Notifications, Photos & Staying in Sync

Notifications, Photos & Staying in Sync

A few things make the mobile app especially useful in the field: push notifications, fast photo capture, and keeping your data in sync with the web dashboard.

Push notifications

The app can send push notifications so you don't miss what matters — things like a new job assigned to you, a schedule change, or a payment coming through.

• The first time you sign in, your device asks for permission to send notifications. Allow it to receive them.
• If you tapped "Don't allow" by mistake, turn notifications back on in your phone's Settings → Notifications → HandyBook (iOS) or Settings → Apps → HandyBook → Notifications (Android).
• Keep the app updated so notification handling stays current.

Photos from the field

Photo capture is one of the app's strengths:

• Take before/after photos straight from the job using the in-app camera, or pick existing shots from your library.
• Photos attach to the job (and to photo fields on custom forms), so they're waiting for you on the web dashboard too.
• For the best results, capture photos on a decent signal so they upload quickly; on a weak signal they'll finish uploading once you're back in range.

Staying in sync

The app and the web dashboard share the same account and the same data. Anything you capture in the field — photos, signatures, time, payments — flows back to the web, and anything set up on the web (jobs, customers, schedule) appears on the phone.

• A live connection keeps everything current. Pull to refresh on a screen if you want to force the latest data.
• On a spotty signal, work you do may take a moment to finish uploading. Keep the app open until photos and changes have synced, especially before closing out a job.
• Big setup tasks (CSV imports, billing, integrations) are web-only — see What works on mobile.

FAQ

I'm not getting any notifications. Check that you allowed notifications for HandyBook in your phone's settings, that you're signed in, and that the app is up to date.

My photos aren't showing on the web yet. They may still be uploading on a weak signal. Reopen the app on a better connection and give them a moment to finish.

Will I lose work if I lose signal mid-job? Finish capturing what you need, then keep the app open until you're back in range so it can sync. Avoid force-quitting the app before your changes have uploaded.