Automatic Inactivity Timeout

Automatic Inactivity Timeout

Automatic Inactivity Timeout and Notifications

To help keep your iCarol system and data secure, iCarol follows industry-standard security best practices. One of these practices includes automatically signing out Volunteer-Staff users after a period of inactivity.

Inactivity Timeout Overview

Volunteer-Staff users should always sign out of iCarol when not actively using it and avoid leaving computers unattended while signed in. To sign out, click “Exit” from the left-hand menu.
To further protect your system, iCarol will automatically log out users after 60 minutes of inactivity. This timer applies to all users and cannot be modified.

Session Timeout Warning

Five minutes before the session expires, iCarol will display a Session Timeout warning:
  1. Includes a countdown timer
  2. Flashes the browser tab to draw attention
  3. Onscreen and browser notification popup
  4. Offers a “Continue Session” button to reset the timer
 

How to Prevent Timeout

Any of the following actions will reset the inactivity timer:
  1. Navigating between pages
  2. Clicking anywhere within iCarol
  3. Scrolling with the mouse
  4. Typing or pressing any key
  5. Clicking “Continue Session” on the warning message
Info
Note: If multiple iCarol tabs/windows are open, at least one must be active to prevent timeout.
Once logged out due to inactivity:
  1. Users must log back in
  2. Unsaved changes will be lost
  3. We recommend saving work frequently

Messaging Page Exception

If your organization uses Messaging (IM Chat or SMS Text), the Messaging page behaves differently:
  1. Users on the Messaging page are exempt from the inactivity timeout
  2. This ensures incoming chats are not missed
  3. Simply keeping the Messaging page open in one tab/window will prevent logout

New! Application Notifications for Timeout Alerts

To improve the inactivity warning alert and help users avoid losing work, iCarol now supports browser-based notifications for session timeout alerts. These notifications appear in front of other windows, even if your browser is minimized.

How to Enable Notifications

1. Log into iCarol
2. Navigate to Vol-Staff > My Information
3. Scroll to the Notifications and Preferences section
4. Click “Allow Notifications”

 
5. In the browser popup, click “Allow”
6. Confirm the status shows “Allowed”

 
o You can now send a Test Notification to verify
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IMPORTANT: Until the modernization project is completed, please click “More notification settings” and enable notifications from the legacy application as well. While iCarol provides a seamless user experience between elements using our legacy application and our modern application, permission must be granted to both to push notifications to your browser.

Browser-Specific Notification Settings

If notifications are not allowed, follow these general steps based on your browser:

Google Chrome

  1. Go to Settings > Privacy and Security > Site Settings > Notifications
  2. Find or search for iCarol
  3. Set to Allow

Microsoft Edge

  1. Go to Settings > Cookies and Site Permissions > Notifications
  2. Search for iCarol
  3. Set to Allow

Mozilla Firefox

  1. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Permissions > Notifications
  2. Click Settings
  3. Search for iCarol
  4. Set to Allow and click Save Changes

Windows System Settings (Optional/Recommended)

To ensure notifications are delivered reliably:
  1. Open Windows Settings
  2. Go to System > Notifications
  3. Ensure notifications are turned on
  4. Click “Set priority notifications”
  5. Add your browser to receive priority alerts

Why Windows System Settings Matter for Notifications

Even if browser notifications are enabled, your Windows system settings ultimately control whether those alerts are displayed. If notifications are turned off—or if your system is in Do Not Disturb (DND) mode, such as during calls or presentations—you may miss important alerts, including the inactivity timeout warning.
By default, Windows may automatically enable DND during:
  1. Video or voice calls
  2. Screen sharing or presentations
  3. Focus Assist sessions
This can prevent iCarol notifications from appearing, especially when your browser is minimized or behind other windows.
To ensure you receive timely alerts:
  1. Turn on Notifications
  2. Add your browser to priority notifications
  3. Review and adjust Focus Assist/DND settings to allow iCarol alerts even during calls
These steps help ensure you don’t miss critical notifications that could result in unexpected logouts or lost work.

Troubleshooting Premature Timeouts

Some system settings may cause early logouts. If you're being logged out prematurely, try the following:
  1. Confirm you are using a supported browser
  2. Apply any browser and Windows Updates to your computer
  3. Set Privacy slider to Medium
  4. Enable:
    1. Accept First Party Cookies
    2. Accept Third Party Cookies
    3. Always Accept Session Cookies
  5. Disable/uninstall third-party toolbars (e.g., Google, Yahoo)
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Important Note: The instructions provided for browser and Windows system settings are general guidelines. Because iCarol does not control browser or operating system behavior, we are unable to troubleshoot issues related to these external settings. If you encounter difficulties enabling notifications or adjusting system preferences, please work with your organization's IT provider or technical support team for further assistance.

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