The Atom App is designed to work "Offline-First." This means you can complete your entire job, take photos, and fill out certificates without a signal. However, for this to work successfully, you must follow the "Open-Work-Sync" workflow.
1. The Pre-Site "Download" (Crucial)
You cannot start a job offline if the app hasn't "met" the job yet.
The Rule: While you still have a strong signal (at home, in the office, or at the van), open the Atom app and tap into the specific job you are about to do.
Why? This downloads the project details, the customer's Relay photos, and the specific EIC templates to your phone’s local memory.
The Result: Once the job has been opened once while online, it is "locked" into your phone and ready for offline use.
2. Working in the "Dead Zone"
Once you are on-site with no signal, the app will behave normally, but notice these two things:
Local Saving: Every photo you take and every test result you type is saved to your phone's internal storage (not the cloud).
The Sync Queue: You will notice a red number appearing on the Cloud Icon (top right). This is your "Queue." It tells you how many items are waiting to be sent to the office.
3. The "Golden Rules" for Offline Success
To prevent data loss while working offline, follow these three rules:
Rule 1: DO NOT Log Out. If you log out of the Atom app while you have a "Sync Queue," your phone may clear its temporary cache, and you could lose all the photos and data you just captured.
Rule 2: DO NOT Force-Close the App. Keep the app running in the background.
Rule 3: Sequence Matters. You can still tap Arrive, Start, and Complete while offline. The app will time-stamp these actions locally and "tell" Pathway the correct times once you are back online.
4. The "Parking Lot" Sync (Departure)
The most common mistake is driving away from a site and assuming the job is finished.
Action: When you get back to your van and regain signal, open the Atom app.
Watch the Queue: Tap the Cloud Icon. You will see the progress bars for your photos and videos.
The Finish Line: Wait until the red number disappears and the icon shows a Green Tick. This is the only way to be 100% sure the office (Pathway) has received your certificate and evidence.
🛠️ Troubleshooting Offline Issues
| Symptom | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| "Job Not Found" | You didn't open the job while you had a signal. | Move to an area with signal, refresh, and open the job details before returning to the dead zone. |
| Photos not appearing in Pathway | Your sync queue is "stuck." | Toggle your phone's Airplane Mode ON and OFF. This often "wakes up" the upload process. |
| App feels "Laggy" | Low storage on your device. | Offline working requires local space. Delete old personal photos or videos from your phone gallery to free up room for site data. |
Admin Tip: If an engineer is working offline, the job status in Pathway will remain as "Scheduled" even if they have "Started" the work on-site. The status will only jump to "In Progress" once the engineer's phone regains signal and sends the first update.
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