Working Offline
QuickInspect and YachtInspect are built to keep you working even when the connection drops — on a vessel, in a yard, below deck, or anywhere signal is unreliable. This page explains what you can rely on offline, where the limits are, and a few habits that keep your data safe.
Note
Offline work is a feature of the mobile apps (iOS and Android) -- in both QuickInspect and YachtInspect, and the rules on this page apply to both. The web apps (app.quickinspect.me and yachtinspect.quickinspect.me) need a connection: they don't keep data on your computer, so changes made in the browser while offline are lost if you reload the page. Examples below reference vessel inspections; the same rules apply to industrial sites, warehouses, and remote locations. On this page, "findings" also covers QuickInspect's actions.
The short version: The inspections and findings you've already opened stay available offline, and any changes you make are saved on your device and sync automatically when you're back online. The main things that genuinely need internet are new photos, PDF reports, and content you haven't opened yet.
What works without internet
- Viewing inspections, findings (actions in QuickInspect) and other records you've already opened. Once loaded while online, this content is stored on your device and stays readable offline.
- Creating and editing findings or actions, notes, and inspection details. Your changes are saved locally right away. They upload automatically the next time you have a connection.
- Viewing photos you've already looked at. Images are cached on your device after you first view them, so they remain visible offline (see the limits below).
- Taking and attaching new photos. Photos you capture or attach offline are saved on your device immediately and upload automatically once you're back online. A pending-uploads indicator shows what is still waiting; tap it to start the upload straight away.
- Staying signed in. If you were already logged in, the app keeps you logged in offline. You don't need to re-authenticate just because you lost signal.
What needs an internet connection
- Uploading captured photos. Offline photos stay on your device until the app has a connection again; then they upload automatically. Until they're uploaded, those photos exist only on your device — keep that in mind for inspections you can't afford to lose to a device failure.
- Generating PDF reports. Report generation pulls live assets — company logo, signatures, product images — from the cloud. Offline, those pieces won't load, so generate reports while connected.
- Opening content you've never loaded before. If you've never opened a particular record or image while online, there's nothing stored locally to show — it needs a connection to fetch the first time.
- Signing in for the first time (or after signing out). A fresh login requires internet to verify your account.
- Pulling in changes made by teammates. Updates other people make won't appear until your app reconnects and syncs.
About cached images
Photos are the most common surprise, so it's worth being clear:
- An image is only available offline if you've already viewed it while online. The app saves a copy on your device the first time it loads. If you never opened that photo, it isn't on your device and won't show offline.
- The cache is temporary. Saved images are kept to make the app fast and to support offline viewing, but they are not permanent storage. Your device or the app may clear older cached images automatically — typically after a few weeks, or sooner if your device is low on space. A cached image disappearing locally does not mean it's lost: the original is safe in the cloud and reloads the moment you're back online.
- Plan ahead before going offline. If you know you'll be working without signal, open the inspections and photos you'll need while you still have a connection. That primes them onto your device so they're available later.
How your offline changes sync back
When you edit a record offline, the change is written to your device immediately and queued. As soon as the app detects a connection again, it sends those queued changes to the cloud automatically — you don't have to do anything.
Warning
Photos upload separately. Text changes sync first; photo files follow automatically in the background once you're connected — when the connection returns, when you reopen the app, or when you tap the pending-uploads indicator. Check that the indicator has cleared before you rely on photos being in the cloud.
After working offline, keep the app open and connected for a moment once you're back in signal so queued edits and photos finish uploading.
Quick reference
| Action | Offline |
|---|---|
| View already-opened records | ✅ Works |
| Edit findings, actions and inspection details | ✅ Saved locally, syncs later |
| View already-viewed photos | ✅ Works (while cached) |
| Take & attach new photos | ✅ Saved locally, uploads later |
| Stay logged in | ✅ Works |
| Open never-before-loaded content | ❌ Needs internet |
| Upload queued photos | ❌ Needs internet (starts automatically) |
| Generate a PDF report | ❌ Needs internet |
| First-time login / re-login | ❌ Needs internet |
| See teammates' latest changes | ❌ Needs internet |
The bottom line
You can confidently keep inspecting offline — viewing your data, recording findings or actions, and capturing photos. Just remember the two things that flat-out need a connection: PDF reports and anything you haven't opened yet. New photos taken offline queue on your device and upload automatically when you reconnect; until then they exist only on your device. Load what you'll need before you lose signal, and stay connected for a moment afterwards so your edits and photos finish uploading.