Printer PINs: new users, resets and reminders
This guide explains how Cirros printer PINs work for newly provisioned users: how a PIN / Passcode is issued the first time a user signs in, and how a user can get a new PIN / Passcode if they forget it. It covers both the self-service route for users and the assisted route for the IT service desk.
How PIN / Passcode sign-in works
Every Cirros user has a personal PIN / Passcode, a short unique numeric code, that identifies them at the printer so they can release their own print jobs. The PIN / Passcode is held securely in Cirros against the user's account. Where card readers are fitted, a user can tap their ID card instead, with the PIN / Passcode available as a fallback.
How a new user gets their PIN / Passcode
New users do not need to be given a PIN / Passcode by hand. Cirros issues one automatically:
- The user is provisioned in Cirros and appears in the tenant. For a batch rollout this follows the PIN / Passcode import.
- The user signs in to the Cirros desktop client for the first time, using their normal corporate sign-in.
- If the user does not already have a PIN / Passcode, Cirros automatically generates a unique numeric PIN / Passcode for them.
- Cirros emails the PIN / Passcode to the user's registered email address.
- The user enters that PIN / Passcode at any Cirros managed printer to release their print jobs.
Users already carrying a PIN / Passcode keep it. A new PIN / Passcode is only generated for a user who does not yet have one. Anyone whose PIN / Passcode was set by the batch import, or who already signed in during testing, keeps their existing PIN / Passcode and does not receive a new one.
If a user forgets their PIN / Passcode (self-service)
A user can request a new PIN / Passcode themselves from the Cirros sign-in screen:
- On the Cirros sign-in screen, select Forgot PIN / Passcode.
- Enter the work email (or username) and submit.
- Cirros sends an email to that address. Depending on the tenant configuration, the email either contains a link to set a new PIN / Passcode, or contains a newly generated PIN / Passcode to use straight away.
- Follow the email, then use the new PIN / Passcode at the printer.
For security there is a short wait before another reset can be requested, so users should not submit repeatedly. The email is sent from Cirros, so if it does not arrive within a few minutes, check the junk or spam folder.
Which of the two email styles applies (a reset link, or a new PIN / Passcode sent directly) is a tenant setting, configured per company.
Resetting a PIN / Passcode for a user (service desk)
When a user cannot self-serve, an administrator or service desk agent can reset the PIN / Passcode from the Cirros Admin Portal:
- Sign in to the Cirros Admin Portal (dashboard).
- Open the Users list and find the user.
- Right-click the user's row (or use the row actions) and choose Reset Pin/Password.
- Cirros generates a new PIN / Passcode and emails it to the user's registered address.
Quick reference
| Situation | What happens / what to do |
|---|---|
| New user, first sign-in | Cirros automatically generates a PIN / Passcode and emails it to the user. |
| User already had a PIN / Passcode (import or testing) | Keeps the existing PIN / Passcode. Nothing to do. |
| User forgets PIN / Passcode (self-service) | User selects Forgot PIN / Passcode on the sign-in screen and follows the email. |
| User forgets PIN / Passcode (assisted) | Service desk uses Reset Pin/Password in the Admin Portal. |
| PIN / Passcode email not received | Check junk or spam, confirm the user's email address, wait out the short resend delay, then retry or ask the service desk. |
Good to know
- PINs are numeric and unique within the organisation. The length is set per tenant.
- All PIN / Passcode emails are sent from Cirros to the user's registered email address, so it is worth confirming each user's email is correct in the provisioning data.
- The first-sign-in PIN / Passcode is issued per user as each one first signs in, so there is no single bulk send; users who join later are handled automatically the same way.