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ShiftFlowr / Back Shift Alternating / Setup guide

Step-by-step guide

Setting up a Back Shift Alternating schedule — every screen, in order.

This pattern is a 14-day weekday rotation: a week of day shifts and two days off, then a week of back shifts and two days off. 19 real screenshots, start to finish: pick the preset, set your anchor date, preview, and apply. About 20 seconds once you've done it once.

Get ShiftFlowr Read the Back Shift Alternating pattern explainer

Free on Android · Early access

1. Tap Set up 2. Tap Set Pattern 3. Choose Back Shift Alternating 4. Open the cycle date 5. Choose the first cycle date 6. Confirm the date 7. Select the months 8. Review July and August 9. Review September and October 10. Review October and November 11. Review November and December 12. Add the schedule 13. Check July 14. Check August 15. Check September 16. Check October 17. Check November 18. Confirm the saved pattern 19. Open the saved pattern

Before you start

This flow works the same for every built-in pattern

The screenshots below use Back Shift Alternating as the example, but the flow — pick a preset, set your anchor date, preview, apply — is identical across the pattern library. Only step 3 changes: pick whichever pattern matches your own schedule instead.

Shift Overview with the repeating-pattern setup banner
1

Tap Set up

Shift Overview shows the entry point for building a repeating shift pattern.

Next step ↓
Shift Templates with the Set Pattern button
2

Tap Set Pattern

Open the pattern library from Shift Templates.

Next step ↓
Pattern library with Back Shift Alternating highlighted
3

Choose Back Shift Alternating

Choose the Back Shift Alternating card: week 1 days, week 2 backs.

Next step ↓
Back Shift Alternating setup with the cycle date field highlighted
4

Open the cycle date

Open the date field used to anchor the current cycle.

Next step ↓
Date picker with the selected cycle-start date highlighted
5

Choose the first cycle date

Choose the real day on which the current cycle began.

Next step ↓
Date picker confirmation state with the selected date highlighted
6

Confirm the date

The selected anchor date is highlighted — continue when it looks right. The captured example confirms Wednesday 1 July 2026.

Next step ↓
Back Shift Alternating setup with the month checkboxes highlighted
7

Select the months

Select the future months that should receive the pattern.

Next step ↓
Preview schedule with the Add to Calendar action highlighted
8

Review July and August

Look both months over before adding anything.

Next step ↓
Preview schedule showing the next generated month
9

Review September and October

So do September and October.

Next step ↓
Preview schedule showing the middle generated month
10

Review October and November

And October into November.

Next step ↓
Preview schedule showing a later generated month
11

Review November and December

Check November and December before applying the schedule.

Next step ↓
Preview schedule with the final Add to Calendar action highlighted
12

Add the schedule

Use Add to Calendar only after the preview matches your schedule.

Next step ↓
Manage Shifts with the populated calendar highlighted
13

Check July

July now shows the applied Back Shift Alternating schedule in Manage Shifts.

Next step ↓
Manage Shifts showing the third populated month
15

Check September

Confirm the pattern continues into September.

Next step ↓
Manage Shifts showing the final populated month
17

Check November

November, the final populated month.

Next step ↓
Shift Templates with the saved Back Shift Alternating card highlighted
18

Confirm the saved pattern

The pattern is saved and ready to apply again.

Next step ↓
Expanded saved Back Shift Alternating card
19

Open the saved pattern

The expanded card shows the 14-day cycle and its available actions.

After the pattern is live

Every shift gets its alarm and leave time.

Once applied, the Shift Overview shows your next shift with its wake-up alarm and leave-home time already attached - for every shift in the back shift alternating cycle, not just the first one.

ShiftFlowr shift overview with the back shift alternating schedule applied, showing the next shift with alarm 06:00 and leave-home time

Build it once. Never re-enter it again.

ShiftFlowr fills every future month automatically, with reminders and wake-up alarms attached to each shift.

Get ShiftFlowr

Free on Android · Early access