OVERVIEW (the Why and What)
The FleetWatcher Field App for Android now works even when you lose signal in the field. Pages you've already opened while online keep showing their last-loaded data, so you're not stuck with a blank screen. Some tasks can even be completed fully offline and will sync automatically once you're reconnected.
This article explains exactly what works offline, what still requires a connection, and what happens to data you create while offline.
NUMBERED STEPS (the How)
No setup is required. Offline support works automatically in the background.
If you lose connection, an offline banner appears immediately so you know you've lost signal.
Any page you've opened at least once while online will keep showing its last-loaded data. You will not see a blank screen or a crash.
If a page takes more than about a second to refresh from the network, a blue loading bar appears at the top while it updates. Fast refreshes won't show this bar at all.
Once the network call finishes, the page updates automatically with the latest data, no manual refresh needed.
If you open a page you have never visited before while offline, you'll see an appropriate "no data" message instead of a crash.
While offline, you can still create: Manual Load Tickets, Scale Tickets, and new Shifts. These are saved to your device and marked as pending sync.
Once your device reconnects, anything you created offline syncs automatically. Nothing is lost.
If you try to log out while changes are still pending sync, you'll get a warning first so you don't accidentally lose unsynced work.
To check if anything is still waiting to sync, go to Settings. It shows either "all changes synced" or a count of pending items, useful if you're wondering why something you entered isn't showing up on the web yet.
NOTES
WHAT DOES NOT WORK OFFLINE:
A few things in the Field App still need an internet connection. Reports and KPI charts won't load while you're offline, and the map view on the Locator page also needs a connection. Coupling or uncoupling trailers and tractors requires you to be online too, since this helps make sure your equipment records stay accurate and don't conflict with changes someone else may be making at the same time.
WHAT WORKS OFFLINE (VIEW ONLY, IF PREVIOUSLY LOADED):
Once you've opened a page while connected to the internet, the Field App will keep showing that same information even if you lose signal later. This includes your Locator asset list, your shift and dispatch details under Material Management, your existing Scale Tickets, and your Devices pages. Just remember a page needs to be opened at least once while online before it will be available to view offline.
WHAT CAN BE CREATED FULLY OFFLINE:
You don't have to wait for a connection to get your work done. You can create Manual Load Tickets, Scale Tickets, and new Shifts even while completely offline. FleetWatcher saves this information on your device and automatically sends it to the server as soon as you're back online, so nothing you enter is lost.
CONTACT US!
Email us: support@fleetwatcher.com