Jobber's Offline Mode Has Limits. Here's What Your Techs Can't Do.
Jobber can cache some data offline. But can your techs actually complete a job without signal? Let's look at the details.
TL;DR
Jobber's offline mode is basic caching — your techs can view some previously loaded data, but they can't complete full job workflows, reliably capture photos and signatures, or create new records without signal. Opsler is an offline-first PWA where everything works without internet. Photos, signatures, work orders, the whole nine yards.
Where Do Your Techs Lose Signal?
Think about where your technicians actually work. Basements. Crawl spaces. Metal buildings. Rural properties 20 minutes from the nearest cell tower. Commercial kitchens surrounded by stainless steel. Attics wrapped in radiant barrier.
These aren't edge cases. They're the job. If your FSM software can't handle these situations, your techs are stuck — writing notes on paper, taking photos they'll have to upload later (if they remember), and hoping nothing gets lost in the gap.
What Jobber Can and Can't Do Offline
Jobber's mobile app does have some offline capability. If your tech loaded a job before going into a dead zone, they can view that job's details. That's useful. But viewing isn't working.
Here's what gets shaky without signal on Jobber:
- Photo capture — Photos may not save reliably if the app loses its connection mid-upload. Your tech might think the photo saved when it didn't.
- Signature collection — Getting a customer signature on a completed job can fail or hang when there's no signal to process the interaction.
- Creating new records — Can't create a new customer, add a new job, or start a new invoice while offline.
- Full workflow completion — Marking a job complete with all its associated data (time tracking, materials used, notes) can be unreliable without connectivity.
Bottom line: Jobber's offline mode is a safety net, not a work environment. It keeps you from losing everything when signal drops, but it doesn't let you keep working as if nothing happened.
What "Offline-First" Actually Looks Like
There's a massive difference between "has some offline support" and "built to work offline." Opsler's technician app is a Progressive Web App designed from the ground up to function without internet.
Your tech walks into a basement with zero bars? Nothing changes. They open the app, view their job details, update the work order, snap before-and-after photos, collect the customer's signature, log materials used, and mark the job complete. Every bit of that data is stored locally and syncs the moment they get signal back.
It's not a degraded experience. It's the same experience. Your techs don't even notice the difference.
How Does Opsler Handle Offline Work?
Full job workflows without signal
View job details, update work orders, log time, record materials used, add notes — everything your tech does on a job works without internet. There's no "limited mode" or "read-only view."
Photos and signatures that actually save
Before-and-after photos, proof-of-service images, and customer signatures are stored locally on the device. They're not waiting for an upload that might fail. They sync when signal returns — every time.
Automatic sync with conflict resolution
When your tech gets signal back, Opsler syncs everything automatically. If the office updated the same job while the tech was offline, Opsler flags the conflict instead of silently overwriting anyone's work.
PWA — no app store required
Your techs open Opsler in their browser and add it to their home screen. It works like a native app, loads instantly, and handles offline natively. No app store downloads, no update delays, no "please update to continue" interruptions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Jobber has basic offline caching — your techs can view some previously loaded job data when they lose signal. But they can't complete full workflows, reliably capture photos and signatures, or create new records while offline. It's more of a 'read-only' mode than a true offline experience.
Offline-first means the app is built to work without internet from the ground up. It's not an afterthought or a caching layer bolted on. Every feature in Opsler's technician app works without signal — viewing jobs, updating work orders, capturing photos, collecting signatures, creating records. Data syncs automatically when connectivity returns. The app doesn't even flinch when signal drops.
Opsler uses a sync engine that queues all changes made offline and pushes them to the server the moment connectivity returns. It handles conflicts intelligently — if the same record was updated in the office and in the field, Opsler flags the conflict for review instead of silently overwriting data.
Nope. Opsler's technician app is a Progressive Web App (PWA). Your techs open it in their phone's browser, add it to their home screen, and it works like a native app — including offline. No app store downloads, no update delays, no compatibility issues.
That's exactly where offline-first shines. Opsler works in areas with zero signal, not just spotty signal. Whether your tech is in a basement, a crawl space, a metal building, or out in a rural area with no towers nearby, the app works. Full stop.
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