Ecobot moves survey data between Ecobot Collector (mobile) and Ecobot Manager (web) in two ways. Sync copies your data to the Ecobot cloud. Check-in and checkout control who can edit a survey, so only one person edits it at a time and nobody's changes overwrite someone else's.
The short version
- Sync saves your data to the cloud. Point, survey and photo data sync automatically in the background whenever your device has Wi-Fi or cellular data.
- Checkout makes a survey editable in one place, on one device in Collector or in Manager, and locks it everywhere else.
- Check-in uploads everything, including photos, and releases the survey so someone else can check it out.
Syncing doesn't check a survey in. Your data can be fully up to date in the cloud while the survey is still checked out and locked to your device.
Automatic sync
In Collector 4.1.10 and later, survey and point data sync to Manager automatically. There's no setting to turn on.
- With service, data syncs when you create a survey or leave a point.
- Without service, data is saved on your device and syncs as soon as you're back in service.
- Photos upload automatically in the background whenever you're connected. You can also send them yourself from the survey's Manage Survey screen, or at check-in.
If you're on an older version, update Collector from the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android).
Sync manually in Collector
Sync all surveys: tap the gear icon at the top right, then tap Sync All Surveys. This syncs every survey on your device, including its points, photos and map features, and pulls down anything that changed in Manager, such as surveys transferred to you or merged surveys. It's good practice to do this every time you open Collector.
Sync one survey: open the survey and tap Manage Survey at the top right. This opens the Sync Survey Data screen.
Sync one survey and its photos
From this screen you can sync the survey's data and photos, and check the survey out or in:
- Sync Points and Sync Map Features send your points and the polygons, lines and boundaries you mapped. When you're connected, these sync automatically, and a check mark next to them means they're already saved.
- Send Photos To Manager uploads photos taken on your device.
- Get Photos From Manager downloads photos other people have added to the survey. If the survey has a lot of photos, you can leave this off to save time and storage on your device.
- Check Out Survey or Check In Survey checks the survey out to your device, or checks it back in.
Anything highlighted in orange in a survey hasn't synced yet. When nothing is orange and the screen says You're all caught up, your device and the cloud match.
Watch a short walkthrough of managing surveys in Collector:
See who has a survey
In Collector
In your survey list, the icon at the top left of each survey shows its checkout status:
- Working (green unlocked icon): checked out and editable on your device.
- Available (no icon): checked in, and anyone can check it out.
- Locked (gray lock): checked out by someone else, or in Manager. You can open and view the survey, but you can't edit it.
The colored bars on the left of the survey list show the survey's status, such as Planning or QA, not its checkout status. When you open a survey, the same checkout status shows at the top of the screen.
In Manager
On the Surveys page, the line under a survey's name shows who has it checked out and where, such as Checked out by you · Manager or the name of a phone. No line means the survey is available. A survey checked out anywhere other than Manager is read-only in Manager.
Check out a survey
In Collector:
- Open the survey from your survey list.
- Tap Manage Survey at the top right.
- Turn on Check Out Survey.
- Tap Sync & Check Out Survey.
The survey now shows as Working, and it's locked in Manager and on other devices.
In Manager: open the survey and select Check out at the top right.
Check in a survey
In Collector:
- Open your checked-out survey.
- Tap Manage Survey at the top right.
- Turn on Check In Survey.
- Tap Sync & Check In Survey.
The survey uploads, including photos, and switches to Available. Check-in needs an internet connection. Use Wi-Fi if you have a lot of photos.
In Manager: open the survey and select Check in at the top right.
Check surveys in as soon as field work is done, so the office can start QA/QC.
Signing out checks surveys in automatically
If you sign out of Collector while surveys are checked out, Collector syncs and checks each one in before sign-out finishes. Photos and form data upload first, so make sure you have a stable connection. Once sign-out finishes, those surveys show as Available in Manager and on other devices.
This matters because each license works on one device at a time. Signing out is the safe way to switch devices or hand a phone to a teammate.
Signing a device out remotely from the Devices section in Manager doesn't sync it. Anything that hadn't synced yet stays on that device.
A survey is locked
To see who has a locked survey and on which device:
- In Collector: open the survey and tap Manage Survey.
- In Manager: look at the line under the survey's name on the Surveys page.
Then get in touch and ask them to check it in.
This video shows how to find where a survey is checked out from Manager:
Force check-in
If someone forgets to check a survey in, or can't (for example, they're away or their device is lost), you can force check-in from Manager.
Force check-in only brings in data that already reached the cloud. Anything still on the device, including photos that were never uploaded, isn't included. Before forcing check-in:
- Ask the person to confirm their device has synced.
- Check that the number of points, photos and features matches what you expect.
To force check-in:
- On the Surveys page in Manager, select the ⋮ menu on the survey's row.
- Select Force check in.
- Type CHECK-IN to confirm, then select Check in.
The survey is now available for editing. Admins and Managers can force check-in any survey in the organization. Users can force check-in only their own surveys.
Photos left on the device
Photos still on the device aren't necessarily lost. Photo upload doesn't depend on who has the survey checked out, so the original owner can still send them: in Collector, open the survey, tap Manage Survey, then tap Send Photos To Manager. Getting back into service isn't enough on its own. Someone has to send the photos from that screen.
This only works while the survey still belongs to that person. Once it's transferred to someone else or merged into another survey, their device can no longer send, and anything still on it is lost. Have the original owner send their photos before you transfer or merge a survey you force-checked-in.
If a device is lost, see What to do if you lose a device.