User Guide
Mobile access
ArkCloud runs in a mobile browser. There is no native iOS or Android application and none is in development, so this page is about using the web application on a phone or tablet - and about what does not work there.
Written for: Collectors and billing staff · Supervisors · IT teams
How to open ArkCloud on a phone
| Field or control | What it means |
|---|---|
| Mobile web browser | Safari, Chrome or any current browser. Nothing to install; you always get the current version. |
| Add to Home Screen | The same web application launched from an icon, without the browser's address bar. It is a browser feature, not an installed app, and it stores nothing for offline use. |
| Native apps | Not available. No iOS or Android application exists and none is in development. |
Signing in
- Open your phone's browser and go to the same address you use on a computer.
- Sign in with your usual method - email and password, or your organisation's single sign-on.
- Tick Remember me only on a phone that is yours alone: it keeps you signed in on that device for up to 12 hours instead of 8 (administrators always get 8).
- Optionally, add it to your home screen: the browser's Share menu (iOS) or menu (Android) → Add to Home Screen.
What works on a phone
The screens reflow to a single column at phone width. Everything a desktop browser can do, a phone browser can do too - but dense screens such as large tables, reports and administration are hard to use on a small display.
| Field or control | What it means |
|---|---|
| Queues, accounts and search | Work through a queue and open accounts. Search by patient name or account number from the header search. There is no voice input. |
| Notes and activity | Record calls, notes and outcomes against an account. |
| Documents | PDFs and images open in the browser's own viewer. |
| Tap to dial | Phone numbers are ordinary links, so the handset places the call. ArkCloud places no call itself. |
| Taking a card payment | Works the same as on a computer, and on any device only once your practice has connected its own Stripe account and payments are switched on for the deployment. Until then ArkCloud refuses card payments rather than recording one it cannot actually process. |
| Sending email or text | Works only where the deployment has an email or SMS provider configured; otherwise nothing is sent and the send is recorded as simulated or not sent, on any device. |
| Push notifications | Not available. The application has no push notification support on any platform. Notifications appear in the bell inside the application. |
There is no offline mode
There is no offline mode. ArkCloud needs a network connection for every screen. An earlier version of this page described cached accounts, queued activity logging and automatic sync on reconnect; none of it exists.
- A page already on screen stays on screen, but no further data loads.
- Navigating, searching or saving fails with a network error.
- Work typed into a form and not yet saved is lost if you navigate away.
- Nothing is queued for later. Re-enter it when you are back online.
Security on a phone
A phone browser gets the same protections as a desktop browser, and no more.
| Field or control | What it means |
|---|---|
| Session expiry | Sessions end on their own after 8 hours, or 12 hours with Remember me on that device (administrators: always 8). |
| Multi-factor authentication | The same authenticator-app code as on desktop. It is required for the Admin role, and for every user when the organisation requires 2FA for all users. |
| Encryption in transit | TLS between the handset and ArkCloud. |
| Encryption at rest | Designated identifying and free-text fields are encrypted by the application. The database disk itself is not encrypted on the current deployment - see the security documentation. |
| Biometric sign-in | Not available. Face ID, Touch ID and fingerprint sign-in are not implemented; there is no passkey support. |
| Remote wipe | Not available. ArkCloud stores no records on the device to wipe and has no device-management integration. |
| Screenshot or clipboard restriction | Not available. A browser cannot block either, so treat a phone screen as readable by anyone near it. |
Tips
- Prefer a trusted Wi-Fi or mobile connection over public Wi-Fi.
- Sign out at the end of the day on any shared device, and do not tick Remember me on one.
- Use landscape orientation for wide tables.
- Keep the phone's browser and operating system up to date.
Troubleshooting
| Field or control | What it means |
|---|---|
| A page will not load | Check the connection, then reload. If the styling looks broken, clear the site's data in the browser settings. |
| Sign-in fails | Check the email address and password, or use your organisation's sign-on button. See troubleshooting. |
| Tapping a number does nothing | The device needs a phone app able to place calls (a tablet without one cannot). |
| No notification arrived on my phone | Expected - ArkCloud does not send push notifications. Check the bell inside the application. |