Overview & background
Selective syncing is the ability to choose what data you want to sync to your mobile devices. Fieldwire gives you two distinct sets of options that allow you to determine exactly which projects and plans sheets you want synced to mobile, one on a project level for all users and another on each users' mobile devices themselves. These options allow you to save storage space on mobile devices while ensuring you have up-to-date info for whichever projects and plans you want to actively use in the field.
Project Setting: Choose the number of plan revisions to sync to all mobile devices
Any project admin (not members or followers) can click the small gear icon at the bottom of the left menu to access the 'Mobile storage' project setting:
This setting applies to all users on the project and allows you to determine the number of plan revisions to sync to mobile for any plans that have multiple versions uploaded to Fieldwire.
This setting does NOT affect revisions on Fieldwire web, where you'll be able to see all revisions, regardless. Typically, field workers using our iOS and Android mobile apps on tablets and/or smart phones need to view the most recent version and perhaps 1-2 additional revisions if they have relevant changes to compare to the newest plan.
A single, average-sized Fieldwire plan file uses 6MB of mobile storage space (2MB-10MB is the typical range). If you have, for example, 200 plans in Fieldwire and each has 5 revisions uploaded, that project can take 6GB of mobile storage space if you don't leverage this setting. Reducing how many plan revisions (versions) are synced to 'mobile storage' helps reduce the storage used on each device. Check out this related article for more info on our mobile device recommendations.
Mobile App Setting: Choose which projects to sync to your device
This feature is available on both the iOS and Android versions of the Fieldwire app. To save space on your device, 'enable' only the projects you're actively working on in the field and 'remove' projects whenever you're not using our mobile app to work on them (you can remove and re-enable as many times as you like).
'Enable' to download the projects you're actively working on to your mobile device
When you first log into Fieldwire on your phone or tablet and view your active project list, you will see a cloud icon to the left side of each project that you're invited to. If you click on a project title to open it, you will be prompted to confirm if you want to "enable", or sync, that project’s data to your device.
Note: Doing so will allow both the existing project data and everything added/updated in the project from that point forward to automatically sync to your device, until you 'remove' that project from your device, whenever you choose (you will not be prompted each time you open the project).
Note: When a project is enabled, all of the project content will be stored locally on the device. Content like files, photos, and forms are stored in the rolling cache, which means that Fieldwire will prioritize loading more recent content.
To enable projects to sync to your device at any time, follow these steps:
| Step 1: |
Open the Fieldwire app. |
| Step 2: |
Select the 'Cloud' icon next to the project you want to 'enable', i.e. download to your device |
iOS (iPad and iPhone):
Android (tablets and smartphones):
'Remove from device' all projects you're not actively using on mobile
If you would like to disable a project, follow these steps:
| Step 1: |
Open the project. |
| Step 2: |
Go to Settings. |
| Step 3: |
Scroll down to 'Project Access' - iPad/iPhone. -OR- Scroll down to 'Preferences' - Android. |
| Step 4: |
Select 'Remove From Device' in the blue font - iPad/iPhone -OR- Select 'Remove From Device' - Android |
Tip: Do not select 'Delete' in red at the bottom of the Settings tab as this will delete the project for everyone on all devices and Fieldwire web.
The 'Remove from project' option will NOT remove your access to the project, but it will disable the project on your device, freeing up storage space.
iOS (iPad and iPhone):
Android (tablets and smartphones):
Note: When a project is removed from the device, Fieldwire ensures that no new content is being downloaded to that particular project-- meaning, the content that was downloaded still exists in the phone's memory.
It might take several minutes for the downloaded content to 'clear' from the device's cache and clear up the storage space. However, if, for any reason, you'd like to clear this more expeditiously, you can opt to re-install the application.