Access Springpad When You’re Offline
We’re happy to announce an exciting new Springpad feature – Offline Support! Now you can use Springpad from your computer even when you’re not connected to the internet.
We’ve made the Springpad web app available in the Chrome browser even when you’re offline. All of your Springpad data will be stored locally so that you can access Springpad via Chrome at any time, and you can continue to add new things while offline. Plus, as an added benefit, users of the Chrome web app will find overall performance improvements.
How to enable Springpad offline support via the Chrome browser:
Springpad’s offline support is based on the Chrome Web App.
- First, you must install the Springpad Chrome Web App (This gives you unlimited local storage through the browser).
- Then, open the Springpad Chrome App and log in to your existing Springpad account.
- You’ll immediately see an offline status button in the top left corner of the screen. When you first log in, your data will “sync” – storing a local copy of Springpad and all of your data.
- When you’re done using Springpad for the day, stay logged in. This will ensure that a local copy of your data is always synced and available.
- When using the app in offline mode, you’ll be able to access all of your stuff and add new things. While offline, some features are disabled. (details below)
- When you reconnect to the internet, all of your changes will be synced to our servers, making them available on any web browsers, the mobile apps and extensions.
- You can disable offline support at any time under Settings > Services.
Here’s an overview of the offline status indicator:
Springpad features not available in offline mode:
When you’re in offline mode, features that require internet access are grayed-out. These features include:
- Add via search: Adding new items via Look It Up or Search Nearby won’t work while offline.
- Board: All of your notebook contents will be available, but the board view is not accessible while offline.
- Settings Screen: The web app settings pages cannot be accessed.
- Alerts: The alerts panel is not accessible.
- Advanced Filter: “Filter Results” is not available.
- Full text search: While offline, only title searches will work
- Sorting: Some sorting options will not be available.
- Quick links: Any links out of Springpad to other websites won’t work.
- Trash: You can delete items while offline, but you can’t access the Trash while offline.
- Files: Upload of files is not available while offline. Similarly, you will not be able to upload new photos and files, but we plan to support this in an upcoming release.
Our current focus is on making the Springpad web app as powerful as possible and we’re excited with what html5 can do to blur the boundaries between web apps and apps. Providing offline access via the Chrome browser is only one more step toward making your data available to you whenever and wherever you need it.
We’re just starting with offline support via the Chrome browser. Support via other browsers will follow, so stay tuned…
122 Responses to “Access Springpad When You’re Offline”
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nina says: Awesome! Great news indeed – thank you for adding this extremely useful feature.
And what about security? Will my local stuff be encrypted some way? If this feature uses local storage, data can be accessable via Google Chrome application profile I think. Am I right?
How can I delete all local synced data? Will logoff remove all those data?
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Konstantin – Log out will remove local data – you can also clear your browser’s cache and the cache from the springpadit.com site.
Gabbsmo says: What about other browsers? Like FireFox and Safari
Raul says: The new speed of the app in chrome browser is incredible. It’s a big jump in productivity.
Álvaro F. Fernández says: “Support via other browsers will follow, so stay tuned…”
By the way, great job! I’m loving this 
Ieva says: … and Opera?
Jennifer says: Thank you thank you thank you!
Oremir says: It doesn’t work …
I try it in Firefox and Chrome with same result. There is no offline status button in the Chrome Web App and there is no possibility to enable or desable offline support under Settings > Services.
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Hi Everyone – if you’re not seeing offline features make sure of a few things.
1) You have the app installed in chrome from here: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/fkmopoamfjnmppabeaphohombnjcjgla?hl=en-US
2) Open a new tab and click the Springpad icon to launch the web app.
3) If you have a previous version of the web app installed, go to chrome://extensions in your browser, click developer mode, then click Update Extensions Now. (then follow #2)
[...] much more secure with your data in Springpad if you’re a Chrome user! Full details when you hit the jump. Great news! Translation – if Amazon’s EC2 ever goes down again, you can still [...]
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Konstantin – the database is available via the local file system but it’s scoped to our domain (springpadit.com) so it’s only available via our site. Like the regular online app, there is no encryption at this time.
yuriy says: Great function, great thanks!
This is an excellent development & will undoubtedly bring lots more people over to Springpad who would not adopt due to this formerly missing feature set.
Thanks!
[...] Access Springpad When You’re Offline [Springpad Blog] Tagged:google chromenotessyncuniversal capturewebapps [...]
martin says: Are you planning to add offline version of android app?
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Martin – the android app is works just like the Chrome Web app when offline. As long as you’re already logged in you can view and add new notes to your account and sync them later.
Richard says: Why does the Chrome App need to have access to my physical location?
Ricardo says: Wow!! it is really weasome!!! No need for a desktop app now, bye bye Evernote…
Akos says: I wonder how can I make a site specific browser app on mac working offline. Is it possible now?
Justin says: You are still “logged in” even if you close the tab, however, the only way the offline mode works is by keeping the tab open. Either I’m incorrect in how it functions or you should clarify that when you say “stay logged in” you mean “don’t close the tab.”
People generally close their browser when ending the usage session so it is still not entirely ideal. That being said, it’s still a step in right direction.
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Justin – if you haven’t manually logged out but have closed your tab or browser, just open a new tab and click the Springpad App Icon to access your account when offline.
Que bueno, está web app me parece muy buena, y esta función la hace todavía mejor 
Felicitaciones por el trabajo…
Tommy says: Maybe it’s just me, but I can’t seem to create a new notebook from the Chrome extension. Is there someway to do this or do I have to go to the dedicated web page to create a notebook?
Nikhil says: Odd only works on Chrome on Mac at work…not on Win7 at home. Both are up to date. Win7 Chrome says that the app is installed but I do not see it in my extensions…I’ve tried the tips with no luck
Neko says: Cool !
Will it be possible to make one Notebook Offline only, if we want to keep the Springpad functions for a private Notebook, so the data won’t be stored on a server but on our PC only ?
thanks
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Tommy – no way to create a new Notebook from the Extensions, only via the web app or mobile apps.
Nikhil – you should see the app when you open a new tab, if you don’t, try restarting your browser.
Neko – No way to do this right now but it’s an interesting idea!
[...] modern browsers. Google and its partners announced that many popular web apps will work offline. Springpad and Angry Birds, along with many other games and apps, while Google will be adding offline features [...]
tim says: So….when you don’t have an internet connection, how do you access the springpad app. My desktop Springpad shortcut doesnt work.
[...] modern browsers. Google and its partners announced that many popular web apps will work offline. Springpad and Angry Birds, along with many other games and apps, while Google will be adding offline features [...]
John says: i use ie, but yesterday i discover that sprinpand does’n support nether the board function of the note, in ie…. so sad for me..
Great news!! I was sooo happy to hear it
I use springpad for my school project and on daily basis so I’m freaking out ^_^
Thank you
schoendell says: Thanks for the new feature. This is great news for me. I was really struggling between this and evernote…especially after the amazon crash…relative to accessing information off-line. I find Springpad very fast and useful, and once the bug on photo notes can get cleared, it will be ideal.
I was excited when I heard about the offline capabilities. Unfortunately I can’t make it working. The app is installed, the extension is there, there is some sync activity but when I open the app offline I just get an empty springpad background and a mall springpad logo when I click a second time.
It does work if I leave the browser open and just cut the internet connection. But this usually never happens.
Any help is appreciated.
Judy says: I didn’t have the “offline” button in my Springpad Chrome web app. So I thought it best to delete the app and then re-install it. Well, now when I go to the Chrome webstore, it says I already have it installed even though it’s been deleted. I’ve re-booted my computer and it still shows as installed even though it’s not there (and I checked my list of installed extensions and, no, it’s not there).
Help! How do I reinstall?
Alysson says: Works great on both my Mac (10.6) home computer & work (windows 7) computer. I know it only works as long as I don’t logo out of Springpad. What happens if I log out of my computer? Or if I restart my computer?
Hank says: I am excited to finally be able to access my Springpad offline, and I’ve followed all of the instructions. But, when I disconnect from the Internet and then start Chrome and click on the Springpad app icon, it just hangs on my Springpad background and nothing shows up (no Springpad icon, no notebooks, etc.) What’s wrong?
-Hank
Dee says: I have the exact same issue as Judy (May 15) above. It’s not in extensions as I uninstalled, I’ve cleared the cache and restarted Chrome and it still says the extension is installed from the Springpad web store page and loading Springpad from the address bar doesn’t show the offline feature!
Judy says: Dee and I can’t access the app from the icon because we deleted the program in order to reinstall it, hoping that reinstalling would give us the offline option, and now we can’t reinstall it. So we have no icon.
I have Chrome 11 on a Mac. I have synced the application while online.
When I go offline and try to open the app offline (through the App store), I simply get a message – ‘Springpad: The App is Unreachable’. Can you please publish the steps for accessing it offline? What am I missing?
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Hi everyone – if you have Chrome 11.0.696.68 and are having issues with offline access, don’t fret! We’re looking into it right now!
Dee says: Judy – I did some research and found the issue (for me anyway). I have an extension called SpeedDial installed so that new tabs show me a list of favourite sites I can click. I disabled that and the normal Chrome new tab page re-appeared which has Springpad as an app. Click that and you get the new version with offline support. You can right click on that and choose “uninstall” and then go back to the web store and re-install, however I did that and Springpad still doesn’t show up as an extension. Perhaps the Springpad team could jump in and help explain but it would appear that an app is not the same as an extension yet Springpad offers both?
Dee says: PS – I also had Springpad as a pinned tab in Chrome so I unpinned it, loaded the page from the app and re-pinned it to make sure it loads the latest.
Judy says: Dee, well, I’m not using Speeddial so don’t know about that. I went to the Springpad page and clicked on the Springpad Browser Link there and it let me re-load the extension, and it now shows up again and gives me access to Springpad. On the Springpad website, when I’m signed it, it tells me that I now have offline access but, when I click on the Springpad extension, I’m still not seeing an on-/off-line status button in the upper-left corner as we are told should be there. But, then again, I’m using the version of Chrome that Brittni said they are having issues with at 1:08pm. So I’ll wait and see what’s up and if that fixes the issue.
Ramki says: The offline version seems to work when the system gets disconnected while working online. However, it fails when I try to start it when already disconnected.
Scenario 1:
- Currently online using Springpad
- Pull the Ethernet cable out
- Things work fine and it gets synced when I connect the cable back
Scenario 1:
- Pull the cable out
- Start Springpad using the icon
- Blank Page (only the background shows up)
I am not using any extensions apart from (iReader).
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Ramki – make sure you don’t log out. If you haven’t logged out please clear your cache and the springpadit.com data and try again. Please email if you need more help feedback@springpartners.com
Mikkael says: The offline mode isn’t available for me neither. Shame as I was looking forward to this new function.
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Zulhilmi – Here’s you’ll find information on the Springpad Firefox extension: http://blog.springpadit.com/2011/04/introducing-the-springpad-firefox-extension/
Kelly says: I love this! I can’t wait to use this
[...] springpad? ??(google chrome) ???? ???? ?? ?? ?????? ???? ??? ?????. http://blog.springpadit.com/springpad-when-youre-offline/ [...]
Vampie says: Where exactly is my offline data saved?
When I get a lot of data into springpad, it will probably fill my C: drive. I’d rather save that data on another partition of my computer.
How can that be done?
holychiz says: another request for these cool features on Firefox. I haven’t start to use SpringPad because no offline access. Now that you have it, I must thank you for making the unwashed mass that is Chrome users beta-testing these features. By all means, though, when the bugs are sorted out, please make these features available on Firefox as quickly as inhumanly possible. Appreciate all your hardworks. Thanks.
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holychiz – We hope to offer similar functionality on other browsers in the future.
Bob John – To open the Springpad Chrome Web app, open a new blank tab in Chrome & click the the big yellow Springpad logo. If you continue to have issues, send us a note at feedback@springpartners.com
Vampie – Your offline data is saved as part of your browser cache.
Bob John says: I have installed it but not sure how to open the Springpad Chrome App
Andy says: Gr8 News.
Is sth. similar available 4 android?
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Andy – Yes, when the Android app is offline, you can access all of your stuff & add new things.
Andre says: Thank you Katin ! This is very great !
You say its in the browser cache ? can it be saved separately ?
Will it be available for Firefox tooo ?
Are the date stored offline in my Android phone tooo ?
You are all the best !!
Kiss
Andre
Chad says: So for those of us that don’t use Chrome and don’t use Firefox 4 (I use Firefox 3.6 because Firefox 4 kept crashing on me) is there a “offline” way to use SpringPad?
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Chad – besides the Chrome browser, you can also access Springpad while offline via the iOS or Android apps.
Cheryl says: Hi,
I’ve been using the Chrome Extension app, but now it says “Data not available, please try again.” It did this both when I was online and offline. My Android app works fine, though.
Also, what’s the status on date-stamping (for journal/diary entries, etc.)?
Y’all are making computing fun again!
Cheryl
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Cheryl – Try uninstalling the Chrome extension, clearing your browser cache & reinstalling the extension. If you still are having issues, send us a note at feedback@springpartners.com. As for date stamps, we’re considering adding them soon!
Gayle says: When I started using Springpad, I would save an page/info in a folder that might need to reference. Then I would make a folder and move it. The folder I first saved it in, still had the info in. Katin told me that it will always be there, and if I delete it in the orginal folder it will delete it in the newly saved folder!
Has this been fixed? I hope so as it would keep a much neater and organized folder system.
Thank you.
Francesca says: This feature is not appearing on my Springpad Chrome app and the option is grayed out when I go to my account on the main Springpad site. I’ve installed the app, but no option to go offline appears.
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Francesca – Be sure you have installed the Chrome Web App, not just the Chrome Extension. Then, open a new tab in Chrome & click on the big yellow Springpad icon to enabled offline access. If you are still having issues, please send us a note at feedback@springpartners.com
cat says: Another request for older (3.6) Firefox support. I like Firefox 3.6. I don’t want to be forced to upgrade for just 1 use, or flip between two versions for this one purpose.
I really love Springpad, and offline access would be fantastic.
I’d be happy to give it a try in Chrome – BUT installing it requires linking it to a Google account (*sigh* why so creepy and stalkertastic, Google?), and I am absolutely not in favor of giving Google even more of my information.
Kelly says: I think I know why some persons are having problems. If you click the Springpad EXTENSION while offline, you won’t have access. You have to use the WEB APP. You can get to it by opening a new tab then click on it or you can create a (desktop) shortcut. Wrench->Tools->Create app shortcut. Hope this helps someone!
Vickey says: First impressions – within minutes of installing – Love it!
Just wish my pictures that are part of my notes, ones I’ve taken and made notes were also available offline. But that’s small and springpad is always being updated.
2 of my 3 major requests for springpad have finally been done within months; back-up and offline use. Now sharing – it’s got to get better, but I know that is being worked on too.
Yeah springpad! Keep up the great work!
Very useful ap – both online and off. Are there plans to make the board view available offline as well?
Hugo says: I have just installed the Chrome webapp with Offline mode enabled. Now when I want to access Springpad in Chrome, I constantly get the message “Searching” with a rotating ‘throbber’, but my data does not appear.
When I disable offline support under ‘Settings/Services’, my data reappears, but it somehow defeats the purpose if I would like to have my things avaliable offline.
Other than that, thank you for creating offline support for Springpad, and if I could use it, I would be most happy.
j.thomas says: i would like to know how to make a calendar,and make more notebooks for scheduling,and research in springpadit? i have 1.2 terabytes of free space on my external hard drives,can any and or all of the cache be used on them to create extra cache? thank you j.thomas
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j.thomas – unfortunately you can’t create your own extra cache. You can create as many notebooks as you’d like in Springpad though. We’re also considering adding a built-in calendar to the app.
Alexander says: many thanks team continue to improve so keep SpringPad
for users who are not just install google chrome is not necessary to use it only for the application in use offline
S Casey says: This is GREAT…is there a way to sync offline to my Android tablet? I know about the send to phone option, but that is kind of cumbersome to remember for each note..I would like to have the choice to sync entire notebooks and keep them synced. In fact, this is the one option that I find in Evernote that makes me want to stay there. I would LOVE to use only Springpad.
S Casey says: Oh..INCLUDING attachments. I have used the send to phone, but it includes only a link to the attachments to view online…..oops. Not what I expected for offline availability.
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S Casey – Once you do a sync with the Springpad Android app, all of you stuff will be available when offline (except for attachments, that is)
Tyler says: Any chance, with Safari 5.1′s new Extensions API, that Springpad will get an offline mode?
Tibor D says: Please Firefox…
DarioMD says: Great! Just today I was about to change to evernote but now that I can work on my laptop offline too (sometimes my school internet dies and i cant save stuff) there is no need =)!
Springpad looks fantastic! However, I am going to India for three months with only iPad and spotty internet access. Will need to access my notes offline. Will I be able to do this using Springpad on an iPad?
Thanks.
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Shambhavi – yes, as long as you log into your account while you have internet access and allow it to sync, your notes will be available. Images and features like look it up will not be available.
Hi,
I have the chrome app installed, previously synched springpad and then went offline without signing out and was told the app could not be reached as I was offline…..
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Hi Geoffrey – is it possible that your account wasn’t fully synced? Did you see the “Fully Synced” notification? Send me an email at brittni@springpartners.com if you’re still having trouble.
angela says: Another vote here for Safari – pretty please!?!
Jenny says: If I put my computer to sleep, will my Springpad go offline automatically if I’m not connected to the internet?
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Jenny – Yes, if your computer disconnects from the internet, Springpad will go offline. But, with the Chrome app installed, you can access your stuff even if you wake up your computer while not connected to the internet.
Jenny says: Do i just have to downnload the Springpad app that’s on chrome and I can access my notes whenever I want with or without the internet even if my computer goes to sleep and the springpad goes offline and when I wake up my computer all my stuff will still be there ?
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Yup, Jenny – that’s exactly how it works! Be sure you get the Chrome app, not the extension.
Rajeevan says: I just recently switched from MS One Note to Springpad. One of the features I miss from MS One Note is how you can take a PDF file (e.g. say class lecture handout) and have it as an image for you to type over it or annotate it. Additionally, I wish that when I sync, and view attachments (e.g. pdf file), I wish that it would be available offline on my android, instead of having to connect to the web to retrieve the pdf.
Jack says: I’ve been using Springpad for a month now and yesterday completed moving my notes, tasks, and other stuff over to it and synched it all. I use Chrome with both the extension and the app and am familiar with how they both work.
Well, today Springpad is still down, I assume last night’s maintenance went as most computer-related things do, and it’s been down since then.
Not to worry, the app will still show me my stuff, right? Unfortunately, it is not to be…. The app will just take me to the Springpad page saying it’s currently unavailable. Apparently my Chrome updated itself today and cleared it’s cache.
Storing all my data in Chrome’s cache is NOT the same as making my data available off line. Your programmers should know that a cache is a temporary location for data storage. It can be cleared for many reasons, one of which is auto-updates by chrome. Some of us who take security seriously run programs to clear browser caches on a regular basis.
I suggest that your product won’t be reliable until you use a permanent storage location, preferably selectable by the user. As is, it’s not really ready from prime time use.
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Jack – I am so sorry that you ran into this issue… In fact, a couple of us had the same problem during the downtime. We’re researching why now…
Thanks for sharing your input, and again sorry to hear that we’ve frustrated you!
Jack says: Thanks for the sympathy, Katin. I think if the command to backup to HTML were easier to find, and if there were an option that did both backup and download in one operation, it would go a long way to solve the problem. Perhaps that could be automated to a user-defined location and maybe even a periodic automated backup. Then we wouldn’t have to worry about the data since there would always be a copy, even if a little outdated, available to read. Right now it’s not likely that someone will remember to backup and download every day. While I’m at it, another big help would be a font-size chooser in the note editor. As it is, I have to copy the note from the editor, paste it into an HTML editor, make the font big enough to read on my portable, and then paste it back into the note editor. Otherwise the notes are very difficult to read on the 7″ screen of my Nook Color. Sorry for mixing oranges with apples, but I really want Springpad to be successful, you’ve thought of nearly everything else, and even with the problems I’m whining about, it’s a joy to use.
Jody says: Just installed Springpad on my Mac (using Safari) and iPhone. I’m curious to know if as I start to add in stuff, if it will be available on my iPhone or Mac Air when I am not able to access WiFi. Is this ability only available if you use Chrome?
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Offline access on your computer is only available with the Chrome app as described above. On iPhone as long as you’re logged in you will have access to your notes while offline.
Vico says: Seriously, you announce off-line support when a simple cache clearing wipes all the data? This off-line mode is completely unreliable. At least, with a so great limitation, you should be VERY clear in specifying restictions, before users begin to use it and then find the surprise…
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@Vico
All apps that use offline storage in the Chrome browser do use the cache, so if you clear your app cache or log out of Springpad, the offline copy of your data will then be removed from your computer. Sorry for any miscommunication or confusion!
Leo says: The problem is, as has been said above, you cannot control cache clearing. So as a backup it’s unreliable. And what’s left to us is to put blind trust in your servers for the safe keeping of our data. I’m sorry but it’s a big thing to ask:(
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Leo – Fair point, although your data is saved in the app cache, not the basic browser cache.
If you are concerned about losing your data, you might consider downloading a backup periodically: http://blog.springpadit.com/2011/04/download-a-backup-of-your-springpad-data/
J says: This is a great feature…have been waiting for an offline version for a long time…but I have a couple of security related concerns:
- Could you please explain how the data that is stored locally is encrypted?
- I am not asked for a user id/password on my computer…is there a way to for the application/chrome to always ask for one when chrome or the app is loaded? can I configure when it should ask me? Can I differentiate that for other users on the same computer?
- Could you please explain how the data sync ensures the data is transferred in encrypted package?
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Hey Jason – I think you also asked the same question on our support forum. Read more about Springpad security here: http://getsatisfaction.com/springpartners/topics/how_secure_is_springpad
But to answer your question, we aren’t currently encrypting the data that is stored in offline via Chrome. It’s kept in chrome’s SQLite database without encryption. The data synced from our servers to Chrome is binary encoded, so it’s not exactly fully encrypted, but it’s not being transferred in plain-text. Unfortunately, there is currently no way to require a password before you can access your Chrome offline data. We do have plans to add more encryption to the web app’s storage, but are not currently planning to further encrypt Chrome storage.
And just FYI, data synced between our server and the iPhone, iPad, and Android apps, plus the browser extension is encrypted, using HTTPS.
Jack says: Yet another problem with the current offline storage scheme: my wife recently got a SpringPad account and she frequently uses my computer. I also use hers at times. If she logs into SpringPad on my Chrome browser, it dutifully downloads her data — and at the same time destroys mine. In other words, your current scheme is at best single user. As I mentioned earlier, many of us run cache cleaners for security reasons anyway, and that removes all offline data. If we could choose a directory to store the data, I’d keep it on a TrueCrypt encrypted volume. But we’d still have the single-user problem unless each user could designate his/her own storage directory.
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Hi Jack – Unfortunately we only support single-user login right now, but we hear you on the inconvenience and will keep your feedback in mind for the future!
Dave Yuhas says: I’m confused. When I follow the link to “install” the Springpad Chrome web app the Chrome Web Store gives me the option to “launch” the app. I’ve done that. The option for offline access in Springpad’s Settings > Services is greyed out.
I can see no difference between the Chrome web app and using the Springpadit URL – http://springpadit.com/springpad/#home.
I find using Springpad for a lot of text entry in online mode to be frustratingly slow.
What am I missing?
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Hi Dave – I’m sorry you are having trouble. If you have already installed the Chrome Web App, then when you go to our app page in the store the button will say Launch. When you click it will take you to Springpad. If you are in a browser other than Chrome, the Enable Offline button will be greyed out when you are in Settings>Services. If you have enabled the offline app, then you should see a small box below the House button on the lefthand side when you are in Chrome.
If you have additional problems, feel free to email me: dbramhall@springpartners.com
John says: One other feature I found that doesn’t work, and a really annoying one, is that when adding tags to items offline, existing tags aren’t autosuggested as they are when online. This makes it really easy to mistype a tag and mess up my data classification taxonomy. Since I mostly do this type of activity during ‘downtime’ on airplanes, it makes the system much harder to use. Any suggestions appreciated.
If it helps, I’m using offline mode on Chrome 17.0.963.56 on MacOS Snow Leopard.
Thanks
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Hi John – Valid point! I wish I had a quick fix for you, except to say maybe wait to tag until you are online? Or perhaps always tag in lowercase or uppercase, so the cases are uniform? Sorry I don’t have more than that right now!
John says: Devin,
Thanks for the response. Unfortunately, the time I have to go through my stuff and tag it is when I’m traveling (I’m on at least 4 flights in a typical week, so I actually have more time offline than online most weeks). Maybe if I keep a list of tags that would help. Good idea on keeping the cases consistent. I’m more concerned about accidentally misspelling a tag name or putting in an extra space or something, and then having a hard time finding the information later.
Bert says: Not really the Offline access I had hoped for. I really wish this app had a native (mac) version.
I don’t care much for using rich data web apps. They are behind most of my browser crashes. Which isn’t helping me being more productive. This type of thing is only good if you believe in a chrome book or things like that.
If I’m going to store notes and data it has to be available anywhere anytime.
I was exited to try this out though it seems i’ll have to wait.
For now I’ll stick to Evernote.
why will it not let me register on my mobile for it keeps saying Error registering. please try again thank you please can you help
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Hi James – Are you using an iPhone or Android phone? Also, what method are you using to register? You can email me details to devin@springpad.com. Thanks!
Eileen says: ugghhh Really?!? I’ve tried chrome. I don’t care for it. I really need to use Springpad offline at times. This is bad news. I may have to revert to Evernote.
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Awesome! Great news indeed – thank you for adding this extremely useful feature.
And what about security? Will my local stuff be encrypted some way? If this feature uses local storage, data can be accessable via Google Chrome application profile I think. Am I right?
How can I delete all local synced data? Will logoff remove all those data?
Konstantin – Log out will remove local data – you can also clear your browser’s cache and the cache from the springpadit.com site.
What about other browsers? Like FireFox and Safari
The new speed of the app in chrome browser is incredible. It’s a big jump in productivity.
“Support via other browsers will follow, so stay tuned…”
By the way, great job! I’m loving this
… and Opera?
I don’t see a button on the top left-hand corner?
Thank you thank you thank you!
It doesn’t work …
I try it in Firefox and Chrome with same result. There is no offline status button in the Chrome Web App and there is no possibility to enable or desable offline support under Settings > Services.
Hi Everyone – if you’re not seeing offline features make sure of a few things.
1) You have the app installed in chrome from here: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/fkmopoamfjnmppabeaphohombnjcjgla?hl=en-US
2) Open a new tab and click the Springpad icon to launch the web app.
3) If you have a previous version of the web app installed, go to chrome://extensions in your browser, click developer mode, then click Update Extensions Now. (then follow #2)
[...] much more secure with your data in Springpad if you’re a Chrome user! Full details when you hit the jump. Great news! Translation – if Amazon’s EC2 ever goes down again, you can still [...]
And what about encryption? Can data be accessed on local FS access?
Konstantin – the database is available via the local file system but it’s scoped to our domain (springpadit.com) so it’s only available via our site. Like the regular online app, there is no encryption at this time.
Great function, great thanks!
This is an excellent development & will undoubtedly bring lots more people over to Springpad who would not adopt due to this formerly missing feature set.
Thanks!
[...] Access Springpad When You’re Offline [Springpad Blog] Tagged:google chromenotessyncuniversal capturewebapps [...]
Are you planning to add offline version of android app?
Martin – the android app is works just like the Chrome Web app when offline. As long as you’re already logged in you can view and add new notes to your account and sync them later.
Why does the Chrome App need to have access to my physical location?
Richard – This permission is used for features like Look it Up and Search Nearby.
Wow!! it is really weasome!!! No need for a desktop app now, bye bye Evernote…
I wonder how can I make a site specific browser app on mac working offline. Is it possible now?
Thank you very much for hackin’ that feature! Thanks a lot!
You are still “logged in” even if you close the tab, however, the only way the offline mode works is by keeping the tab open. Either I’m incorrect in how it functions or you should clarify that when you say “stay logged in” you mean “don’t close the tab.”
People generally close their browser when ending the usage session so it is still not entirely ideal. That being said, it’s still a step in right direction.
Justin – if you haven’t manually logged out but have closed your tab or browser, just open a new tab and click the Springpad App Icon to access your account when offline.
Que bueno, está web app me parece muy buena, y esta función la hace todavía mejor
Felicitaciones por el trabajo…
Maybe it’s just me, but I can’t seem to create a new notebook from the Chrome extension. Is there someway to do this or do I have to go to the dedicated web page to create a notebook?
Odd only works on Chrome on Mac at work…not on Win7 at home. Both are up to date. Win7 Chrome says that the app is installed but I do not see it in my extensions…I’ve tried the tips with no luck
Cool !
Will it be possible to make one Notebook Offline only, if we want to keep the Springpad functions for a private Notebook, so the data won’t be stored on a server but on our PC only ?
thanks
Tommy – no way to create a new Notebook from the Extensions, only via the web app or mobile apps.
Nikhil – you should see the app when you open a new tab, if you don’t, try restarting your browser.
Neko – No way to do this right now but it’s an interesting idea!
[...] modern browsers. Google and its partners announced that many popular web apps will work offline. Springpad and Angry Birds, along with many other games and apps, while Google will be adding offline features [...]
So….when you don’t have an internet connection, how do you access the springpad app. My desktop Springpad shortcut doesnt work.
[...] modern browsers. Google and its partners announced that many popular web apps will work offline. Springpad and Angry Birds, along with many other games and apps, while Google will be adding offline features [...]
i use ie, but yesterday i discover that sprinpand does’n support nether the board function of the note, in ie…. so sad for me..
Great news!! I was sooo happy to hear it
I use springpad for my school project and on daily basis so I’m freaking out ^_^
Thank you
Thanks for the new feature. This is great news for me. I was really struggling between this and evernote…especially after the amazon crash…relative to accessing information off-line. I find Springpad very fast and useful, and once the bug on photo notes can get cleared, it will be ideal.
I was excited when I heard about the offline capabilities. Unfortunately I can’t make it working. The app is installed, the extension is there, there is some sync activity but when I open the app offline I just get an empty springpad background and a mall springpad logo when I click a second time.
It does work if I leave the browser open and just cut the internet connection. But this usually never happens.
Any help is appreciated.
I didn’t have the “offline” button in my Springpad Chrome web app. So I thought it best to delete the app and then re-install it. Well, now when I go to the Chrome webstore, it says I already have it installed even though it’s been deleted. I’ve re-booted my computer and it still shows as installed even though it’s not there (and I checked my list of installed extensions and, no, it’s not there).
Help! How do I reinstall?
Works great on both my Mac (10.6) home computer & work (windows 7) computer. I know it only works as long as I don’t logo out of Springpad. What happens if I log out of my computer? Or if I restart my computer?
I am excited to finally be able to access my Springpad offline, and I’ve followed all of the instructions. But, when I disconnect from the Internet and then start Chrome and click on the Springpad app icon, it just hangs on my Springpad background and nothing shows up (no Springpad icon, no notebooks, etc.) What’s wrong?
-Hank
I have the exact same issue as Judy (May 15) above. It’s not in extensions as I uninstalled, I’ve cleared the cache and restarted Chrome and it still says the extension is installed from the Springpad web store page and loading Springpad from the address bar doesn’t show the offline feature!
Dee – be sure to open a new tab and access the App from the icon.
Dee and I can’t access the app from the icon because we deleted the program in order to reinstall it, hoping that reinstalling would give us the offline option, and now we can’t reinstall it. So we have no icon.
I have Chrome 11 on a Mac. I have synced the application while online.
When I go offline and try to open the app offline (through the App store), I simply get a message – ‘Springpad: The App is Unreachable’. Can you please publish the steps for accessing it offline? What am I missing?
Hi everyone – if you have Chrome 11.0.696.68 and are having issues with offline access, don’t fret! We’re looking into it right now!
Judy – I did some research and found the issue (for me anyway). I have an extension called SpeedDial installed so that new tabs show me a list of favourite sites I can click. I disabled that and the normal Chrome new tab page re-appeared which has Springpad as an app. Click that and you get the new version with offline support. You can right click on that and choose “uninstall” and then go back to the web store and re-install, however I did that and Springpad still doesn’t show up as an extension. Perhaps the Springpad team could jump in and help explain but it would appear that an app is not the same as an extension yet Springpad offers both?
PS – I also had Springpad as a pinned tab in Chrome so I unpinned it, loaded the page from the app and re-pinned it to make sure it loads the latest.
Dee, well, I’m not using Speeddial so don’t know about that. I went to the Springpad page and clicked on the Springpad Browser Link there and it let me re-load the extension, and it now shows up again and gives me access to Springpad. On the Springpad website, when I’m signed it, it tells me that I now have offline access but, when I click on the Springpad extension, I’m still not seeing an on-/off-line status button in the upper-left corner as we are told should be there. But, then again, I’m using the version of Chrome that Brittni said they are having issues with at 1:08pm. So I’ll wait and see what’s up and if that fixes the issue.
The offline version seems to work when the system gets disconnected while working online. However, it fails when I try to start it when already disconnected.
Scenario 1:
- Currently online using Springpad
- Pull the Ethernet cable out
- Things work fine and it gets synced when I connect the cable back
Scenario 1:
- Pull the cable out
- Start Springpad using the icon
- Blank Page (only the background shows up)
I am not using any extensions apart from (iReader).
Ramki – make sure you don’t log out. If you haven’t logged out please clear your cache and the springpadit.com data and try again. Please email if you need more help feedback@springpartners.com
The offline mode isn’t available for me neither. Shame as I was looking forward to this new function.
Is there any plugin in Firefox?
Zulhilmi – Here’s you’ll find information on the Springpad Firefox extension: http://blog.springpadit.com/2011/04/introducing-the-springpad-firefox-extension/
I love this! I can’t wait to use this
[...] springpad? ??(google chrome) ???? ???? ?? ?? ?????? ???? ??? ?????. http://blog.springpadit.com/springpad-when-youre-offline/ [...]
Where exactly is my offline data saved?
When I get a lot of data into springpad, it will probably fill my C: drive. I’d rather save that data on another partition of my computer.
How can that be done?
another request for these cool features on Firefox. I haven’t start to use SpringPad because no offline access. Now that you have it, I must thank you for making the unwashed mass that is Chrome users beta-testing these features. By all means, though, when the bugs are sorted out, please make these features available on Firefox as quickly as inhumanly possible.
Appreciate all your hardworks. Thanks.
holychiz – We hope to offer similar functionality on other browsers in the future.
Bob John – To open the Springpad Chrome Web app, open a new blank tab in Chrome & click the the big yellow Springpad logo. If you continue to have issues, send us a note at feedback@springpartners.com
Vampie – Your offline data is saved as part of your browser cache.
I have installed it but not sure how to open the Springpad Chrome App
Gr8 News.
Is sth. similar available 4 android?
Andy – Yes, when the Android app is offline, you can access all of your stuff & add new things.
Thank you Katin ! This is very great !
You say its in the browser cache ? can it be saved separately ?
Will it be available for Firefox tooo ?
Are the date stored offline in my Android phone tooo ?
You are all the best !!
Kiss
Andre
So for those of us that don’t use Chrome and don’t use Firefox 4 (I use Firefox 3.6 because Firefox 4 kept crashing on me) is there a “offline” way to use SpringPad?
Chad – besides the Chrome browser, you can also access Springpad while offline via the iOS or Android apps.
Hi,
I’ve been using the Chrome Extension app, but now it says “Data not available, please try again.” It did this both when I was online and offline. My Android app works fine, though.
Also, what’s the status on date-stamping (for journal/diary entries, etc.)?
Y’all are making computing fun again!
Cheryl
Cheryl – Try uninstalling the Chrome extension, clearing your browser cache & reinstalling the extension. If you still are having issues, send us a note at feedback@springpartners.com. As for date stamps, we’re considering adding them soon!
When I started using Springpad, I would save an page/info in a folder that might need to reference. Then I would make a folder and move it. The folder I first saved it in, still had the info in. Katin told me that it will always be there, and if I delete it in the orginal folder it will delete it in the newly saved folder!
Has this been fixed? I hope so as it would keep a much neater and organized folder system.
Thank you.
This feature is not appearing on my Springpad Chrome app and the option is grayed out when I go to my account on the main Springpad site. I’ve installed the app, but no option to go offline appears.
Francesca – Be sure you have installed the Chrome Web App, not just the Chrome Extension. Then, open a new tab in Chrome & click on the big yellow Springpad icon to enabled offline access. If you are still having issues, please send us a note at feedback@springpartners.com
Another request for older (3.6) Firefox support. I like Firefox 3.6. I don’t want to be forced to upgrade for just 1 use, or flip between two versions for this one purpose.
I really love Springpad, and offline access would be fantastic.
I’d be happy to give it a try in Chrome – BUT installing it requires linking it to a Google account (*sigh* why so creepy and stalkertastic, Google?), and I am absolutely not in favor of giving Google even more of my information.
I think I know why some persons are having problems. If you click the Springpad EXTENSION while offline, you won’t have access. You have to use the WEB APP. You can get to it by opening a new tab then click on it or you can create a (desktop) shortcut. Wrench->Tools->Create app shortcut. Hope this helps someone!
First impressions – within minutes of installing – Love it!
Just wish my pictures that are part of my notes, ones I’ve taken and made notes were also available offline. But that’s small and springpad is always being updated.
2 of my 3 major requests for springpad have finally been done within months; back-up and offline use. Now sharing – it’s got to get better, but I know that is being worked on too.
Yeah springpad! Keep up the great work!
Where’s the Firefox 4 support?
Sunny – We hope to support other browsers in the future!
I found t very interesting but I do not know how to use it.
Ghanshyam – if you need more help please email us at feedback@springpartners.com.
Very useful ap – both online and off. Are there plans to make the board view available offline as well?
Joseph – we hope so! That would be a very cool feature.
I have just installed the Chrome webapp with Offline mode enabled. Now when I want to access Springpad in Chrome, I constantly get the message “Searching” with a rotating ‘throbber’, but my data does not appear.
When I disable offline support under ‘Settings/Services’, my data reappears, but it somehow defeats the purpose if I would like to have my things avaliable offline.
Other than that, thank you for creating offline support for Springpad, and if I could use it, I would be most happy.
This looks promising.. trying out now…
i would like to know how to make a calendar,and make more notebooks for scheduling,and research in springpadit? i have 1.2 terabytes of free space on my external hard drives,can any and or all of the cache be used on them to create extra cache? thank you j.thomas
j.thomas – unfortunately you can’t create your own extra cache. You can create as many notebooks as you’d like in Springpad though. We’re also considering adding a built-in calendar to the app.
many thanks team continue to improve so keep SpringPad
for users who are not just install google chrome is not necessary to use it only for the application in use offline
This is GREAT…is there a way to sync offline to my Android tablet? I know about the send to phone option, but that is kind of cumbersome to remember for each note..I would like to have the choice to sync entire notebooks and keep them synced. In fact, this is the one option that I find in Evernote that makes me want to stay there. I would LOVE to use only Springpad.
Oh..INCLUDING attachments. I have used the send to phone, but it includes only a link to the attachments to view online…..oops. Not what I expected for offline availability.
S Casey – Once you do a sync with the Springpad Android app, all of you stuff will be available when offline (except for attachments, that is)
Any chance, with Safari 5.1′s new Extensions API, that Springpad will get an offline mode?
Please Firefox…
Great! Just today I was about to change to evernote but now that I can work on my laptop offline too (sometimes my school internet dies and i cant save stuff) there is no need =)!
Springpad looks fantastic! However, I am going to India for three months with only iPad and spotty internet access. Will need to access my notes offline. Will I be able to do this using Springpad on an iPad?
Thanks.
Shambhavi – yes, as long as you log into your account while you have internet access and allow it to sync, your notes will be available. Images and features like look it up will not be available.
Hi,
I have the chrome app installed, previously synched springpad and then went offline without signing out and was told the app could not be reached as I was offline…..
Hi Geoffrey – is it possible that your account wasn’t fully synced? Did you see the “Fully Synced” notification? Send me an email at brittni@springpartners.com if you’re still having trouble.
Another vote here for Safari – pretty please!?!
If I put my computer to sleep, will my Springpad go offline automatically if I’m not connected to the internet?
Jenny – Yes, if your computer disconnects from the internet, Springpad will go offline. But, with the Chrome app installed, you can access your stuff even if you wake up your computer while not connected to the internet.
Do i just have to downnload the Springpad app that’s on chrome and I can access my notes whenever I want with or without the internet even if my computer goes to sleep and the springpad goes offline and when I wake up my computer all my stuff will still be there ?
Yup, Jenny – that’s exactly how it works! Be sure you get the Chrome app, not the extension.
I just recently switched from MS One Note to Springpad. One of the features I miss from MS One Note is how you can take a PDF file (e.g. say class lecture handout) and have it as an image for you to type over it or annotate it. Additionally, I wish that when I sync, and view attachments (e.g. pdf file), I wish that it would be available offline on my android, instead of having to connect to the web to retrieve the pdf.
I’ve been using Springpad for a month now and yesterday completed moving my notes, tasks, and other stuff over to it and synched it all. I use Chrome with both the extension and the app and am familiar with how they both work.
Well, today Springpad is still down, I assume last night’s maintenance went as most computer-related things do, and it’s been down since then.
Not to worry, the app will still show me my stuff, right? Unfortunately, it is not to be…. The app will just take me to the Springpad page saying it’s currently unavailable. Apparently my Chrome updated itself today and cleared it’s cache.
Storing all my data in Chrome’s cache is NOT the same as making my data available off line. Your programmers should know that a cache is a temporary location for data storage. It can be cleared for many reasons, one of which is auto-updates by chrome. Some of us who take security seriously run programs to clear browser caches on a regular basis.
I suggest that your product won’t be reliable until you use a permanent storage location, preferably selectable by the user. As is, it’s not really ready from prime time use.
Jack – I am so sorry that you ran into this issue… In fact, a couple of us had the same problem during the downtime. We’re researching why now…
Thanks for sharing your input, and again sorry to hear that we’ve frustrated you!
Thanks for the sympathy, Katin. I think if the command to backup to HTML were easier to find, and if there were an option that did both backup and download in one operation, it would go a long way to solve the problem. Perhaps that could be automated to a user-defined location and maybe even a periodic automated backup. Then we wouldn’t have to worry about the data since there would always be a copy, even if a little outdated, available to read. Right now it’s not likely that someone will remember to backup and download every day. While I’m at it, another big help would be a font-size chooser in the note editor. As it is, I have to copy the note from the editor, paste it into an HTML editor, make the font big enough to read on my portable, and then paste it back into the note editor. Otherwise the notes are very difficult to read on the 7″ screen of my Nook Color. Sorry for mixing oranges with apples, but I really want Springpad to be successful, you’ve thought of nearly everything else, and even with the problems I’m whining about, it’s a joy to use.
Just installed Springpad on my Mac (using Safari) and iPhone. I’m curious to know if as I start to add in stuff, if it will be available on my iPhone or Mac Air when I am not able to access WiFi. Is this ability only available if you use Chrome?
Offline access on your computer is only available with the Chrome app as described above. On iPhone as long as you’re logged in you will have access to your notes while offline.
Seriously, you announce off-line support when a simple cache clearing wipes all the data? This off-line mode is completely unreliable. At least, with a so great limitation, you should be VERY clear in specifying restictions, before users begin to use it and then find the surprise…
@Vico
All apps that use offline storage in the Chrome browser do use the cache, so if you clear your app cache or log out of Springpad, the offline copy of your data will then be removed from your computer. Sorry for any miscommunication or confusion!
The problem is, as has been said above, you cannot control cache clearing. So as a backup it’s unreliable. And what’s left to us is to put blind trust in your servers for the safe keeping of our data. I’m sorry but it’s a big thing to ask:(
Leo – Fair point, although your data is saved in the app cache, not the basic browser cache.
If you are concerned about losing your data, you might consider downloading a backup periodically: http://blog.springpadit.com/2011/04/download-a-backup-of-your-springpad-data/
This is a great feature…have been waiting for an offline version for a long time…but I have a couple of security related concerns:
- Could you please explain how the data that is stored locally is encrypted?
- I am not asked for a user id/password on my computer…is there a way to for the application/chrome to always ask for one when chrome or the app is loaded? can I configure when it should ask me? Can I differentiate that for other users on the same computer?
- Could you please explain how the data sync ensures the data is transferred in encrypted package?
Hey Jason – I think you also asked the same question on our support forum. Read more about Springpad security here: http://getsatisfaction.com/springpartners/topics/how_secure_is_springpad
But to answer your question, we aren’t currently encrypting the data that is stored in offline via Chrome. It’s kept in chrome’s SQLite database without encryption. The data synced from our servers to Chrome is binary encoded, so it’s not exactly fully encrypted, but it’s not being transferred in plain-text. Unfortunately, there is currently no way to require a password before you can access your Chrome offline data. We do have plans to add more encryption to the web app’s storage, but are not currently planning to further encrypt Chrome storage.
And just FYI, data synced between our server and the iPhone, iPad, and Android apps, plus the browser extension is encrypted, using HTTPS.
Yet another problem with the current offline storage scheme: my wife recently got a SpringPad account and she frequently uses my computer. I also use hers at times. If she logs into SpringPad on my Chrome browser, it dutifully downloads her data — and at the same time destroys mine. In other words, your current scheme is at best single user. As I mentioned earlier, many of us run cache cleaners for security reasons anyway, and that removes all offline data. If we could choose a directory to store the data, I’d keep it on a TrueCrypt encrypted volume. But we’d still have the single-user problem unless each user could designate his/her own storage directory.
Hi Jack – Unfortunately we only support single-user login right now, but we hear you on the inconvenience and will keep your feedback in mind for the future!
I’m confused. When I follow the link to “install” the Springpad Chrome web app the Chrome Web Store gives me the option to “launch” the app. I’ve done that. The option for offline access in Springpad’s Settings > Services is greyed out.
I can see no difference between the Chrome web app and using the Springpadit URL – http://springpadit.com/springpad/#home.
I find using Springpad for a lot of text entry in online mode to be frustratingly slow.
What am I missing?
Hi Dave – I’m sorry you are having trouble. If you have already installed the Chrome Web App, then when you go to our app page in the store the button will say Launch. When you click it will take you to Springpad. If you are in a browser other than Chrome, the Enable Offline button will be greyed out when you are in Settings>Services. If you have enabled the offline app, then you should see a small box below the House button on the lefthand side when you are in Chrome.
If you have additional problems, feel free to email me: dbramhall@springpartners.com
One other feature I found that doesn’t work, and a really annoying one, is that when adding tags to items offline, existing tags aren’t autosuggested as they are when online. This makes it really easy to mistype a tag and mess up my data classification taxonomy. Since I mostly do this type of activity during ‘downtime’ on airplanes, it makes the system much harder to use. Any suggestions appreciated.
If it helps, I’m using offline mode on Chrome 17.0.963.56 on MacOS Snow Leopard.
Thanks
Hi John – Valid point! I wish I had a quick fix for you, except to say maybe wait to tag until you are online? Or perhaps always tag in lowercase or uppercase, so the cases are uniform? Sorry I don’t have more than that right now!
Devin,
Thanks for the response. Unfortunately, the time I have to go through my stuff and tag it is when I’m traveling (I’m on at least 4 flights in a typical week, so I actually have more time offline than online most weeks). Maybe if I keep a list of tags that would help. Good idea on keeping the cases consistent. I’m more concerned about accidentally misspelling a tag name or putting in an extra space or something, and then having a hard time finding the information later.
Not really the Offline access I had hoped for. I really wish this app had a native (mac) version.
I don’t care much for using rich data web apps. They are behind most of my browser crashes. Which isn’t helping me being more productive. This type of thing is only good if you believe in a chrome book or things like that.
If I’m going to store notes and data it has to be available anywhere anytime.
I was exited to try this out though it seems i’ll have to wait.
For now I’ll stick to Evernote.
why will it not let me register on my mobile for it keeps saying Error registering. please try again thank you please can you help
Hi James – Are you using an iPhone or Android phone? Also, what method are you using to register? You can email me details to devin@springpad.com. Thanks!
ugghhh Really?!? I’ve tried chrome. I don’t care for it. I really need to use Springpad offline at times. This is bad news. I may have to revert to Evernote.