WiFi or cellular connectivity is required to sync data collected via rCAPTURE on a mobile device with the database. Once this has occurred, it is immediately visible in rCAPTURE reporting platforms.
All content on the device is updated at pre-defined synchronization intervals that occur in the background when the app is running.
These intervals are:
- At user login on the app (or auto-login if using the “Remember Logins” option)
- On the app’s return to foreground from being in the background on the device.
- When the user hits the Upload button in a survey, completing it
- When the user manually hits the Force Sync button, found on the Settings Screen of the app.
The Force Sync button is purely there for manual checking, it is not required for synchronization to occur.
If you would like to force sync:
- Click on the Settings icon in the top-right corner of your home screen
- In the Settings screen, click Force Sync.
The app will display synchronization messages when synchronizations are in progress, completed and failed. Sync failures usually occur because there is no network connection – the app will keep retrying at the intervals above.
Media file uploads & downloads (e.g. photos, audio, video) are run separately in the background, so as not to block data sync, and thus are not reported as part of the sync messages. This is because such files are usually larger and thus take longer to upload. When any synchronization occurs, the app initiates uploads/downloads of any pending media files.
App users can track the progress of media file uploads via the “Pending Files” count in the Settings Screen of the app. If there are no files pending, then there will be no message in the Settings Screen.