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What's the difference between Save, Sync, and Force Sync?
What's the difference between Save, Sync, and Force Sync?

Save, Sync, & Force Sync All Data features

Support Team avatar
Written by Support Team
Updated over a week ago

Spectora has a few different ways to get your inspection from your app to the web, and here is how!

First, we use the term 'web' as you might for 'server' or 'cloud'.  Once information is sent from the mobile app to the 'web', it is then accessible from any computer (or on a mobile browser) when you log into Spectora.com.

SAVE

When you tap Save, the App will find all 'new information' since the last time you saved and send it to the Web.  If it's the first time you tap Save, then everything you have completed so far will be sent to the Web.  

Troubleshooting Tip:  If are in an area with poor cell service, all of your data might not save.  It this is the case, tapping Save again may not do the trick and you may have to use the Force Sync All Data button.  Continue reading for more details.

SYNC

When you tab Sync, the App will send any new information from the App to the Web, as well as pull down any new information from the Web to the App.  This is useful on multi-inspector jobs:
Inspector A: Save - gets information to the web
Inspector B: Sync - gets information to the web & pulls down Inspector A's information
Inspector A: Sync - pulls down Inspector B's information

Troubleshooting Tip:  Our "Sync Lock" feature prevents two inspectors from syncing to the same inspection simultaneously to avoid overwriting. 

We time-stamp comments to ensure the most recent edits stay saved.
This means if two inspectors edit the same comment, the system will look at the timestamps and the most recently comment edit will 'win' and overwrite the other. Additionally, if you make a more recent edit on the web editor and then sync again, those changes will be pulled down and overwrite the same comment on your app.

FORCE SYNC ALL DATA

As mentioned before, Save & Sync buttons will find all new information (since the last time you saved) and save that to the web.  Force Sync All Data will sync everything all over again.  A good example of when Force Sync All Data is best used is in the case of poor cell service that caused you information to not fully save to the web.

If you already saved your inspection, but poor service caused your photos to not save to the web, tapping Save or Sync again will not do the trick because it already attempted to save and the is no 'new information to save'.  Therefore, Force Sync All Data will force all of your comments and photos to save again, ideally in a place with better service or at home connected to Wifi!

Troubleshooting Tip:  Same rules apply here as for the Sync option, most recent edits in a particular comment will overwrite another!

To find this, select More Options inspection page on the app, below Save & Sync

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