CareShiftER help and user guide

Instructions for version 2.5.0. If a control described here is missing, check your installed version and the update available to you. Store availability can differ from TestFlight.

CareShiftER helps you plan shifts, review hours and estimated gross pay, share your schedule, and keep a recoverable backup. This guide covers version 2.5.0 and the scheduling improvements introduced in build 86. Button names below use the English interface.

Date-format and holiday-region controls are available in version 2.5.0, build 88 on iOS or build 89 on Android, and later versions. Check your installed version and the update available to you. Public store availability can differ from TestFlight and private Google Play testing.

Get started

Sign in when prompted. For email registration, complete email verification before continuing. The production app uses a verified account; signing in does not automatically upload every schedule change.

Open Settings → Guided setup to choose your calendar preferences and optional work and pay details. Existing users can revisit setup without clearing their schedule.
Choose the week’s first day, time display, date format, and holiday region. These preferences are independent of your optional work details.
Add work details and a pay rate if you want them. These steps are optional.
Review and tap Save and finish. Back keeps your draft; Cancel discards it after confirmation. Setup does not add shifts or repeating patterns.

For a quick first schedule, choose a preset, open Schedule dates / Copy week, select your work dates, review the list, and add the shifts.

Create and manage shift presets

A preset is a reusable shift template. Creating one does not put it on your calendar.

Tap Presets on Home, then Create Custom Shift.
Use the full-page editor to choose start and end times. Open a time field, select the hour and minute, then tap Done. Cancel leaves the previous value in place.
Give the preset a useful name, such as “ICU Day,” and optionally enter a workplace. Choose its color and icon.
Save it, then select it from your presets when scheduling.

You can keep several named presets with identical hours. There is no five-preset limit. Use the pencil beside a preset to edit it; long-press a custom preset to delete it. Existing saved shifts keep their own appearance and details.

An end time earlier than the start time ends on the next day. The editor shows the duration and overnight message. Equal start and end times represent a 24-hour shift, so check the duration before saving.

Add one shift

Tap a calendar date to open its day details.
Tap Add shift on this date.
Choose a preset or enter custom times. Add the workplace, notes, tags, and optional pay details.
Review the date and tap Save.

By default, tapping a date opens its details. To add your selected preset with a single tap, deliberately turn Quick Add on on Home, then tap an empty date. Turn it off when you want normal day-details behavior.

Schedule several dates

Select the preset you want from Presets.
Tap Schedule dates / Copy week, then Choose dates.
Tap each date you want. Month arrows let you select dates in more than one month.
Tap Review … shifts.
Review the proposed shifts, skipped dates, conflicts, and any long-day warnings. Acknowledge warnings when requested, then tap Add … shifts.

The preview is checked again at save time. If the schedule has changed, review the updated preview before saving. Use Back to dates to adjust your selection.

Copy a week

Display the source week on Home.
Tap Schedule dates / Copy week → Copy this week.
Enter the First day of destination week. Check the source dates shown on the page.
Review the proposed shifts and tap Add … shifts when ready.

The original week stays in place. New copies start as Scheduled and use your current pay defaults. Existing dates that conflict are explained in the preview. Copying a week does not create a repeating pattern.

View, edit, duplicate, or delete a shift

Tap a date to see every shift on that day, including a shift that began the previous evening. Day details show exact times, workplace, notes, tags, Scheduled/Worked status, and unpaid breaks. Overnight entries show Ends next day or Started yesterday · Ends today.

Edit opens that shift. Make your changes and save.
Duplicate opens an unsaved copy. Choose its destination date and save; cancelling leaves the original unchanged. A single-shift duplicate keeps the original pay snapshot and starts as Scheduled.
To delete a shift, open Edit, use Delete, and confirm.
Undo appears after supported schedule changes, including batch additions. Use it before another change replaces the action. Undo is not retained after closing and reopening the app.

CareShiftER checks overlaps, overnight conflicts, and daily hours. It warns about more than 16 scheduled hours and blocks more than 24 hours in a day. A day can contain up to two shifts that start on that date. Review the warning and actual schedule even if you choose to continue.

Use repeating patterns

Open Patterns and create a named rotation. Choose a common pattern or define a cycle and its working days.
Save the pattern, then apply it.
Set Start filling from and Apply through. The end date must be within one year of the start.
Tap Preview repeating shifts, review additions and skipped dates, then tap Add … shifts.

Applying a pattern preserves existing manual shifts. Reapplying the same range does not add duplicate occurrences. Saving a pattern alone is different from applying it to dates.

When editing a generated shift, choose This shift or This and future shifts in this pattern slot. The second choice affects the matching cycle-day slot, shows the affected count, and checks conflicts. It does not change every shift in the rotation. To move an occurrence to another date, choose This shift. Undo can restore the schedule and pattern template after a supported recurring edit.

Set up hours and estimated pay

Open Profile to enter a default hourly rate, overtime multiplier, and night/weekend premiums. Under Pay rules & pay period:

Use Employer / pay group to group shifts that share weekly overtime. Different workplaces at the same employer can share a group; different employers can use separate groups.
Set Overtime workweek starts and Overtime after paid hours per week. The overtime workweek is separate from the calendar’s first day.
Choose the night-premium time window and whether each premium applies only to eligible hours or to the whole shift based on its start.
Choose Weekly or Every 2 weeks, then tap Pay-period start date to choose the first day of a known pay period. The date follows your date-format preference. This is the period’s start date, not payday.
Choose Twice a month — 15th and last day for estimates covering the 1st–15th and 16th–last day. Month lengths and leap years are handled automatically; no start date is needed. Your employer may pay for these periods later. Weekly overtime still follows the separate workweek setting.

In a shift’s Hours & pay section, enter Unpaid break (minutes), an optional hourly rate for that shift, and an employer/pay group. Mark a completed shift Worked and save. Passing the shift date does not automatically mark it Worked.

The date pickers and twice-monthly option require version 2.5.0, build 89 on iOS or build 90 on Android, or later.

Open Schedule Overview → Hours & estimated gross pay to select Workweek, Pay period, Month, or Custom dates. Filter by All shifts, Scheduled, or Worked. Missing-rate hours are identified and excluded from money totals.

Saved shifts keep their rates, currency, and rules when you change defaults. Worked estimates count only confirmed work toward overtime. Forecasts include planned and confirmed hours, and complete workweeks count even when some dates fall outside the displayed range. Different currencies appear separately without conversion.

Pay figures estimate gross pay before taxes and deductions. Overtime multiplies base pay; premiums are added separately. Breaks are spread proportionally across the shift. Calculations use clock hours and do not include daylight-saving adjustments or employer rules beyond the available settings. Compare the result with your employer’s records when reviewing a paycheck.

Open Share Schedule, choose weeks or months, and select the dates you want. You can share text, a schedule image, or a calendar .ics file. A recipient can import the .ics file into a compatible calendar app. Calendar export requires permission when requested.

Sharing and calendar export make a copy of the selected schedule. Later edits in CareShiftER do not automatically update a previously shared file or calendar export. A schedule image or .ics file is not a complete app backup.

Save a complete backup

Open Settings → Backup & recovery → Save Backup to Files.
In the share sheet, choose Save to Files and select a private location.
Keep the saved JSON file somewhere you can access if you change or lose your phone.

A complete backup includes shifts and notes, repeating patterns, presets, profile and pay settings, calendar/time/currency preferences, reminders, appearance, and language. It does not transfer your purchase, trial dates, or sign-in credentials. The file contains readable personal information, including notes and pay details; share it only intentionally.

Saving to a device-only folder will not protect against losing that device. Choose a location available outside the phone if you need that protection. Take a fresh backup after important changes.

Restore a backup or recover previous data

Open Settings → Backup & recovery → Restore from a File and select a CareShiftER backup.
Review its creation date, shift count, patterns, presets, and preferences.
Tap Cancel to leave current data unchanged, or Restore This Backup to replace the current schedule and included preferences.
Check the restored schedule and reminder permissions.

Before replacement, CareShiftER saves a local recovery copy. Restore Previous Data opens that copy for review if you need to return to it. This recovery copy survives an app restart, but it remains on the same device; it is not an independent backup. Each restore creates a recovery copy of the data it replaces.

An older cloud backup may lack newer settings. The preview identifies sections that will stay as they are on the phone. Invalid or unsupported backup files are rejected before replacement.

Accounts and cloud backup

The production app requires a verified sign-in. Schedule data is also stored on the device, and Settings provides manual cloud save/restore controls. A cloud restore should be reviewed before replacing your current data. Creating an account does not guarantee an automatic or continuous backup; check the result of each cloud action and keep a Files backup for recovery.

Sign-in, purchase validation, service protection, and automatic app-usage measurement send the information needed for those services even if you do not use cloud backup. The privacy policy explains Firebase account/security data, RevenueCat purchases and device information, and Expo Insights launch events and installation identifiers. Read the CareShiftER privacy policy.

Trial and lifetime access

CareShiftER offers a 30-day trial and a one-time lifetime unlock with no subscription. The store’s localized purchase screen shows the amount that applies to you.

After the trial ends, your existing schedule remains available to view, share, and export, including a backup. Unlock lifetime access to add or edit shifts and restore data. If you have already purchased, use Restore Purchase with the store account that made the purchase. Restoring a backup does not reset a trial or unlock a purchase.

For a new phone, save a backup first, install CareShiftER, restore your purchase using the original store account, then review and restore your backup. Do not delete the old installation until you have checked the new one.

Preferences, reminders, and support

Choose Date format in the first Calendar step of Guided setup, or change it later in Settings → Calendar preferences. Select Automatic, Month / Day / Year (11/23/2026), Day / Month / Year (23/11/2026), or Year / Month / Day (2026-11-23). Automatic follows your selected app language. Each option shows an example, and the selected format appears on the setup review screen. In setup, tap Save and finish to apply it; canceling keeps your existing preference. Settings applies the choice immediately. This changes how dates are displayed, not the stored dates of your shifts. Pay-period and custom pay-range dates also follow this preference: tap a date to choose it from the calendar.

Choose Holiday region in the Calendar step of Guided setup or Settings → Calendar preferences. Automatic · device region uses the country in your device’s region settings; it does not use GPS and does not follow the app language. Tap the holiday row to open a full-page picker. Search for a Country or territory, then choose a State or province and Local region where available. Choose Country-wide only or State-wide only to omit a narrower region, or Hide holidays to turn them off. Tap Done to accept the selection; in guided setup, finish with Save and finish. Cancel leaves the previous choice unchanged. When the device region is missing or unsupported, select a supported country manually; CareShiftER does not assume the United States.

The bundled offline calendar contains public and bank holidays for supported countries and territories, with subdivisions where supplied. It can show more than one holiday on a date. Coverage and translated holiday names vary; local and employer observance may differ. Calendar labels do not determine holiday pay. Set any employer-approved holiday pay on the shift itself. Open Holiday data & licenses in Settings or the holiday picker for sources and complete offline notices.

Use Settings → Calendar preferences for week start, date format, time format, and holiday region. Settings also contains appearance, language, currency, and reminder controls. Allow notifications in device Settings to receive reminders; Focus or notification settings may silence them. Recheck reminders after restoring a backup or changing notification permissions.

For help, email support@lucentixlabs.com. Include your app version/build, phone model, operating system, the steps you took, and what happened. Screenshots with personal notes and pay information hidden can help. Do not send passwords, verification codes, or a full backup unless a specific support exchange calls for it.

Frequently asked questions

Why did saving a custom shift not add it to my calendar

A preset is a reusable template. Select it from Presets, then use Schedule dates / Copy week or open a date and choose Add shift on this date.

Can I make more than five custom presets

Yes. The five-preset limit is removed. You can name presets and give them workplaces, including several presets with identical hours.

Why does tapping a date open details instead of adding a shift

Day details is the default so you can review the date first. Turn Quick Add on to add the selected preset by tapping an empty date. Turn it off to return to day details.

How do I schedule an overnight shift

Choose its actual start and end times. An end time earlier than the start ends the following day. Check the duration and overnight message. Equal times mean a 24-hour shift.

Why was a date skipped when copying a week or applying a pattern

The preview explains conflicts, duplicate occurrences, and other limits before saving. Existing shifts stay in place. Adjust the dates or existing shifts, then review again. The app checks the latest schedule at save time.

Does editing one repeating shift change all the others

Choose This shift for one occurrence. This and future shifts in this pattern slot changes the matching cycle-day slot after review. Moving a shift to a different date uses This shift.

How do I undo a scheduling mistake

Tap Undo while the action is displayed on Home or Patterns. It covers supported schedule changes and checks that the affected data has not changed again. Undo does not survive an app restart. For restoring an older backup, use Restore Previous Data instead.

Why are last week’s shifts still Scheduled

CareShiftER does not assume that a planned shift was worked. Open the shift, tap Edit, choose Worked under Hours & pay, then save.

Why does estimated pay differ from my paycheck

Check the saved rate, unpaid break, employer group, overtime workweek, premium window, and Scheduled/Worked filter. Pay totals are gross estimates before taxes and deductions. The app uses clock hours, adds premiums separately from overtime, and does not model every employer’s payroll rules or daylight-saving adjustments.

Why did changing my profile rate not change old shifts

Saved shifts retain their rate, currency, and rules. Profile defaults apply to new shifts. To change one existing shift’s rate, edit its Hourly rate for this shift field. A single-shift duplicate keeps the source pay snapshot; Copy this week creates shifts using current pay defaults.

Is my data automatically backed up

Keep a current Save Backup to Files copy. Creating an account is not a promise of continuous backup. If you use the available manual cloud controls, check that the save completed. A local recovery copy is on the same device and cannot protect against losing it.

No. Text, images, and .ics files share selected schedule information. A complete CareShiftER backup is the JSON file saved from Settings → Backup & recovery. It also contains patterns, presets, profile/pay details, and preferences.

Will restoring a backup merge two schedules

No. Review the preview carefully: Restore This Backup replaces your current schedule and the included preferences. The app first saves a recovery copy. Cancel makes no change; Restore Previous Data lets you review the preceding data after a restore.

Will a backup transfer my purchase or restart my trial

No. Purchases, trial dates, and authentication are excluded. Use Restore Purchase with the store account that made the purchase. Do not assume an Apple purchase transfers to another storefront.

What happens when my trial ends

You can still view, share, and export your saved schedule, including a backup. A lifetime unlock is required to add/edit shifts or restore data. CareShiftER uses a one-time purchase, not a subscription. The localized store price is authoritative.

Why are reminders missing

Check the shift’s date/time, CareShiftER reminder settings, and the phone’s notification permission and Focus settings. After a restore, a permission warning means reminders need attention. Choosing a reminder setting alone does not confirm delivery.

How do I change my calendar’s first day

Open Settings → Calendar preferences and choose Sunday or Monday. This changes the calendar layout. Your overtime workweek has a separate setting under Profile → Pay rules & pay period.

Can I choose month/day/year or day/month/year

Yes. Choose Date format in the Calendar step of Settings → Guided setup, or open Settings → Calendar preferences. Options are Automatic, Month / Day / Year, Day / Month / Year, and Year / Month / Day, each with an example. Automatic follows the app language. Save the setup draft with Save and finish; changes made directly in Settings apply immediately. Existing shift dates stay unchanged. Pay-period and custom pay-range dates also follow this preference: tap a date to choose it from the calendar.

Can I show holidays for a different country without changing the language?

Yes. Holiday region is separate from Settings → Language. Use the device-region default, choose a country and available subdivision manually, or hide holidays. All 45 language choices remain available. The picker controls are translated for every language; holiday names use the bundled data’s translations with fallback when a translation is unavailable. No location permission is needed.

Are all app languages still available

Yes. All 45 language choices remain in Settings → Language, and the new date-format choices are translated for every one. Choosing a date order does not change the app language.

Can I use pay periods ending on the 15th and last day of the month?

Yes. In Profile → Pay rules & pay period → Pay schedule, select Twice a month — 15th and last day, then tap Save. Estimates use the 1st–15th and 16th–month-end, including February and leap years. Your employer may pay for these periods later. This is two periods each month; Every 2 weeks uses a rolling 14-day cycle. Weekly overtime continues across pay-period boundaries. Requires version 2.5.0, iOS build 89 or Android build 90, or later.

How can I get help

Email support@lucentixlabs.com with the app version/build, device, operating system, and steps to reproduce the issue. Do not send passwords or verification codes. Keep personal notes and pay details out of screenshots unless needed.