When the phone app can't save a change

The phone app saves what you do on the phone first, then sends it up when you have a signal. Almost always that just works. This article is for the rare change that doesn’t go through.

For what saves with no signal and what needs one, see The web app and the phone app or, for crew, Working with no signal.

The sync status

The top of the screen shows where your changes stand. When everything is saved, it shows nothing.

• Offline: no signal. Keep working. Changes save when you reconnect.
• N waiting to save: changes on the phone that haven’t gone up yet.
• Saving…: they’re going up now.
• Can’t sync — will retry: the last try failed. The app tries again on its own.
• N waiting — checking access: the app is confirming your access to the business before it sends them.
• N on hold: that check is taking a while. Tap to see them.
• N waiting — read-only: the account is read-only. Your changes stay on the phone and save once the account is subscribed again.
• N can’t sync: the server keeps failing on these changes. Tap to see them.
• Couldn’t save N: changes the server turned down. Tap to see them.

Changes that can’t sync

A change is listed under Can’t sync after it has failed several times. It’s still on your phone, and the rest of your changes keep syncing.

• Try Again sends it now.
• Discard drops it. The app first tells you what goes with it, such as other changes to the same record. Choose Keep Trying to leave it.
• Copy Details copies what you entered, so you can re-enter it yourself.

Changes that couldn’t be saved

A change the server turned down, or one replaced by a newer edit from the office, isn’t lost without a trace. A banner says “Couldn’t save N changes”, or “Newer office changes replaced N of yours”. Tap it to see what you had entered.

Each entry shows the values you entered. Choose Copy Details and re-enter what you need where it belongs. A photo that couldn’t be saved has Save Photo, so you can keep it.

Entries stay on the list for 7 days. To empty it sooner, choose Clear List, then Tap Again to Clear.

Other sections you might see

• On hold: changes saved on the phone but not sent, because the app couldn’t confirm your access to the business. Nothing is lost. Choose Try Again, or ask the owner to check your account.
• Couldn’t read: a file of saved changes on the phone that the app couldn’t read. Choose Copy Details to keep what’s still in it, or Remove to delete it.

When nothing is waiting, the screen says “Nothing lost — all changes saved.”