This article will walk you through the technical requirements for Onboard App, the steps to get the Onboard App installed, tested, and deployed on your vehicle fleet.
Technical Requirements
- The Onboard App is an Android app that must be installed on an Android device
- Swiftly supports versions of Onboard App released within the last 3 months. Please enable auto-updates of this app
- Please contact your Account Executive for a list of supported devices and mobile browsers for Onboard App.
- For simplification, we refer often to ‘tablets’ in our documentation, but the app will work just as well on smaller or larger devices. The optimal experience, however, will be on tablets that have larger screens.
Preparing your device
- Ensure the tablet is running the most up-to-date version of Android
- Ensure that auto-updates are enabled in the Play Store settings.
- Ensure the Android tablet has the Google Chrome browser. You can find it in the Play Store/App Store. Here’s a link to download Google Chrome for Android.
Installing the Onboard App via the Play Store
Step 1: On your Android tablet, access the Play Store.
Step 2: Search “Onboard App by Swiftly” in the search bar. Click the option and select install. From the 3 dot menu at the top left of the screen, check "Enable auto update".
Step 3: Find and click on the installed app on your home screen. In some cases, your tablet may immediately hide downloaded apps. If this is the case, long tap on any empty space of the home screen. On the bottom right corner, tap the button for home screen settings. Scroll down on that menu and toggle on “Add apps to Home screen”. Toggling the option on will automatically add all installed apps to the home screen.
Step 4: Follow prompts to perform a one-time device activation using your Swiftly login.
Step 5: Select your agency by clicking the “Select Agency” button. Once you select your agency, click the “Set Agency” button.
Step 6: If this tablet will be deployed on a vehicle that performs headway-based service, tap the three-bar menu icon, tap “Settings”, and enable “Headway Mode”.
Testing the Onboard App
Step 1: Open the Onboard App and begin a driver log-in by tapping “Sign In”.
Step 2: Choose a vehicle that is already assigned to an active trip (You can also find an assigned vehicle in the Swiftly Live Operations dashboard).
Step 3: Verify that you see real-time performance feedback.
Step 4: Go to "My Swiftly" > Log out and log out.
Going live
We recommend that tablets are mounted and plugged at all times while in your vehicles. The tablets should also have a high-quality internet connection--either using the tablet’s SIM card or on vehicle Wi-Fi. If using the vehicle Wi-Fi, make sure that you connect to a staff-only network that is configured with higher priority than the passenger network, so that passenger Wi-Fi usage doesn't interfere with vehicle operations.
Once you’ve set up your Onboard App and testing is complete, you’re ready to start sending live data from the Onboard App to Swiftly’s cloud. To finish the installation and set up follow the steps below:
Step 1: In the Onboard App, tap the three-bar menu icon, tap “Settings”
Step 2: Switch the button off to disable “Training Mode”
Switching this off will indicate that the tablet is installed on a vehicle and tested, and you are ready to send GPS information from that tablet into Swiftly.
Frequently Asked Questions about Onboard App Installation
Do I need to charge the device?
We recommend setting up and wiring the tablet so it is plugged in at all times, to ensure the app is always available.
Where should I put the tablet?
The tablet should be easy to glance at from the driver’s seat. We suggest mounting it at the dashboard level and not too far on either side of the steering wheel. It does not need to be easily reachable while driving - only at the start and end of shifts.
How do I incorporate Operator ID information into Onboard App?
You will need to send Swiftly a .CSV file with all of your operators’ Operator IDs, optionally including their names. Please contact support@goswift.ly to begin this process. Once you have incorporated Operator ID, note that these IDs will also populate in various products in the Swiftly Dashboard.
Are there any maintenance or inspection recommendations for the Onboard App?
If you are prepping or inspecting the Onboard App we have a few suggestions.
Check the tablet’s an internet connection
- Ensure the tablet is charging.
- Clean that tablet and mount it according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- If the tablet prompts you for an operating system update, perform this where there is an inexpensive Wi-Fi connection available, such as in a bus yard or depot. Operating system updates typically consume a lot of data. Because software updates sometimes cause problems, test the update on one tablet before deploying it across the fleet.
More Information on the Settings for the Onboard App
By tapping the three-bar menu in the top left corner of the screen and then tapping the gear icon, you will have access to various settings:
- Agency: Allows you to change your agency. Some agencies will have a test and production agency--this is where you would switch between the two.
- Vehicle ID: Quick reference for which vehicle you are logged in to.
- Sign in with Operator ID: Enabling Operator ID will require Operators to sign in using their Operator IDs - contact Swiftly at support@goswift.ly to add operator information to Onboard App.
- Training Mode: Leave this on while testing and configuring a device, so you don’t create incorrect GPS pings that will impact Swiftly’s data. Turn it off once you’ve installed the tablet in a vehicle and are ready to go live.
- Headway Mode: When enabled, the main view will display headway status (bunched, gapped, or expected) - rather than on-time status (early, late, or on-time). Use this on high-frequency, headway-based routes.
FAQs
App won't let me turn off "Training Mode" in the Settings pane
There are two common reasons for this:
1. Your organization is using a Mobile Device Management solution (MDM) where app permissions are centrally managed. Contact your tablet administrator to find out if this is the case, and if so request that the location permission be granted to Onboard App.
2. At some point on this tablet, somebody denied the request for the location permission. Android forbids apps from asking for the same permission multiple times.
- To remedy this, on the Play Store version, go to your devices app permission manager (usually under Settings > Privacy). Find Onboard App and set the Location permission to "Allowed all the time". You will not be able to enable “Training Mode” in the Onboard App ‘Settings’ pane when the tablet is logged into a trip/service. If you would like to adjust Training Mode and it is ‘grayed out’, log out of the current assignment, make the change in the ‘Settings’ pane, and then log back in
Does OA need Operator IDs to work?
Operator ID is not required with Onboard App, so it’s common that an agency using Onboard App does not show Operator IDs in their Swiftly Dashboard.
Does Onboard App provide a dark mode?
At the moment, Onboard App does not support a light/dark mode setting. Overall, the general design of OA is meant to be friendly at night.
Is Headway Mode a setting that can be set per route, based on assignment?
Onboard App mode is set on a by-device basis, so technically, some tablets can be setup to run in headway mode. Agency users can update the settings manually in Onboard App settings.
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