time within the platform by going to: Admin → Platform → Advanced Settings → Account Settings → Mobile App Access 

*Only clients who are on Awardco 2.0—the most recent version of the Awardco platform—will be able to utilize the mobile app. The app will be enabled for all Awardco 2.0 clients by default (Admins should disable the app or contact Awardco if they do not want the mobile app to be enabled for their organization).

Important Platform Requirements and Exceptions

The mobile app is optimized for the end-user Awardco experience. Admins should note the following platform requirements and limitations:

• Client Requirement: Your company must be on Awardco 2.0 to use the mobile app.
• Admin Access: The app does not support the Admin UI or administrative pages. Admins must continue to use the desktop or for all administrative tasks.
• Purchase Points: Users are prevented from purchasing points within the mobile app. This must be done via the full web platform.
• Full White-Labeling: The app's name ("Awardco"), icon, and splash screen cannot be customized. All in-platform branding will apply, but the app store listing is fixed.
• Server Availability: The app is currently only supported for clients hosted on Awardco's US-based servers. It does not work for clients on Canadian or European tenants at this time.

Core End-User Functionality

The mobile app is designed to provide full Awardco functionality for the end-user. Any employee with the app can access the following core features using their existing login method (including SSO):

• Recognize & Reward: Easily send recognitions and rewards (if enabled) from any location.
• Redeem: Users can access the marketplace to redeem their points for rewards.
• Social Feed: View all public recognitions across your organization, driving program engagement. 

Users can also perform other functions, if applicable, such as: approving recognitions, claiming AwardCodes, taking surveys, and more.

Key Native Features & Admin Configuration

The mobile app introduces features that leverage the device's native capabilities, which can significantly enhance user experience and engagement.

Biometric Login (Face ID/Touch ID)

This feature provides users with quick, secure access via their device's native face or fingerprint recognition. To promote adoption, biometric login is available to all users of the mobile app. However, it is optional on a per-user basis, and is managed at the device level—they must grant permissions on their device for biometric login to function. Biometric information is processed by the device and never sent to Awardco servers or stored within the app itself.

• User Flow: After the first login using your organization’s standard authentication (SSO or username/email and password), users are prompted to enable biometric login for future sessions, which will bypass the need for standard login for a period of time configured by your organization.
• Admin Configuration: Admins cannot disable biometric login, but do have platform-wide control over session expiration rules, which determine when a user is required to re-authenticate with your organization's default login method. There are two settings that pertain to the mobile app:
  • How often users will need to login with biometrics: This setting is linked to the Session Timeout setting for your organization’s Awardco platform. Awardco Admins can configure this setting by going to: Admin → Platform → Security → Password → Session Timeout
  • How often users will need to login with your organization’s standard authentication (SSO or username/email and password): Awardco Admins can configure this setting by going to: Admin → Platform → Advanced Settings → Account Settings → Mobile Session Expiration

Real-Time Push Notifications

Push notifications are a key engagement tool, delivering real-time alerts to a user's device for time-sensitive updates, such as receiving a recognition. To promote adoption, some push notifications are enabled by default (see below). However, these can be configured at the admin level at any time. Notifications are also optional on a per-user basis at the device level, as we ultimately require users to grant permissions for the app to send them notifications. 

• Admin Configuration: Push notifications will be enabled by default for your organization. Specifically, notifications for “My Recognitions” and “Recognition Comments” will be defaulted to ON for all users (all other notification types will be set to defaulted to OFF with the option for users to opt-in). However, admins can edit these settings at an organizational level at any time by going to: Admin → Platform → Notifications → Notification Settings
• User Action Required: Users must have the app installed and grant notification permissions on their mobile device before any push notifications will be delivered. They will receive a prompt to enable these permissions when they first open the app or adjust their notification settings. Push notification settings can be configured at the user-level at any time within the mobile app by going to: My Profile → Notifications

Mobile App vs. Progressive Web App (PWA)

Awardco’s existing PWA remains fully supported. Admins should be aware of the key differences when determining which option is best for specific employee groups: 

Managing Mobile App Access for Your Organization

The Awardco mobile app is enabled for all clients on Awardco 2.0 by default. This means users will be able to log in immediately upon installing the app. If you wish to restrict login access to the app, you can disable it at any time in the Admin portal.

Note: If you want to confirm that the technical availability is set up for your organization, please reach out to your dedicated Awardco Client Success Manager or Technical CSM.

To manage the mobile app's login access:

1. Log into your Awardco account.
2. On the homepage, select the Admin button at the bottom of the left navigation menu.
3. Go to Platform → Advanced Settings (in the left navigation menu).
4. Scroll down to the Account Settings section and toggle Mobile App Access to ON (to allow login) or OFF (to restrict login).
   • While here, confirm the setting you’d like for Mobile Session Expiration. This controls how often users must re-authenticate with SSO/username/password. For the best user experience, we recommend this setting be as long as your organization is comfortable with—ideally, much longer than your organization’s existing Session Timeout setting (see the Biometric Login section above for more details).
     
     
5. Click Save Changes.

Rolling Out the App to Your Organization

To ensure a successful rollout and maximize adoption, highlight the app’s key features to show its value to your employees.

• Value Proposition: Articulate the value around speed, security, and engagement.
  • “Login in seconds with Face ID/Touch ID access.”
  • “Get real-time alerts when you receive a recognition.”
  • “Recognition is now easier than ever.”
  • “Now you can redeem points while at home or on the go!”
• Download Instructions: Clearly direct users to search for "Awardco" on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
  • Refer your employees to the Awardco Mobile App: Access, Features, and Settings support article for a concise guide on installation and use. 

FAQ

• Can I disable the mobile app for my organization? 
  • Yes. The ability for users to log in is configurable at the company level. You can disable the app by going to: Admin → Platform → Advanced Settings → Account Settings → Mobile App Access. If any user attempts to login via the app, they will receive a message that your organization has restricted access.
• Does the app support my SSO configuration? 
  • Yes. The mobile app utilizes the same login flow as the web platform, so any Single Sign-On (SSO) or authentication method configured for your company will be fully supported.
• Can I customize the app name, icon, or splash screen (white-labeling)? 
  • No. Full white-labeling is not supported with the mobile app. The name ("Awardco"), icon, and splash screen are fixed. All your in-platform branding (e.g., colors, logo, homepage content) will apply once the user logs in. If you require full white-labeling, the Progressive Web App (PWA) remains the best option.
• Can I access the Admin UI/Portal through the app? 
  • No. The app is designed for the end-user experience and does not support access to the Admin UI or any administrative pages. Admins must continue to use the desktop or web platform for all administrative tasks.
• Is the app available globally?
  • Yes. The app is available in many countries around the globe, but availability will ultimately depend on app store approval, regional laws, and client hosting configurations. Some countries may not be supported.
  • NOTE: The app is currently only supported for clients hosted on Awardco's US-based servers. It is not yet available for clients on Canadian or European tenants.
• Can I control Biometric Login for my users? 
  • No. Biometric login is optional for users and managed at the device level. You cannot disable it for your company. However, you do control the session expiration rules, which determine how frequently users are required to re-authenticate with your organization's standard login method (SSO).
• Is the app compliant with global privacy laws (GDPR, CCPA, etc.)?
  • Yes. The app adheres to the same data handling, storage, and privacy practices as the Awardco platform. We only process personal data as outlined in our privacy policy and customer agreements.
• What data is stored on the device?
  • Minimal data is stored locally on the device. Biometric data is processed by the device itself and is never sent to Awardco servers or stored within the app.
• Does the app access personal data or files on the device?
  • Only if users choose to upload a photo or file (e.g. for profile images or images on recognitions). The app follows all Apple/Google permission standards and will request access only when necessary.
• Will the existing Progressive Web App (PWA) still be supported? 
  • Yes, the PWA will remain fully supported and is still the ideal solution for clients who require full white-labeling.
• Is the app available for tablets?

  • Yes. The app can be installed on tablets that can access the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
     

If you have any questions, please contact Awardco Admin Support.