A gate app asking for Bluetooth, your location and your microphone can look like a lot. Each request maps to one feature, and you can decline any of them — you just lose that feature. Here is what each one is for, in the app's own words.
On iPhone
- Bluetooth — “lets your phone present your mobile key to the reader at the gate, so it unlocks as you hold your phone up.” Only relevant if your community issues phone keys.
- Camera — “scans visitor passes and membership cards at the gate, and — only when a member of staff chooses — reads the barcode on a visitor's license or takes a resident's membership photo. Nothing else is read off the license.” Residents rarely need this; it is mostly for guards and office staff.
- Location, always — “lets your mobile key unlock the gate as you approach, even when the app is in the background or your phone is in your pocket.”
- Location, while using the app — unlocks the gate as you arrive when you hold a mobile key. For guards, it is also attached to gate scans for the community's audit trail — it never blocks a check-in.
- Microphone — “lets visitors at the gate hear you during intercom calls.”
On Android
The Android app asks for notifications, the camera, the microphone and an approximate location, plus permission to show a full-screen incoming call so an intercom call can ring through like a phone call.
If you say no
- Notifications declined — no push alerts for visitors, packages or intercom calls. You can turn them back on in your phone's settings at any time.
- Bluetooth or location declined — your phone key cannot be presented to the reader. See “My Bluetooth key won't open the gate”.
- Camera declined — scanning is unavailable on that device. On the web, if staff decline the camera while taking a membership photo, the page offers “Camera access was denied — upload a file instead.”
- Microphone declined — visitors at the gate cannot hear you during intercom calls.
- Location declined as a guard — check-ins still work; the scan simply carries no location.
Good to know
- For residents on the web at app.maximum.community, the only permission requested is notifications, and only when you switch push notifications on. Staff pages ask for the camera when scanning or taking a membership photo.
- A licence scan never reads a date of birth, address or licence number — only the name.
Related
See “Install the app and turn on notifications”, “Answer the gate intercom on your phone” and “My Bluetooth key won't open the gate”.