Offline Mode

In Nigeria, power outages (NEPA) and network problems are common. SabiBooks is designed to work even when there is no internet connection.

How Offline Mode Works

SabiBooks saves a copy of your data on your phone. When you lose internet connection:

1. A yellow banner appears at the top of the screen saying you are offline
2. You can continue using SabiBooks normally — record sales, add or edit products, adjust stock, view your data, and generate receipts
3. All changes are saved on your phone in a queue
4. When internet returns, SabiBooks automatically uploads all your offline changes
5. A sync icon spins while uploading — wait for it to finish

What You Can Do Offline

Feature	Works Offline?	Notes
Record sales	Yes	Sales are saved locally and synced later
Add/edit products	Yes	Changes sync when online
View product list	Yes	Shows data cached on your phone
View customers	Yes	Shows data cached on your phone
Search products	Yes	Searches local data
Barcode scanning	Yes	Looks up barcode from local data
Stock adjustments	Yes	Saved and synced later
View reports	Partial	Shows data available on phone; latest data needs sync
Send receipts (WhatsApp/SMS)	No	Needs internet to send messages
POS terminal payments	No	Needs internet to communicate with the terminal
Send payment reminders	No	Needs internet to send messages
Sync data	No	Needs internet (happens automatically when connected)

Caution

Features that require communicating with external services — POS terminals, WhatsApp, SMS — will not work offline. Use cash payments when the network is down, and send receipts after the connection returns.

Checking Sync Status

1. Open Settings

   Go to Settings.

2. Look for sync status

   Look for the sync status indicator. It shows:

   • “All synced” (green) — Everything is up to date
   • “X changes pending” (yellow) — You have offline changes waiting to upload
   • “Syncing…” (spinning) — Currently uploading changes

How Offline Sync Works (Behind the Scenes)

When you use SabiBooks offline, here is what happens:

1. Every action you take is saved locally on your phone in a queue (a list of pending changes)
2. Your phone periodically checks if internet is available
3. When internet returns, SabiBooks starts uploading your queued changes one by one, in the order you made them
4. Each change is verified by the server (to prevent data corruption)
5. Once all changes are uploaded, SabiBooks downloads any new data from the server (e.g., if another staff member made changes on a different device)
6. The sync is complete — your local data matches the server

This happens automatically. You do not need to press any buttons.

Multiple Devices and Conflict Resolution

If you have multiple staff members using SabiBooks on different phones:

• Each phone stores its own local copy of the data
• Changes sync independently when each phone connects to the internet
• SabiBooks resolves conflicts automatically (e.g., if two people edit the same product while offline)
• The last change wins when there is a conflict

Tip

Example: Mama Chidi’s shop has 2 phones. Both go offline during a power cut. Blessing records 5 sales on phone A, and Joy records 3 sales on phone B. When power returns:

• Phone A syncs first: 5 sales uploaded
• Phone B syncs next: 3 sales uploaded
• Total: 8 sales recorded correctly

Caution

If two staff members edit the same product while offline (e.g., both change the price of “Peak Milk”), the last phone to sync wins. To avoid this, coordinate who edits product details — usually only the owner or inventory manager should change prices and product information.

Tips for Offline Use

1. Do not worry about losing data. Everything is saved on your phone first, then uploaded when internet returns. Your data is safe.

2. Do not close the app during sync. When the sync icon is spinning, let it finish before closing SabiBooks. If you close it mid-sync, it will try again next time you open the app.

3. Open SabiBooks at least once a day when you have internet. This keeps your phone’s data up to date and uploads any pending changes.

4. If you change phones, make sure your old phone synced before setting up the new one. Log in with the same phone number on the new phone, and all your data will download from the server.

5. Battery tip: SabiBooks uses very little battery when offline. It is much lighter than browsing social media, so you can use it even when your battery is low.

6. Generator tip: If you have a generator, charge your phone and open SabiBooks briefly to sync. Even 2-3 minutes of internet is enough to sync most changes.

Tip

Mama Chidi says: “NEPA cuts light every day in my area. I was worried about losing my sales records. But SabiBooks keeps everything on my phone. When light comes back, everything syncs. I have never lost even one sale.”