App, devices & integrations

The app

Why don’t my clients see the latest update, when do they need the App Store?

Most updates ship over-the-air and install themselves: the app downloads the new version quietly and applies it the next time it opens fresh, or when it’s reopened after sitting in the background a while. Never mid-use, and never during an active workout. A home-screen note shows when a new version is ready, with an optional “Restart Now”. Occasionally a full release needs the App Store or Play Store; those usually auto-apply within about 48 hours for clients with auto-update on. The running version is under Profile, top-left.

Is there one global Protocol app, or does each coach get their own?

Each coach or team gets an independent branded app (your name, logo, colours) on the App Store and Play Store. Clients search for your app by name and log in. Before release they can join via TestFlight or use the web app; lower tiers can use the shared “My Protocol” community app instead.

My client clicks a program or payment link and it won’t open or shows locked, what do I tell them?

Most often it’s the in-app browser inside Instagram (sometimes Facebook or TikTok), which handles links and cookies poorly. Have the client open it in their normal browser, through the “…” or share menu and Open in browser, or send the link by WhatsApp or email instead of an Instagram DM. Delivering through the app or web app removes this whole class of problem.

My clients keep getting logged out and asked for a new code, why?

Logins should last about a year. Repeated logouts usually mean the auth token isn’t persisting on the device, which is most common on lower-end Android with low storage or aggressive memory management. Have the client update and relaunch the app; if a code isn’t re-issued promptly, generate one from their record with Login code on the header’s three-dot menu.

Can my clients with Huawei phones use the app?

Huawei devices have no Google Play Store, so the native Android app isn’t available there. Those clients, or anyone who prefers a computer, can use the web app, which has the same look and most of the features.

Can I run my coaching admin from the phone?

The mobile app covers viewing, chat, and opening a client’s app view. Plan building and most admin live on the web dashboard, which works in a phone browser but isn’t fully optimised. More native mobile admin is on the roadmap.

Why doesn’t the in-workout “App preview” behave like the real client app?

App preview in the workout editor is a lightweight visual preview only. To exercise the real thing, open the client’s record and choose App view on the three-dot menu in the header, which runs the actual client experience for that person.

Devices & integrations

Can the app sync with Apple Health / Google Health / my smartwatch?

Yes, on apps built with health sync enabled. Your client connects Apple Health (iPhone), Health Connect (Android, the hub that replaced Google Fit), or WHOOP from the Health Data screen in your app, and their steps, sleep, heart rate, recovery and body metrics flow into their record under Tracking → Body → Biometrics, where you read them.

Two things to know about that screen. The connection is made on the client’s phone, not by you, and Biometrics is read-only on the dashboard: readings arrive from connected apps and devices, and there is nothing to type in or upload. If you don’t see the Health Data screen in your app, sync isn’t enabled for your build yet; until then, capture what you need another way, for example a STEPS habit, or a weight field on a check-in form. Full walkthrough: Integrations.

How do I open my own Apple/Google developer accounts so app-store revenue goes to me?

Apple Developer Program ($99/yr) plus Google Play Console ($25 one-time). Register as an Organization rather than Personal, since both need a DUNS number and Apple’s form can take a few days, then add your Protocol contact as Admin so we can publish. Personal accounts route payouts and taxes to you individually, which is usually wrong for a business.

After a client pays via our Stripe/funnel, can we auto-create their account and grant access?

Yes, via Protocol’s open API plus automations: create the client profile on the payment trigger, send the onboarding form or feed your own data, then grant app access. AI can pre-populate the profile and even prepare a plan. Note that the money still moves through your own funnel; Protocol records the sale rather than collecting it. See Billing & payments.

Booking & calendar

Why can’t a client book a slot even though I’m free then?

A buffer before or after an event reserves a gap around each appointment, so a session ending at 12:00 with a 15-minute buffer blocks the 12:00 slot. Set buffer-before and buffer-after to 0 in the event settings to allow back-to-back bookings.

I run a semi-private class (max 2 to 3), why does the slot show full after one booking?

Capacity slots should show remaining spots, for example “1/2 free”. If one booking blocks the whole slot, make sure your app is on the latest version, where the capacity behaviour is current.

The booking confirmation email showed the wrong time, why?

Bookings are always stored correctly; only the email formatting was affected, since it used to show UTC. Current versions render the confirmation in the client’s timezone with a timezone label, so make sure you’re up to date.

Will the dashboard go offline during maintenance, do my clients lose access?

Web and admin maintenance windows are announced in advance, usually late evening, and a temporary dashboard link is provided, so you never lose access. The client app and all data stay live throughout.

Chat

How do I add an existing client to a group chat, or rename a group?

Chat → “+”, then add clients; adding two or more creates a group and asks for a name. To rename, change the picture, or manage members, open the group and use three dots → Settings. See Messaging.

My client says they can’t edit, delete or copy their own messages. Why not?

They can. Almost every time, the client just doesn’t know press and hold. Mobile message actions have no on-screen button: pressing and holding a bubble opens Edit and Delete on their own messages, Copy (and Copy link) on anyone’s, and the emoji row for reactions. Tell them that one gesture and the problem disappears. Worth adding to your welcome message. See Messaging on mobile.

If a client says the menu does open but the action fails, that’s a different problem: send it to support rather than re-explaining the gesture.

A client says their video never sent. How do I check?

Ask whether their message shows a tick. A just-sent video shows a spinner and “Processing video…” for a short window before its preview frame appears, which is normal and not a failed send. A tick means it reached you regardless. Clients see delivered and read ticks on their own messages, so they can confirm it landed without asking. See Messaging on mobile.

I remember discussing something with a client but not who or when. Can I find it?

Yes. The chat sidebar’s search box searches the text of your messages, not just names, so typing a word from the conversation brings back the matching messages with the client’s name and date attached. It ignores accents and copes with different word endings. Type at least two characters. See Search your chats.