What’s new in MechanicDesk

Sign in with an email link

On the sign-in page, choose Email me a link, enter your email address and open the link we send to sign in without a password. The link works once, for existing accounts.

Reset a forgotten password

Forgot password? on the sign-in page sends a link to your email. Open it to choose a new password (at least 8 characters) and carry on to the workspace. If a link has expired or was already used, the page says so and offers a new one.

Links from emails sign you straight in

Opening a sign-in or email confirmation link now takes you on to the workspace instead of stopping at the sign-in page. Settings > Your account links to both new options.

Create a free account

A new Create your account page takes an email address and a password (at least 8 characters). If your email needs confirming, you're asked to open the link we send, then sign in. Anything you've already done in the browser stays, ready to back up once you're signed in.

A reminder when you have no account

When you use the browser workspace without signing in, a slim notice at the top says your records are only saved in this browser, with Create free account and Sign in. On a phone it sits under the header. The × hides it until you next open MechanicDesk.

A plainer sign-in page

The sign-in page says what an account is for instead of describing how the site is set up, explains problems in plain words, offers Open the workspace when you're already signed in, and links to Create a free account. Settings > Your account links there too.

Sign in and out in Settings > Your account

Signing in used to be part of the Pro panel on Templates. It now has its own section, Settings > Your account, which also shows your Pro status and has Check Pro again and Sign out. The Sign in buttons on Templates and on Team and access take you there, and pressing Enter in the password box signs you in.

Problems explained in plain words

When something can't be done, the message says why and what to do in everyday words, for example "Only owners and admins can change team access." or "Their invite link has expired. Choose Make a new invite link from ⋯ beside their name, then try again." instead of technical messages from the server. Features that aren't set up on a site say so, and a lost connection says to check it.

The keyboard stays in confirmations

In a confirmation, Tab and Shift+Tab move between its buttons instead of into the page behind, in the browser and in the phone apps. Closing it puts you back where you were, including on the ⋯ button that opened it.

Last backed up shows a normal date

Settings showed the last cloud backup or restore as a raw timestamp such as 2026-11-03T19:15:28.432Z. It now reads 03 Nov 2026 19:15.

Role changes save straight away

Pick someone's role beside their name. When you're signed in, the change applies to their sign-in at once; there's no separate Save access button. If saving fails, ⋯ > Save their access tries again.

Everything else about a person is in their ⋯ menu

⋯ beside each person holds Copy invite link, Email invite and Make a new invite link (while they're invited), Turn off access or Turn access back on, and Remove from team, which asks first. Remove access and Remove local are now this one action: signed in, it also stops them signing in.

Plan and status are set by billing

Workspace details no longer has Plan and Status boxes; your plan and its status show in Plan and billing.

See who's on the team at a glance

Each person shows their initials, name, email, whether they're active, invited or have access turned off, and when their invite link stops working. The heading counts active and invited people and seats used. A workspace's last owner can't be changed or removed, and the screen says why.

Adding someone explains itself

Add someone describes what the chosen role can do, says how to send the invite, and when every seat is taken, links to Plan and billing.

Signed-in tools in plain words

Your access says what your role lets you do. Team backup backs up and restores the list and workspace details (restoring asks first). Recent activity lists what has changed, such as Invite emailed or Access changed. When you're not signed in, one note says the list is kept in this browser.

Dates and times read normally

Invite expiry, renewal dates and backup times showed as raw timestamps such as 2026-11-17T19:15:28.432Z. They now read 17 Nov 2026, with the time where it matters.

Replacing your records asks first

Replace everything (after choosing an import file), Replace from backup and Replace from shared are red and open a confirmation saying how many records will be replaced. Before, they replaced everything on one click.

Platform status is gone from Settings

The Platform status section listed missing set-up by its technical setting names, which only matters to whoever runs the site. It no longer appears.

Plan and billing in plain words

Plan and billing shows your plan by the name on the pricing page, its status (such as Free trial), whether importing your own forms is included, team seats used and the renewal date. Payment-system IDs and the list of web addresses are gone, Upgrade to Pro hides once you have Pro, and Manage subscription only appears when there is a subscription to manage.

Backup and Pro messages without jargon

Messages about cloud backup, the shared workspace, team settings, calendar feeds, checkout and Pro access no longer mention hosted APIs, snapshots, entitlements or the services behind them. Workspace slug is now Workspace ID.

Form names in a job show in full

On a job, long form names wrap onto a second line instead of being cut short, and the template picker for a new form uses the panel's full width, with Add form under it.

Remove form and Remove invoice are in the ⋯ menu

An open form's ⋯ button, beside Download PDF, Share PDF and Print, holds Remove form. On an invoice, the ⋯ button above the preview holds Remove invoice. Both still ask before removing anything.

Invoices offer the next step

A draft invoice's button reads Mark sent; a sent or overdue invoice's reads Mark paid; a paid invoice has none. Before, every unpaid invoice showed Mark paid, even a draft that hadn't gone out.

Save is only on when something has changed

A job's Save changes and a template's save button stay greyed out until you change something, so saving an untouched template no longer makes an identical new version. The template button says which version it makes, such as Save v2.

One main button per screen

On Forms, Add mark is now an ordinary button and the Mobile layout and PDF layout switch is shown as a choice rather than a bright button, so Create form stands out. Greyed-out main buttons, such as Approve conversion before every field is checked, now look disabled.

No repeated figures

The form's progress (such as 12/53) shows once, in the panel beside the form, instead of also in the top bar. The invoice total shows under the lines and on the preview, not a third time above it.

Removals ask first

Removing a form, an invoice, a checklist photo, the logo, a technician or a team member's access now opens a short confirmation saying what will go. Choose Cancel, press Escape or click outside it to keep everything.

New job on phones and small tablets

When the screen is too narrow for the sidebar, a New job button sits at the top of every screen. Before, the only way in was the N key.

Removal buttons look like removals

Remove buttons for photos, vehicle marks, the logo, technicians and team members are red, like Remove form and Remove invoice, so they stand apart from everyday buttons. Remove local on the team list is now Remove from list.

The Forms filters are in one menu

The Forms list had two filters side by side, cut short on a phone ("All j…"). Tap the filter button to choose a form status and a job status from one menu; the button shows what you have picked.

Moving and deleting template checks is in the ⋯ menu

When editing a template, each section and each check has a ⋯ button with Move up, Move down and Delete. On a phone each check is now a small card of three rows instead of six.

Job status is never cut short

On a phone the job's status, date and time sit in one row under the title, so statuses such as Awaiting parts show in full, and status menus read In progress rather than in-progress. The form status shows in full too.

Editing a title or address uses the full width

On a phone, the box for editing a job's title, location or notes opens across the screen instead of in a narrow box that cut off what you typed.

Plain words in Settings and Templates

Storage, cloud backup and Pro now say what they mean, without technical terms, and setup instructions meant for developers are gone. Buttons read Back up records and Back up photos, Log booking and Add customer are no longer in capitals, and the Pro import on Templates explains itself in one sentence.

Save and Done are only at the top

Editing a job, a new booking, a form, an invoice or a template showed the same buttons twice, at the top and again at the bottom. They are now only in the bar at the top of the screen, which stays in view as you scroll. Look there for Save, Done, Cancel and Back.

Adding a template to a job says which job

On the Templates screen, the button reads Add to and the job number, and once a template is on that job it says so instead of showing a greyed-out button. With no job open, there is no add button.

The main action stands out

Protect storage and Add technician in Settings are now outlined buttons rather than solid ones, so the solid teal button is kept for the main thing on each screen. Without Pro, the Templates screen shows a note that importing needs a Pro plan instead of a faded button.

Buttons and icons match

Back always has a left arrow, Cancel a cross, Save a disk and Done a tick. Saving a template says which version it will make, such as Save v2. The form screen is titled Edit form. Template sections and checks move with plain up and down arrows. Customer rows end in an arrow, headings use quiet icons that don't look like buttons, and the home screen says On this device where it said Local.

Reset demo data is now in Settings

The button that clears the phone app and brings back the demo records has moved from the bottom of the Templates screen to Settings, under Start again, and is called Reset all data. It asks you to confirm first. Use it from there if you need it.

A check before anything is deleted

Deleting a form or invoice from a job, a photo from a checklist, a technician, or a template section that still has checks now asks you to confirm. Restoring records from your cloud backup asks too, because it replaces what is on the phone.

Delete buttons are red

Every delete and remove button in the phone apps is now red, so it stands apart from the buttons beside it. In the small edit boxes for a job's title, location and notes, the tick that saves is now teal, so it is easy to tell from the cross that cancels.

The customer list has room to breathe

In the phone apps' Customers screen, the list's heading and the Add customer button sat right against the edge of their panel. The panel now has the same padding as the customer form beside it.

Pro status lines no longer run together

On the Templates screen, the Pro status and the conversion status ran on as one sentence. Each now has its own line.

The selected customer is easy to read

In the phone apps' Customers list, the customer you are editing was highlighted in pale mint with light text on top. It is now tinted teal like the rest of the dark design.

Amber confidence bars show their fill

When reviewing an imported template, fields with medium confidence showed an empty bar. The bar now fills in amber, like the green and red ones.

The iPhone app needs iOS 15.4 or later

The iPhone app's new styling needs iOS 15.4 or later. If your iPhone is on iOS 15.0 to 15.3, update it in Settings, General, Software Update (every iPhone that runs iOS 15 can update to 15.8) to keep getting new versions of the app.

Lighter phone apps

The phone apps' old styling code is gone now that every screen uses the new styling system, so the apps carry about 3,500 fewer lines of styles.

Tidier styling in the phone apps

The last pieces of the phone apps (status labels, the message bar, the job location editor and the invoice's new-customer form) now use the new styling system, and some unused parts were removed.

Tidier styling in the phone apps

The phone apps' Settings screen, including business details, technicians, your logo, storage, cloud backup and Pro access, now uses the new styling system. Every screen in the phone apps now does.

Tidier styling in the phone apps

The phone apps' Templates screen, the template editor and the review of imported templates now use the new styling system.

Tidier styling in the phone apps

The phone apps' More screen and Customers, including the customer form and postcode lookup, now use the new styling system.

Tidier styling in the phone apps

The phone apps' Invoices list and invoice screen, including customer and vehicle details, line items and totals, now use the new styling system.

Tidier styling in the phone apps

The phone apps' Forms list and form checklists, including vehicle marks, tyre tread and maintenance details, now use the new styling system.

Layouts switch at exactly the right width

At a handful of exact window widths (for example 1279 pixels) the workspace and the website briefly showed the wider layout. They now switch where they should.

Tidier styling in the phone apps

Editing a job and logging a new booking in the phone apps now use the new styling system.

Tidier styling in the phone apps

The phone apps' Jobs screen, its summary and the tab bar now use the new styling system.

Tidier styling in the phone apps

The iPhone and Android apps now build with the same styling system as the website and the hosted workspace, and unused styles are removed.

Remove buttons stand out

Reset demo, Remove form, Remove invoice and removing an invoice line now have a red outline and turn red when you point at them, so they are harder to press by mistake.

Invitation links are easier to spot

In Settings, under Team, a pending invitation's link sits on its own dark background.

Tidier styling

Filling a form on its PDF layout now uses the new styling system, which completes the move for the whole web app.

Tidier styling

The panels in Customers, the Schedule reminders, form checklists, invoice lines, Templates and every Settings section, plus the sign-in page, now use the new styling system.

Overdue totals are red

In Invoices, the total of an overdue invoice now shows in red, so it stands out from invoices that are simply unpaid.

One focus outline on text boxes

Clicking into a text box in the workspace showed a teal outline on top of its own glow. Text boxes show just the glow again.

Tidier styling

The buttons, cards, lists, fields and labels shared across the workspace now use the new styling system.

Tidier styling

Forms, Invoices (including the invoice preview), Templates and the letterhead preview in Settings now use the new styling system.

Tidier styling

Jobs, Schedule, Settings, More and the New job window now use the new styling system.

Tidier styling

The workspace's menus, top bar, phone tab bar and the Today screen now use the new styling system.

Clearer buttons and more breathing room

Teal buttons now have dark, easier-to-read text, and headlines, card titles and summaries have space around them instead of running into the text below.

Tidier layouts

The headline figures sit in one row, the feature cards fill their grid without gaps, and the how-it-works steps are joined by a line through their numbers.

Fits phone screens

The preview of the day's jobs on the home and trade pages no longer runs off the edge of a phone screen, and the how-it-works steps stack in one column on a phone.

The whole headline shows

On the home page, longer phrases in the changing headline, such as "independent garages", shrink to fit instead of running behind the job preview or off a phone screen.

How-it-works steps appear in turn again

On the home page and each trade page, the four steps now fade in one after another instead of the last three appearing together.

Tidier styling

The public website uses the new styling system. Nothing looks different.

Tidier styling

Unused styles are removed and the sign-in and offline pages use the new styling system.

Security fix for the phone apps

The iPhone and Android apps now run on a patched version of the framework that hosts the app, closing a security issue. Nothing changes in how you use them.

Everything one click away

A sidebar groups Today, Jobs, Schedule and Customers under Work, and Forms, Invoices and Templates under Documents. Press N for a new job, and / or Ctrl+K (⌘K on a Mac) to search jobs, registrations and customers.

Today shows your day at a glance

Today lists the day's bookings with a line marking the current time, what Needs attention (overdue invoices, jobs waiting on parts, unfinished forms) and how much is outstanding.

Works on tablets and phones too

On a tablet the sidebar shrinks to icons and a job opens over the list. On a phone you get the mobile app's tabs: Jobs, Forms, Invoices and More.

Edit a job beside the list

Pick a job in Jobs to edit it alongside the list. Change its status from the pill next to the title, and use Start form, Create invoice or Add reminder without leaving the job.

New jobs remember the customer's vehicles

New job offers the vehicles from a customer's earlier jobs, so the registration, make, model and colour fill in with one click.

A week calendar

Schedule shows the week's bookings by day and time, with reminders along the top. Select a booking to open the job.

Quicker checklists

Each check is one compact line: tick it, add a note or a photo. A note opens out while you type, so long forms stay easy to scan.

Easier to find the PDF layout

Forms made from your own imported PDF carry a PDF badge, and every form shows the Mobile layout / PDF layout switch. When the PDF layout isn't available, the switch tells you what's needed.

See the invoice as you type

Invoices shows a live preview of the finished invoice beside the editor, with your business details, line items and totals.

Account, billing and backup now live in Settings

Look in Settings for Team and access, Plan and billing, Backup and import and Platform status. Old bookmarks still take you to the right place.

Reset demo asks before replacing your records

Reset demo has moved to Settings → Backup and import and now tells you exactly what will be replaced. Nothing changes until you choose Replace with demo data.

This changelog

Every release is now numbered and listed here, newest first. Find it under Changelog in the site footer.

Security updates

Updated the components the website and workspace are built on.