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Window Visibility & Notifications

The sensor runs quietly in the background. It lives in the system tray (Windows) or the menu bar (macOS) and stays hidden most of the time. This page explains when its window appears and when you receive a notification, so you know what is normal and what requires attention.

The three channels​

It helps to keep three separate things apart:

ChannelVisible when the window is closed?What it is
Sensor window—The small pop-over anchored to the tray/menu-bar icon
Desktop notification✅ YesA native operating-system notification (Windows Action Center / macOS Notification Center)
In-app message❌ No, only when the window is openA toast shown inside the sensor window

A single event may raise more than one channel at the same time.

When the sensor window appears​

By default the sensor starts hidden on login and stays out of your way. The window opens in these cases:

  • You click the tray / menu-bar icon. This toggles the window: click to open it, click again to close it.
  • The sensor is not set up yet. On a fresh machine — no configuration at all, or a configuration without a valid account — the window opens automatically so you can complete sign-in and pairing. A sensor that was pre-activated for an account (see Anonymous Mass Rollout) is already set up and stays hidden, even though no named user is signed in.
  • The sensor needs you to sign in again. If the session becomes invalid or the account/partner has to be re-selected, the window opens on the appropriate screen (for example the partner selection or login screen).
  • A blocking condition is detected. Depending on the situation the window may show a dedicated screen, such as account expired or version mismatch (a required update).

You can always close the window with the ✕ button in the top-right corner — this only hides it, the sensor keeps running in the background.

When you receive a desktop notification​

Desktop notifications reach you even when the window is closed. They are used for a small set of events:

  • The seat is reserved for someone else. When your current spot is booked for another person, you get a warning that includes the time until which it is reserved (and the location name, if available).
  • You are not allowed to use this seat. If the server rejects the seat ("forbidden"), you get an error notification. This one stays until dismissed.
  • A check-in could not be completed. If a status update to the server fails, you get an error notification with the reason.
  • The configuration changed. If the local config.json is changed and applied, you get a short informational notification confirming the change.
note

Network and version problems are not shown as desktop notifications — see the next section.

In-app messages (only when the window is open)​

Some messages appear only inside the sensor window and do not raise a desktop notification:

  • No network connection. A Wi-Fi warning icon appears in the header immediately when the connection drops. To avoid noise from brief hiccups, the actual "no connection" message is only shown after the connection has been down continuously for about a minute.
  • An update is required (version mismatch). A persistent message appears with an action to start the update. If automatic updates are disabled in the configuration, it tells you to update manually instead.
  • Other server errors. Known error conditions are shown as a temporary message for a few seconds.

Quick reference​

EventWindow opensDesktop notificationIn-app message
Sensor not set up (no account in the configuration)✅——
Sensor pre-activated for an account, no user signed in———
Session invalid, re-select partner / sign in✅——
Account expired / update required✅ (dedicated screen)—✅ (update prompt)
Seat reserved for someone else—✅✅
Seat not allowed ("forbidden")—✅ (stays)✅
Check-in / status update failed—✅✅
Configuration file changed—✅✅
No network connection——Icon immediately, message after ~1 min
You click the tray icon✅ (toggle)——