This would show the last known table schema and data that was shown, but would allow to make records and sync when the mobile device comes back online. Issues would be resolved via the web to validate issues.
Are you a world traveler? US and Canada, east coast.
Do you use Airtable alone, or with collaborators? With a few collaborators. A rather historically fraught term, btw. Can’t we say "associates?"
How much do you need to be able to do in Airtable while offline? Ability to edit.
Do you need to have the ability to change the database schemata while offline? Ehhh, not that big a deal.
For how long do you need to be able to use Airtable offline? For a few days, as I trek through the not so remote reaches of the maritime provinces.
How tolerant would you be of having to resolve merge conflicts manually? Somewhat tolerant. In fact, probably necessary if we’re both changing the same inventory.
Would you primarily be using offline mode on desktop or mobile? Mobile.
Hello! Recent convert, love the product so far. If this feature is still under consideration:
1. How would you want to use Airtable offline?
I’m a web developer, and as such I like to do much of my planning and proposal writing online. For the most part this works fine, but you wouldn’t believe how many meetings I’ve been in to demonstrate my product, only to have the meeting take place in an environment with no Internet connection. Restaurants, tech-backwards offices, waterfalls – you name it.
Obviously I’m not requesting you create offline versions of my websites (though I wouldn’t object if you did :imp: ). But I currently do write my proposals on my website – a strategy which, for its many advantages, leaves me at a significant impasse without the Internet. If Airtable supported an offline mode, building a connection via API between my website’s backend and Airtable would be relatively simple, allowing me to upload my proposals and present them while offline without fear.
2. Do you use Airtable alone, or with collaborators?
I work with one other person for now – though I could foresee that growing as time goes on. So, the latter.
3. How much do you need to be able to do in Airtable while offline?
For my use case, I’d just need read-only privileges. The only important part for me is being able to show my proposals to relevant parties regardless of Internet connection. I can take meeting notes separately and incorporate them into the database later.
4. For how long do you need to be able to use Airtable offline?
A couple hours, at most. Most of the time shorter than that.
5. How tolerant would you be of having to resolve merge conflicts manually?
Personally I’d be fine with that – Git is a regular part of my workflow so I’m familiar with the process.
6. Would you primarily be using offline mode on desktop or mobile?
Honestly, either would be helpful. Mobile would probably be ever-so-slightly more helpful, as I try and bring my laptop to all meetings but there’s some instances where it’s not feasible.
+1 Vote for this feature request. I use Airtable on my mobile phone when I go to remote areas in the Philippines where there is no mobile phone signal. Airtable helps me keep track the products and prepare the invoice for my customers (billing and budgeting purposes for the customer). This is a window of a couple of hours since I return to my home base wherein I have good internet signal. The offline mode with syncing would be “bridge the gap” of those couple of hours wherein there are only a few INSERTs and UPDATEs on the records needs to be synced up in the cloud.
How would you want to use Airtable offline?
One real-life example: My recipe collection is in Airtable; sometimes I need to check a list of ingredients while I’m in the grocery store, and for whatever reason, the store’s roof tends to block cellular access pretty effectively.
Do you use Airtable alone, or with collaborators?
Alone.
How much do you need to be able to do in Airtable while offline?
Read-only access is probably sufficient for my purposes.
How tolerant would you be of having to resolve merge conflicts manually?
Willing to do this if necessary — but if I’m the only one accessing the data, and especially if access is read-only, then I anticipate this won’t be necessary often, if ever.
Would you primarily be using offline mode on desktop or mobile?
Mobile, exclusively.
Thanks for the detailed explanation, as this is critical feature for me and reading your post give me impression that it may be possible for you to allow a locked-down version be saved on device and then that snapshot will work off-line.
Once that device having locked down version becomes on-line again then let it not-sync rather present a list of conflicting changes requiring them to be approved.
Reading all I think if you implement some thing which will work for single user while offline then it will solve problem for lot of people. In my particular case we are in National Park with no mobile/internet connection nor there is any hope.
In old days when only connection was Dial-up the POS systems would at the end of the
day dial-into each location from head-office, collect the file for all changes made at that location during working hours. Head office would merge all to main server then create a new file for each location that got applied to the store POS. In morning Head office would run reports for previous days activity and store would have updated data.
Apart from sales and request for inventory update there were transfer between stores, which also got processed this way.
I think if you can put a lock on instant update thing, let folks be bit more patient then a solution could be found. Let one user be designated as Admin and his/her changes or those approved by Admin will prevail. Each user can decide how long they want to be offline the merge file will be created for that duration… Then for that duration you create transactions/changes file for each user and then merge them [ after all
who made changes to structure ack ] them with the snapshot, approve then merge.
Hope this may help you to provide even a limited [ single user / Admin ] offline capability.
+1 vote How would you want to use Airtable offline?
Personal use for the listing of students, their presence and performance and some other personal app Do you use Airtable alone, or with collaborators?
Alone most often, sometimes sharing with my assistant. How much do you need to be able to do in Airtable while offline?
Read-only access is good, editing posssibilities would be great. How tolerant would you be of having to resolve merge conflicts manually?
Resolving conflicts manually would be OK. Would you primarily be using offline mode on desktop or mobile?
Mobile, exclusively.
Does not appear to work. Turning on airplane mode yields spinning circle. I’m guessing a copy of the data is not cached, which seems logical to me, especially for large bases.
How would you want to use Airtable offline?
I use it to manage short film productions. Therefore offline mode would be super great to update database as needed when on location without internet.
Do you use Airtable alone, or with collaborators?
Mostly alone and/or with small teams.
How much do you need to be able to do in Airtable while offline?
Everything it can already do as if you were working alone.
How tolerant would you be of having to resolve merge conflicts manually?
Resolving conflicts manually would be ok
Would you primarily be using offline mode on desktop or mobile?
I would primarily use offline mode on my laptop (meaning as a desktop app but on locations that are not necessarily connected to the internet). I find that editing on small screens like phone or tablets is cumbersome but it can be useful for occasional consultation if need be.
I dont’ know what are the technical limitations you would face to make the app work as a regular desktop app. But I would gladly pay for such a regular desktop app even though that means I cannot work on DB with collaborators.
