Having trouble with syncing, missing CSV exports, photos not uploading, or slow submissions? This guide explains how the Ekotrope ONSITE Inspection App handles your data, what to expect during normal operation, and how to get help when things go wrong.
How Syncing Works
When you submit an inspection, the app uploads three things separately:
1. Inspection data — your form answers and field changes
2. Photos — uploaded individually to the server
3. Reports — CSV export emailed to you, PDF builder report generated
Each of these steps runs independently. This means your inspection data can sync successfully even if a photo upload is slow, or a CSV email fails to send. The app will tell you exactly what succeeded and what needs attention.
Online vs. Offline Submission
The app checks your internet connection before every submission.
| Mode | What Happens |
|---|---|
| Online | Data uploads immediately. You will see "Uploading..." on the submit button, then a green "Inspection Submitted" message when it finishes. |
| Offline | The app saves everything to your device automatically. You will see "Inspection Saved — Will sync when connection is restored." It uploads automatically the next time you have a stable connection. |
| Unstable | If you appear online but the upload fails (weak signal, server timeout), the app automatically saves your data for later — just like being offline. Your data is not lost. |
The Connection Status Indicator
Look for the colored status bar near the top of the screen. It tells you your current connection and sync state at a glance.
| Color | Status | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| Green | "Connected" | You are online with no pending data. Submissions will upload immediately. |
| Blue | "Online — X pending sync(s)" | You are online and the app has queued submissions being processed. Give it a moment to finish uploading. |
| Orange | "Offline — X pending sync(s)" | You are offline and have inspections waiting to upload. They will sync automatically when your connection is restored. You do not need to do anything. |
| Red | "Offline Mode" | You are offline with nothing pending. You can still fill out inspections normally. They will queue for upload when you submit them. |
The number next to "pending sync(s)" tells you how many submitted inspections are waiting to be uploaded. This is completely normal when working in areas with poor connectivity.
Tip: Before leaving a job site, check the status indicator. If it shows pending syncs and you have a connection, wait a moment for them to finish uploading.
Automatic Retries
When you come back online after being offline, the app automatically:
1. Checks that your connection is stable (pings the server)
2. Begins uploading your queued inspections one at a time
If an upload attempt fails, the app waits before trying again. Each retry waits a little longer:
| Attempt | Wait Before Retry |
|---|---|
| 1st retry | ~2 seconds |
| 2nd retry | ~4 seconds |
| 3rd retry | ~8 seconds |
| 4th retry | ~16 seconds |
| 5th retry (max) | Up to 5 minutes |
After 5 failed attempts, the submission stops retrying automatically. At that point, you can trigger a manual retry (see below).
Important: Only network-related failures (timeouts, server errors, no connection) will retry. If the server rejected your data because of a validation problem, the app will not keep retrying the same bad request.
Manual Sync
If your submissions seem stuck or you do not want to wait for automatic retries, you can trigger a manual sync. This bypasses all wait timers and tries to upload immediately.
Check the app for a sync or retry option on the submission status screen.
What Happens When You Close or Leave the App
The Inspection App runs in your web browser (as a PWA). This means syncing only happens while the app is open and active on your screen.
| What You Do | What Happens to Syncing | What Happens to Your Data |
|---|---|---|
| Switch to another app (app stays in background) | Syncing pauses. The browser may suspend the tab after a short time. | Safe. Pending submissions stay in the queue on your device. |
| Lock your phone or tablet | Syncing pauses. The browser suspends background activity. | Safe. Everything is preserved in the local database. |
| Close the browser tab | Syncing stops completely. | Safe. Pending submissions are stored and will be there when you reopen the app. |
| Force-close the browser | Syncing stops immediately. Any upload in progress at that exact moment may fail. | Safe. Failed in-progress uploads will retry the next time you open the app. Queued submissions are not lost. |
| Restart your device | Syncing stops until you reopen the app. | Safe. The offline queue persists across restarts. |
Key point: You must reopen the app for pending data to sync.
Unlike native apps that can sync in the background, a PWA cannot upload data while it is closed. If you submitted inspections while offline and then closed the app, those inspections will not upload on their own. You need to open the app again while you have an internet connection. Once the app is open, syncing resumes automatically — you do not need to tap anything or navigate to a specific screen.
Best practice: After a day of inspections, open the app while you are on a reliable connection (such as home Wi-Fi) and leave it open for a few minutes. Check the status indicator — once it turns green ("Connected" with no pending syncs), all your data has been uploaded and you are safe to close the app.
Future: This is an improvement we are actively working on so you will not need to open the app after sessions.
What Happens to My Data?
Your data is safe in these situations:
| Situation | What Happens |
|---|---|
| You lose connection mid-inspection | Your form edits are saved locally on the device. Nothing is lost. |
| You submit while offline | The complete inspection is stored in your device’s local database and will upload when you reconnect. |
| The upload partially fails | Whatever succeeded stays on the server. Whatever failed retries automatically or waits for manual retry. |
| The app closes or you navigate away | Queued submissions are stored persistently and will be there when you reopen the app. |
| Your phone or tablet restarts | The offline queue survives restarts because it is stored in the device’s database, not just in memory. |
Your data may need attention if:
• A submission fails 5 times in a row: It stops retrying automatically. Try a manual sync, check your internet connection, or contact support.
• You see a "Validation Error" message: The server could not accept the data. This usually means something about the inspection needs to be corrected. Contact support with details.
• The app says storage is full: The app can hold up to 100 queued submissions. If you hit this limit, earlier submissions need to finish syncing before new ones can be queued. Ensure you have a stable connection and allow syncing to complete.
Partial Failures — What the Messages Mean
Because photos, inspection data, and reports upload separately, you may see different results for each part.
| Message | What It Means |
|---|---|
| "Inspection Submitted" (green) | Everything worked. You are all set. |
| "Photos Not Uploaded" (yellow) | Your inspection data synced fine, but one or more photos did not upload. They will retry automatically. Make sure you have a decent internet connection. |
| "Inspection Submitted" with a note about CSV or report failure (blue) | Your inspection is saved on the server. The CSV email or builder report had an issue. You can download reports manually if needed. |
| "Submission Error" with a connection message (red) | Nothing uploaded this time, but your data was saved locally for retry. Check your internet and wait for automatic sync, or trigger a manual sync. |
| "Submission Error" with a specific error (red) | Something other than a network issue went wrong. Note the error message and contact support. |
Settings — Storage and Diagnostics
Go to Settings to access tools that help you manage storage and troubleshoot issues.
Storage Management
The Storage section shows you exactly what is stored on your device:
| Metric | Description |
|---|---|
| Photos stored | Number of inspection photos saved locally |
| Photo storage | Total disk space used by photos |
| Cached inspections | Downloaded inspection data from the server |
| Pending submissions | Inspections waiting to be uploaded |
| Saved form edits | In-progress inspection data you have not submitted yet |
If the app detects leftover data (orphaned photos from deleted inspections, old cache entries, stale records), it will show a banner with details. Tap "Free Up Space" to clean it up. You will see a confirmation showing exactly what will be removed before anything is deleted. This never touches your current inspection data or pending submissions.
Photo Quality
If uploads are slow on poor connections, try lowering your photo quality setting:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| High | Best image quality, largest file sizes, slowest uploads |
| Balanced | Good quality with moderate file sizes (recommended) |
| Efficient | Smallest file sizes, fastest uploads on slow connections |
You can change this at any time in Settings under Photo Settings.
Diagnostic Tools for Support
When you contact support about a sync or data issue, the following tools in Settings will help us help you faster.
Copy Diagnostic Report
In Settings, under the Storage section, tap "Copy Diagnostic Report." This copies a detailed snapshot of your app’s storage state to your clipboard. It includes information about stored data, queue status, and storage health. It does not include your personal inspection data or credentials. Paste it into your support email or message.
Tips for Reliable Syncing
| # | Tip |
|---|---|
| 1 | Check the status indicator before leaving a job site. If it shows pending syncs and you have connectivity, wait for them to complete. |
| 2 | Do not force-close the app while uploads are in progress. Look for the "Uploading..." state on the submit button. |
| 3 | Reopen the app after working offline. The app cannot sync in the background — it needs to be open on your screen. After a day of offline inspections, open the app on Wi-Fi and let it finish uploading. |
| 4 | Use manual sync if automatic retries seem stuck. This skips wait timers and tries immediately. |
| 5 | Free up space periodically in Settings if you do many inspections offline between connections. |
| 6 | Lower photo quality temporarily if you are consistently on slow or unreliable networks. |
| 7 | Download the diagnostic report before contacting support. This piece of information lets us diagnose most issues without back-and-forth. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: I submitted an inspection but never got the CSV email. Is my data lost?
A: No. Your inspection data is on the server regardless of the CSV email. The CSV email is a separate step that runs after the main sync. Check your spam folder. If it is not there, you can request it again or download the data from the server. Contact support if you need help.
Q: The app says "Offline" but my phone shows I have signal.
A: The app checks for actual internet reachability, not just signal strength. You may have a cellular signal but no data connection (common in basements, rural areas, or on congested networks). Move to an area with better reception and the app will detect the connection and begin syncing.
Q: I closed the app while it had pending syncs. Is my data gone?
A: No. Your pending submissions are stored in your device’s local database and will still be there when you reopen the app. Just open the app again while you have an internet connection and syncing will resume automatically.
Q: How long does the app keep my queued data?
A: Queued submissions persist until they are successfully uploaded or you explicitly clear them. There is no time limit. The app can hold up to 100 queued submissions.
Q: My photos are taking forever to upload.
A: Large photos on slow connections can be slow. Go to Settings and switch Photo Quality to "Efficient" for smaller file sizes. Photos upload separately from your inspection data, so your form answers are not waiting on photo uploads.
Q: Does the app sync in the background when it is closed?
A: No. Because the app runs as a PWA in your browser, it can only sync while it is open and active on your screen. If you have pending submissions, you must reopen the app for them to upload. Once open, syncing starts automatically.
Contacting Support
When reaching out about a sync or data issue, please include:
1. A description of what happened and what you expected
2. The diagnostic report (Settings > Copy Diagnostic Report)
3. Your username and organization name
4. The inspection address or project name, if applicable
This information lets us diagnose most issues on the first contact without needing to go back and forth.
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