Troubleshoot

Resolve common issues in the ArcGIS QuickCapture mobile app.

Project needs update

The Project needs update message indicates that the project item has been updated in your ArcGIS organization. Tap the message to update the copy of the project on this device. Unsent records remain on the device until they are automatically or manually uploaded, depending on the AutoSend setting chosen in the app.

Any updates made to a layer's schema may result in records failing to upload. If this occurs, you can send the failed records to an email address of your choice.

Records fail to upload

Records may fail to upload for the following reasons:

  • Network connectivity may have been lost during the upload.
  • One or more project feature layers are unavailable (either deleted or unshared).
  • One or more project feature layers had a schema change.
  • One or more project feature layers are no longer editable.
  • One or more project feature layers had attachments disabled.
  • You no longer have permissions to edit content.
  • The project is invalid and records can't be submitted from it.
  • The submitted value exceeds the size limit of the target field type.

When records fail to upload, a warning symbol is shown on the map button. When you select the map button with a warning, you see the following options:

  • Try again—Allows the user to attempt to submit failed records again.
  • Send via email—Creates a database containing all failed records and allows the user to send it by email to the administrator of a project. Sending the database by email does not remove the failed records from the device. If the administrator can resolve the cause of failure, the user can choose Try again.
  • Discard—Removes the failed records from the device. Once they are discarded, it is not possible to recover the records. It is recommended that you choose Send via email first.
  • Cancel—Closes the dialog box.

Data recovery

The Send via email option generates a file with a file name in the format {project name}-{username}-{YYYY-MM-DD-HH-MM}.qrc. This file contains the following:

  • A SQLite database that contains three tables: features, layers, and attachments
  • An attachments folder containing all captured images
  • A collection of .json files describing the geodatabase schema for feature layers

To view the contents of this file, change the file extension to .zip and extract the contents. An example editor for .sqlite databases is DB Browser for SQLite. In the features table of the SQLite database, every record includes the URL of the feature layer to which it belongs. It also includes error messages that should identify the reason the submission failed. Common error messages include the following:

  • Incorrect geometry type—This may indicate that the layer schema has changed.
  • Invalid URL—This may indicate that the layer is no longer available.
  • User does not have the privilege to perform this operation—This may indicate that layer permissions have changed.

With this error information, the project author can make changes to the project or feature layers to allow records to be submitted. After making these changes, the app user can resubmit the records. If changing the project or feature layer does not resolve the issue, the records in the SQLite may need to be modified to allow sending.

The following describes how to modify records in the database using DB Browser for SQLite, and the QuickCapture mobile app on Windows to send the modified records:

  • Launch the QuickCapture mobile app on Windows, sign in and download the project from which you are attempting to recover records.
  • Copy the projects_db.sqlite file from the error recovery file that was sent by email, and replace the projects_db.sqlite file that was just created in your QuickCapture user folder on the QuickCapture mobile app on Windows. The folder will look like this: C:\Users\<username>\ArcGIS\ArcGIS QuickCapture\<user GUID>. If the records you are sending have attachments, you must also copy the attachments from the error recovery file to the project attachments subfolder in the same location. The folder will look like this: C:\Users\<username>\ArcGIS\ArcGIS QuickCapture\<user GUID>\projects_attachments.
  • Launch DB Browser for SQLite and open the projects_db.sqlite file. On the Browse Data tab, select the Features table. Fields that typically need editing are LayerURL (if the destination feature layer has changed) or Feature (if attribute names have changed).
  • Change the Status value for any edited records from -1 (error) to 1 (ready to send).
  • After making any change, click Apply in the Edit Database Cell panel, and click Write Changes on the DB Toolbar.
  • Close the database in DB Browser for SQLite and return to the QuickCapture mobile app on Windows. You can now open the project and attempt to send the modified records.

Unable to take a photo

For the mobile app to be able to take a photo, QuickCapture must have system permissions to access the device's camera.

When the mobile app is opened for the first time, you are prompted to set app permissions. If you decline the permission request, no further prompts or error messages appear, and the mobile app appears to be stuck waiting to take a photo. Check your device settings to ensure the mobile app has permission to access the device's camera.

Unable to get a location when using the device's internal position source

For the mobile app to get a location when using the device's internal position source, the following must be true:

  • The device's Location Service setting is turned on.
  • QuickCapture has system permissions to access the device's location.

When the mobile app is opened for the first time, you are prompted to set app permissions. If you decline the permission request, no further prompts or error messages appear, and the mobile app appears to be stuck waiting for a location when a project is active. Check your device settings to ensure the mobile app has permission to access the device's location.

Unable to connect to an external GNSS receiver

The most common issue when attempting to use an external GNSS receiver is its Bluetooth connection to your device. Most receivers only allow connection to one device. Confirm that you are not trying to connect to a receiver that has already established a connection to another device. Ensure that Bluetooth is enabled and that the device reports that it has successfully connected to the receiver before you search for it in QuickCapture.

For more information, see Connect your receiver to your device.

Unable to open project that requires location sharing, or can't enable location sharing in a project

If a project is configured to use location sharing and the location sharing service has been disabled, location sharing cannot be used. If location sharing is required, the project will not open, and if location sharing is optional, there will be no sharing UI in the mobile app. An organization administrator must enable the location sharing service and the mobile app user must sign out of the app and sign in again to use location sharing.

If the location sharing service is paused, the mobile app will capture location sharing information. Tracks and the last known location will be sent once the location sharing layer has been unpaused.

Can't capture data

You are unable to capture data while the mobile app is either waiting for the camera to load or waiting for a valid location. Once the camera and location are available, the buttons become active.

Required to reenter credentials

After you have signed in to the mobile app, under the following circumstances, you may need to reenter your credentials:

You can continue to use projects on your device and capture data without reentering credentials, however, you will not be able to download projects or send data.

App crashes on an Android device

When QuickCapture crashes on an Android device, a log file can be retrieved to perform diagnostic research and troubleshooting. For more information, see Export a crash log (logcat) from an Android device.