FAQ

The box

Does it need the internet?

No. Everything on site runs between the box and the phones on your own network. If the box has internet, it uses it for three small things: checking its licence, checking once a day for a new version, and sending a crash report when you agree to it. Privacy and your data lists exactly what's sent.

What should the box run on?

Any Mac (Apple Silicon or Intel), 64-bit Windows PC or 64-bit Linux machine that can stay on for the whole event. A laptop is fine. Plug it into mains, and into the crew network by cable if you can. Installing has the downloads.

How many crew can join?

The licence doesn't limit crew numbers. It covers 1 box, and everyone on that box. In practice the limit is your Wi-Fi.

Can crew join from off site?

Only if you give them a route to the box, such as a tunnel you set up. The /connect poster doesn't show the event PIN to anyone who opens it from the internet, and people connecting that way are marked off-site in the direct messages list.

What happens to everything after the event?

Everything stays on the box, in its data folder, until you delete it. Admin → Export → Download chat logs saves every message as one file, and the show log and the network audit each have their own report. See Packing down.

Phones

Does it work on iPhones?

Yes, in Safari. There's no iPhone app in 1.0, and crew don't need one. Three things to know:

• Lock-screen alerts don't work on a site with no internet. Apple delivers them through its own servers, which an offline network can't reach. Give the roles that mustn't miss a call an Android phone with the Crewbox app.
• iPhones may quietly leave a Wi-Fi network with no internet and switch to mobile data, which can't reach the box. The box answers the checks iPhones make to prevent this. If it's still happening, see iPhones connect but never load.
• Talking on voice and adding Crewbox to the home screen both need the box on HTTPS. Over plain http://, an iPhone can listen but not talk. See the HTTPS rule.

Why use the Android app instead of the browser?

It rings on the lock screen for mentions and direct messages with no internet, and it can use the microphone over plain http://. Everything else is the same. The box can serve the app itself; see Installing.

Does it work on a laptop or tablet?

Yes. Any modern browser on the event network works, with the full app on a bigger screen, and keyboard shortcuts (Keyboard shortcuts).

What happens when a phone loses signal?

It keeps working from what it has. Anything sent is queued on the phone and delivered when the box is back, even if the app was closed in between. Photos and files are the exception: sending one needs a connection to the box.

Licensing

How does the trial work?

Start it in Admin → Licence with your email. It lasts 30 days, needs the box to reach the internet once, and there's one trial per box. The trial and your licence has the steps.

What stops working when the trial ends?

Only the operator's event setup: the setup page, and the event name, Wi-Fi and network settings in the admin panel. Chat, voice and every crew module keep working, and the event PIN and admin password can still be changed. Enter a key to unlock setup again.

Does the box need internet to stay licensed?

Not for long. A licensed box checks in when it can. Without internet it stays fully licensed for 90 days, and even after that nothing is restricted. The licence just shows check-in due until the box next reaches the internet. A box that never has internet can be activated offline. See No internet at the venue.

Can I move the licence to another machine?

Yes. Press Release this box in Admin → Licence on the old machine, then activate the key on the new one. If the old machine is dead, free the seat from your account page.

What happens to updates after a year?

Each licence includes updates for its first year. After that the box keeps working on the version it has. A newer version installed after that year shows Licensed — update window ended and keeps working too. Renew to keep updating.

Can I get a refund?

Yes, within 30 days of buying, with no reason needed. See refunds.

Updates

Does Crewbox update itself?

It checks for updates by itself, once a day, and tells the operator when a new version is out. It never installs one without being asked. An admin downloads the update and installs it with two presses in the admin panel, at a moment that suits the show. Crew phones pick up the new app with a Reload tap.

Is my data kept through an update?

Yes. The box copies its database before installing, and if the new version won't start, it puts the old one back by itself.