Magic link issues in desktop Diary parts [BETA]
When you’re ready to start a desktop part in a Diary mission, you’ll click Get Started on that part in the dscout mobile app, and then follow the prompt to email yourself a magic link. Magic links are how we help you make the transition from the dscout mobile app to your desktop or laptop. When opened in the Chrome browser on your computer, the magic link will authenticate you (so you don’t have to login again on desktop) and bring you into an onboarding flow for the specific part you’re working on.
If you’ve emailed yourself a magic link but are having trouble accessing your mission, try some of the troubleshooting steps below:
- My magic link is expired
- I didn’t receive my magic link email
- How can I access my mission without using a magic link?
My magic link is expired
For security purposes, magic links expire in 24 hours and each link can only be used once. If it’s been more than 24 hours since you sent yourself the link, or you’re trying to re-use a link, you’ll hit an expiration page.
Try sending yourself a new magic link by clicking Get Started or New Entry on the relevant desktop part in the dscout mobile app, then following the prompt to send yourself a new magic link.
If your magic link is showing as expired on first click, within minutes of sending it to yourself, it’s possible that your email client (e.g. Gmail, Outlook) is consuming the link before you click it. We recommend you follow the steps below to access your mission without using a magic link.
I didn’t receive my magic link email
We send the magic link to the email address associated with your dscout account. You’ll receive this email from participate@dscout.com with Your magic link for Part ‘...’ of the ‘...’ Diary mission in the subject.
If you’re not receiving the magic link email, please double check the email address in your dscout profile on the mobile app for any typos or spelling errors.
If you want to change the address your magic link is sent to, you can update the email address in your scout profile on the mobile app, then resend the magic link.
If you’ve double checked your email address and are still having issues, it’s possible that all emails from participate@dscout.com -- for magic links, but also notifications for dscout messages, comments, mission invites, etc. -- are being marked as spam or junk. Check the spam/junk folder in your email client, or try adding participate@dscout.com to your contacts or safe sender list, then resending the magic link.
If you’ve tried all the above and still aren’t receiving magic link emails, we recommend you follow the steps below to access your mission without using a magic link.
How can I access my mission without using a magic link?
It’s a little more complicated, but very possible. Here’s how to access your mission without using a magic link:
- Using the Chrome browser on your desktop or laptop computer, install the Google Chrome Diary extension. Here are step-by-step instructions on installing the Diary Chrome extension.
- Once you have the dscout Diary extension installed, click the puzzle piece Extensions icon to view all of your extensions, then click dscout Diary to open the extension pop-up. You can also pin the dscout Diary extension to your browser bar for easy access.
- Sign in to the extension using the same email address and password you use to access the dscout mobile app on your phone.
- Once you’re signed in, the pop-up will show three tabs: Missions, Uploads and Settings. In the Missions tab, you’ll see all of your in-progress missions with desktop parts.
- Click on the relevant mission to access the mission details page, then click Get Started or New Entry to begin a new entry for a desktop part.
