How to back up site inspection photos and reports
An offline app keeps working without a connection, but its records still need a home beyond one device. Keep both the reports you issued and a restorable backup of the project data. They protect different parts of your work.
By Blu Mint Digital. 4 minute read. Last reviewed .
Keep the issued documents and working data separately
Site Audit stores its working data on the Android device. A generated report and an app backup are two different records:
- An issued PDF preserves the document you shared at that point in time. Save it with the related email or delivery record.
- A Site Audit backup is a ZIP file containing the app’s project, issue, photo and report-profile data, plus the referenced image files available in app storage, including annotations and relevant logos.
- A CSV export contains issue fields for spreadsheet use. Its Photos column is a count; it does not contain the photo files and cannot replace the app backup.
Generated PDF reports are not included in the app backup. You can generate another report from restored records, but that later document is not a substitute for preserving the exact version originally issued. Save the PDF independently when you send it.
Create a dated backup from the app
The following steps describe the Backup & Restore screen in Site Audit for Android 2.1.0. Backup and restore are available in the free app as well as Pro.
- Finish and save your current inspection records.
- Open the project-list menu and choose Backup & Restore.
- Choose Create Backup.
- Use the Android file picker to choose a location you can identify later.
- Keep the suggested dated filename, or use another clear name that retains the date and the
.zipextension. - Wait for the app to confirm the operation, then check that the file exists in the chosen location.
The suggested name starts with SiteAudit_Backup_ and includes the date and time. A new dated file makes it easier to distinguish the latest copy from an older snapshot. If you save through a cloud storage provider, also check that provider’s upload result when a connection is available.
Keep at least one copy beyond the phone
A file saved to the same phone is convenient for a quick restore, but it can be lost with the device. Keep an independent copy in storage you control, such as an organisation-approved cloud folder or a computer backup location. Confirm you can find and access it from outside the phone.
The backup is a plain ZIP archive, not a password-protected archive created by the app. It may contain client details, site photographs and your report profiles. Store it with appropriate access controls and avoid public sharing links.
Keep a small set of dated backups rather than immediately overwriting your only copy. This helps if you later discover that an earlier record or photo was removed before the newest backup. Follow any retention requirements that apply to your work.
Understand what restoring will replace
Choose Restore from Backup and select the intended ZIP file. The confirmation shows information about the incoming backup and the records currently on the device. Check the date and project, snag and photo counts before continuing.
A backup summary helps identify the file; it does not prove that every photograph can be opened. After a restore, open the expected projects, inspect several issue records and their photos, and generate a sample PDF. Check the report profiles as well if you rely on saved business details or logos.
Do not use replacement restore as a way to combine work from two phones. Keep both source backups separately and plan how their records will be retained before changing either device.
Tie backups to events you already remember
A practical routine is easier to maintain than a promise to remember later. For example:
- After an inspection: save the completed records and create a dated backup.
- When issuing a report: archive the actual PDF and correspondence separately.
- After a substantial return visit: back up the updated records and retain the earlier issued report.
- Before replacing a phone, reinstalling or clearing app data: verify an independent backup first.
Choose a frequency that matches how much new work you could reasonably recreate. A long gap between backups leaves that whole period dependent on the original device.
Verify the new phone before retiring the old one
Keep the old device and its data available while you restore to the new phone. Confirm that the expected projects, photos and report profiles are usable, and that you can generate and open a report. Retain the backup file and separate PDF archive after the transfer.
For report creation, use the Android walkthrough. For a spreadsheet handoff, see what a CSV issue register contains. The support page has the app’s contact and backup guidance if you cannot complete the process.