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Offline-first mobile apps

Apps for work where the signal drops: data is stored on the phone, work doesn't stop, and everything syncs by itself once the connection returns.

When the signal drops mid-job

  • Staff work in basements, warehouses and remote areas where the signal is weak or missing altogether.
  • Apps that need a connection freeze, load slowly or lose what was entered.
  • Notes go on paper and are retyped back at the office.
  • Two people change the same record, and one of them loses their work.

Step by step

  1. 1

    The app downloads what is needed

    Only what the user needs for their work, and what their rights allow, is downloaded to the phone.

  2. 2

    Work carries on offline

    Tasks, forms, photos, videos, signatures and used parts are filled in just as they are online.

  3. 3

    Every change is saved on the phone

    Changes are written to a local database and queued until they can be sent.

  4. 4

    Sync runs in the background

    Once the connection returns, the changes are sent by themselves, without the user pressing anything.

  5. 5

    Conflicts are settled by rules

    When several people changed the same record, rules agreed in advance apply: nothing disappears silently, and the history shows who changed what.

  6. 6

    Online, updates arrive in real time

    With a connection, updates reach the phone at once; an urgent task, for example, arrives with a push notification.

Example

Example: a simplified diagram.

How the sync works
  1. The app on the phone

    • The data the work needs, in a local database
    • Works offline
    • Changes wait in a queue
  2. Changes go up in batches

    Only new data comes down

    Sync server

    Conflicts resolved on the server

  3. Other devices

    Get the changes in real time

What the solution covers

  • Local database and sync

    SQLite on the phone, a change queue, conflict rules and access rules for each user.

  • Tasks, calendar and map

    The day's work is available offline too.

  • Forms and checklists

    Fields are checked on the phone itself, so mistakes are caught at once, even offline.

  • Photos, videos and signatures

    Saved on the phone and sent once the connection is back.

  • Calls and notifications

    Calls to customers are logged against the task, and push notifications flag important changes.

  • Payment on site

    A payment link can be sent to the customer straight from the app.

  • Barcode and QR scanning

    Products, equipment and documents are recognised with the phone's camera.

  • Smart-device setup

    Devices are configured over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth straight from the app.

  • Offline work in an existing app

    Flutter is added to an existing iOS or Android app step by step, and a web app can run inside a native shell that updates without a new store release.

Where AI helps

  • AI turns a voice note into a structured work report.
  • AI reads text in photos: serial numbers, equipment nameplates, meter readings.
  • Before a visit, AI prepares a short summary of the customer's history.
  • When there is a connection, an AI assistant answers questions from your manuals and technical documentation.

Integrations

Our principles

  • We build with Flutter: one codebase for iOS and Android phones, with platform-specific native code where it is needed.
  • The data model and sync rules are agreed before the screens are built.
  • We test the app in flight mode and on poor networks.
  • New versions are built automatically and delivered to TestFlight, Google Play or internal distribution.
  • We update the app for new operating system versions and monitor errors and crashes.

Examples of our work

Field technicians' app that works offline

2023–2026

Tasks, customer sites, equipment, van stock and payments – on the technician's phone, even where there is no signal.

Developed continuously since late 2023, it syncs 33 data types to the phone.

Flutter / Dart, SQLite, Node.js / TypeScript, Server-Sent Events

Helper Sync – a sync platform for apps that work offline

2025–2026

Our platform for apps: all data is kept on the device, the app works offline, and changes reach other devices in real time.

It runs at sync.helper.lt, and our own apps use it.

Rust, PostgreSQL, Flutter / Dart, Server-Sent Events

Questions and answers

What happens if two people change the same record while offline?

We set a rule in advance for each type of data: for example, the latest change wins, different fields are merged, or a person decides. Nothing is lost silently, and the history shows who changed what and when.

Will the app work on both iPhone and Android phones?

Yes. We build the app with Flutter, so one codebase serves both platforms and the features are the same on iPhone and Android.

Can you add offline work to our existing app?

Yes, step by step. We add offline work in stages, so the app doesn't have to be rewritten, and users get the new features with their usual updates.

Where do your staff work? We'll build an app that won't get stuck there

A few sentences are enough – we'll reply and talk through how we could help.