Sync, backup, and export
Fieldwork Recorder stores entries locally first. Sync and export are optional tools for making your own copies, moving to a new device, and using your data outside the app.
Cloud sync
Fieldwork Recorder can connect to a cloud account you own. It sends the selected files directly to that provider rather than to a Fieldwork Recorder content server. Open the Sync tab, choose a provider, select Connect, and approve access in the provider’s sign-in flow.
| Provider | Use |
|---|---|
| Dropbox | Syncs files to the Voice Voyager area in your Dropbox account. |
| OneDrive | Uses the app folder in the connected Microsoft account. |
| Google Drive | Uses a Voice Voyager folder with the access granted during sign-in. |
| Box | Uses Box sign-in and a Voice Voyager folder. |
| WebDAV | Works with compatible services such as Nextcloud, ownCloud, Synology, or a personal server. |
| iCloud Drive | Available in compatible native iPhone and iPad builds signed for iCloud Drive. |
What and how to sync
In Settings, choose the parts of an entry that should be included: audio recordings, journal entries and notes, GPS tracks, and pictures or drawings. This lets you keep cloud usage appropriate to the project. If GPS tracks are excluded, mapped attachment locations are stripped from the synchronized copy as well. Fieldwork Recorder also removes its own embedded route from temporary audio copies sent to the provider and from downloaded audio before import; the local source file is left as it was.
This GPS choice affects transfers made under the current setting. It does not remove locations from files already uploaded to a provider or from earlier exports. Read the location-sharing guide for the practical implications.
Upload and download
First checks the connected provider for entry material, restores missing local data, then uploads local changes. Use it when moving between devices or recovering after a reinstall.
Upload only
Sends the local changes without downloading from the provider. Use it when this phone is the source of truth and you want a straightforward backup.
Manual sync
Open Sync and choose Sync Now. This is the clearest choice when you want to decide exactly when network activity happens.
Auto-sync
When enabled, connected providers sync after local changes and when the app returns to the foreground.
Long transfers and progress
Fieldwork Recorder avoids restarting an entire large file when a provider or network connection interrupts a transfer. Large audio and picture files can be sent in resumable pieces with retries, then assembled by the provider. The exact transfer behavior depends on the provider and platform.
The Sync screen reports progress and lets you cancel a long operation. Keep the device awake when a large journal is moving, and leave enough local storage for staged downloads. A canceled or failed transfer can be retried without treating a partial remote file as a completed diary entry.
Restore from a provider
To restore, connect the same provider and use Upload and download. Fieldwork Recorder reads the backup manifest, downloads missing audio and attachments, and rebuilds the local diary entries. Let the process finish before closing the app, particularly for a large journal.
Fieldwork Recorder also looks for diary metadata in the selected recordings folder at startup. This helps rebuild entry records after you bring a recording folder back onto a device. If local files live only inside the app, use sync or an archive before uninstalling.
Archives and exports
Full archive
On the Sync tab, choose Export All Entries to create a ZIP backup. The archive contains a manifest and a folder for each diary entry, which makes it useful for handoff, offline storage, or a provider-independent backup.
Single entry and route exports
From the Player, export one entry when only one documented observation needs to travel. If it has a GPS track, use Export GPS to create GPX, KML, or GeoJSON for mapping tools.
Desktop archive review
The separate Fieldwork Recorder desktop reader for Windows and macOS can open a full diary ZIP. It reads entries locally, searches titles, dates, notes, and tags, displays photos and drawings, plays audio at different speeds, and follows the saved GPS route in time with playback. It is read-only: recording, editing, and direct cloud sync remain mobile workflows. Public installer availability may differ from the mobile release.
Map tiles need an internet connection and come from OpenStreetMap; the archive itself stays on the computer. If an archive companion file is missing, the reader can still recover GPS from supported audio that contains Fieldwork Recorder's embedded route data. For complete notes and attachments, keep the full archive.
Deletion behavior
Deleting an entry removes the local diary entry and its local files after confirmation. If that deletion is included in a successful sync, Fieldwork Recorder can propagate it to the matching provider copies. Independently exported files are not controlled by sync, so delete those copies separately if they are no longer wanted.