FR: Offline mode

Airtable Offline would also be a big benefit in Legal. We’ve been testing the legal case analysis template but our attorney’s are scared to bring something into the courtroom that requires a connection due to possiblity of loosing connection in a courtroom.

We travel in rural areas overseas and do not always have mobile access. My organization cannot use this product unless it works offline.

Offline is crucial to our organization being able to use this - like google docs offline. Sync when it gets reconnected to the internet

Is there an offline feature for both the mobile and desktop app? If so how do you enable it? Everyone uses their computers but do not always have wifi. You have an app but there is no way to work offline. What is the point of an app if it does the exact same thing as the website

Airtable update please!! With regards to offline mode, why can’t we have airtable work like excel? When a user opens the app and switches on offline mode (e.g., via toggle-like switch or button as another user had previously suggested), then the airtable sheet automatically becomes unavailable to be edited by other members who may want to be working on the same document at the same time. In excel, if a colleague of mine has the document open, then I am unable to make edits to that very same document. Instead, I enter a “read-only” mode, and must wait for my colleague to close the document before I am able to make changes to it. Would a similar logic be applicable to airtable documents??

Any news if this will happen anytime soon? I’d love to switch from trello.

I am looking to use Airtable for my class recordkeeping but we are frequently in rural areas with no internet access for sometimes weeks at a time, without this feature I don’t think I can use Airtable for this purpose. Are there any plans for this yet?

Plus 1 for offline mode. Maybe tables will load faster if they’re stored on the computer. Anything to make it load faster!!

Today, the ONLY reason I am not moving to a paying base is because Airtable does not offer any offline mode…

Me too. I have many uses for it but without offline mode I cannot count on it the great outdoors, or in rural towns where I travel to. Offline mode is a necessity.

Agreed! I certainly won’t pay for Airtable (or implement it with any of my clients) until they come up with some sort of offline usage (at least a read-only solution!)

• How would you want to use Airtable offline? I visit clients in rural areas where cellular data is not always available. I use Airtable to store client information as well as document notes from visits.
• Do you use Airtable alone, or with collaborators? Alone
• How much do you need to be able to do in Airtable while offline? Read and write. But I will not need to add or remove columns or alter the table at all. Simply just add data to the existing fields. However, adding a row may be needed in offline mode.
• For how long do you need to be able to use Airtable offline? For about an hour.
• How tolerant would you be of having to resolve merge conflicts manually? Since I use this myself, I would be very tolerant.
• Would you primarily be using offline mode on desktop or mobile? Primarily, mobile.

How would you want to use Airtable offline?
I value the data and privacy of my customers and clients. Due to GDRP it’s hard for someone in europe to enter an agreement with you after reading your ToS.

Do you use Airtable alone, or with collaborators?
With collaborators.

How much do you need to be able to do in Airtable while offline?
If it could work with a database engine it would be one of the best front-end software that you can use selfhosted.

How tolerant would you be of having to resolve merge conflicts manually?
Wouldn’t have this problem.

Would you primarily be using offline mode on desktop or mobile?
Desktop.

How would you want to use Airtable offline? I’m a freelance writer and entrepreneur. My primary interest in an offline mode is being able to access information. I use Airtable as a super-powered calendar, and I’d like to be able to see what my schedule is without needed internet/data. It would be nice to be able to work in my bases while offline, but I understand that comes with difficulties.

Do you use Airtable alone, or with collaborators? I use some of my bases with collaborators and some alone.

How much do you need to be able to do in Airtable while offline? Primary: viewing existing records. Secondary: creating new records.

How tolerant would you be of having to resolve merge conflicts manually? Very tolerant.

Would you primarily be using offline mode on desktop or mobile? Both. I’d be OK with more limited features on mobile.

How would you want to use Airtable offline? I am very interested in using Airtable to create a custom CRM system, book appointments and to manage various related projects. I am on the road continually and a “read only” option would NOT work for me.
Do you use Airtable alone, or with collaborators? Alone ( for now)
How much do you need to be able to do in Airtable while offline?
I would need to search and update data; create data and new bases without internet. And I would be lost without the ability to change my calander.

How tolerant would you be of having to resolve merge conflicts manually? Very tolerant.

Would you primarily be using offline mode on desktop or mobile? Laptop & desktop - no phone

I am still using another cloud database product solely because of the lack of offline mode in Airtable, even though I enjoy Airtable’s interface more.

When a user loses connectivity maybe they could get a notification stating they have two options; 1) the database will close and be unavailable until a connection is available, or 2) editing of the database structure and deleting records will be unavailable and will enter data-entry only mode. This would allow all users to continue adding and editing data, without corrupting the database.

Needing to take copious notes ‘in the wild’ is a core requirement for me, ‘offline’ functionality is the first thing I have looked for, above anything else.

totally agree! i need to use this offline as also at many sites offline and need to access the data

Yes, I agree. Starting wo migrate my work to other solutions because cannot work offline. Just got back from the Catskills mountains to do a job for client with no cell coverage or WiFi and AirTable is dead in the water.

We would also like to have some sort of offline access, and it’s becoming increasingly clear that offline is going to be core to our business solution. As of now, we have some teams opting out of the content planning system we’ve created because Airtable is not as reliably available as Google Docs. Regarding Katherine’s questions:

How would you want to use Airtable offline?
We have been using Airtable to plan and track content across our newsroom for about a year now, and it works for most of our teams. However, the load times are becoming increasingly frustrating, and the complete lack of availability when we have internet or Wi-Fi issues, or when Airtable’s out, is concerning. It’s only a nuisance for most teams, because not being able to see what you’re planning to publish in an hour is not going to break you if you only have to wait a few minutes to regain access. However, for at least one of our broadcast teams, success comes down to the minute. When they’re getting ready to print information for an on-air host, and Airtable isn’t accessible, and they can’t even see a cached version of the calendar or rundown, it would jeopardize the show. Simply put, Airtable isn’t working for real-time planning needs.

Do you use Airtable alone, or with collaborators?
40 collaborators

How much do you need to be able to do in Airtable while offline?
I see offline mode as a contingency plan. We likely wouldn’t do much editing/creating offline. But if we lose internet access or Airtable’s servers become unavailable, we need to be able to AT LEAST see the most recent state of our data. As is, we simply can’t rely on Airtable to have the information we need when we need it. It’s too great a business risk for some of our teams.

For how long do you need to be able to use Airtable offline?
Unknown, but the shortest possible time. As long as Airtable’s servers are down or our internet is unavailable. This may not happen often, but it would have a devastating impact on a live show.

How tolerant would you be of having to resolve merge conflicts manually?
Very tolerant. From our standpoint it’s more about having a backup plan. Currently, there IS no backup plan. I understand from the CEO’s explanation how difficult the implementation might be, but while Airtable is researching the best technological solutions to sync issues, it continues to ignore what may be an even more glaring problem of resiliency: data needs to be available at all times, even if it means creating conflicts. It seems antithetical to the very notion of a database to make data unavailable.

Would you primarily be using offline mode on desktop or mobile?
Desktop.

YES TO THIS!!! At this point it dosen’t matter to me, one bit, that Airtable adds any features if there is no access to my data when I am in the field. No matter how great the product is, it’s useless to me.
And I wish it were not.

This is a mandatory feature to me!!! I love Airtable, but it is very limiting not being able to use it in places with no or poor coverage. I would migrate a lot of information to Airtable if this feature was present.

I am so sad. I thought I had confirmed that this app would work offline. I spent a whole day setting up a great Workflow base, which I love but is worthless unless it can be accessed in the field.

• How would you want to use Airtable offline? We are a small general contracting business. We would use the app in the field to access phone numbers, lock box codes, notes, etc.

• Do you use Airtable alone, or with collaborators? Collaborators, but I can’t think of an instance where any 2 people would be editing the same thing at the same time.

• How much do you need to be able to do in Airtable while offline? At the very least, it would be good to have a read-only copy. Ideally a user would be able to make edits in the field.

• For how long do you need to be able to use Airtable offline? 5-10 hours.

• How tolerant would you be of having to resolve merge conflicts manually? Very tolerant.

• Would you primarily be using offline mode on desktop or mobile? Mobile

I’ll throw my +1 into the pile for this feature.

How would you want to use Airtable offline? It would just be nice to have access to view and edit stuff during those rare times when I don’t have an Internet connection. I envision the app syncing to the cloud when it opens (as always), and containing settings so I can control which bases and tables I want to access offline. That data would be stored on my phone, and update as changes are made. Once there’s no connection, editing would continue as normal on those stored bases. Once reconnected, the app would sync changes back to the cloud.

Do you use Airtable alone, or with collaborators? Primarily alone. I collaborate with a few clients, but currently don’t have a need to see their bases offline, so it would just be me syncing with my own stuff.

How much do you need to be able to do in Airtable while offline? Pretty much all existing features.

How tolerant would you be of having to resolve merge conflicts manually? Pretty tolerant. I can’t imagine very many conflicts arising because, again, I’m mostly working with my own stuff. If I’m in one of my own bases online, then do a little offline work, then go back online, there shouldn’t be any conflicts because I’m the only one who’s been editing my stuff.

Would you primarily be using offline mode on desktop or mobile? Mobile, though I can see the benefits of the desktop app also having such a feature.

How would you want to use Airtable offline? Pull up a database super quick without having to fetch it from the cloud every time I open my app to add some contact info when I meet people and add notes on them. Even just a cached version would suffice for quick access, and then if I’m truly offline allow it to save locally and sync any changes made next time I open it.

Do you use Airtable alone, or with collaborators? Alone.

How much do you need to be able to do in Airtable while offline? View and edit. No need for collaboration.

How tolerant would you be of having to resolve merge conflicts manually? That’s fine.

Would you primarily be using offline mode on desktop or mobile? Mobile.