Map unavailable on Android in Airplane mode

Question

Hi Everyone

I'm trying to troubleshoot survey123 field app working with an offline map loaded as mmpk. The users complained about excessively slow map response and I have not been able to determine if it is something with the survey or the app or if it just isn't going to work.

* With wireless access, the map and survey work fine and the map is very responsive (as expected)
* With cell service but no wireless, the map is achingly slow (10+ min to update map view when user zooms or pans to new area), even when the device is turned on for several minutes to allow update of all satellites
* In Airplane mode, the map does not open at all -sometimes the blue point icon shows on a gray background and other times the blue icon does not show. I've tried tapping home and the device location and I get the same thing

From what I have read, (e.g. https://doc.arcgis.com/en/survey123/get-started/faqgetanswers.htm#anchor17:~:text=no%20GPS%20signal%3F-,Although,-location%20sharing%20in) the survey with offline map should work regardless, (in airplane mode, with cell service only, or with cell and wireless). However there are other posts (e.g. https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-survey123-questions/geopoint-not-working-in-airplane-mode/m-p/879937 ) where users have had issues with airplane mode, but no solutions were suggested.

When testing, the map works fine with cell and wireless access (airplane mode off). When I turned airplane mode "on", I tried 2 mmpks and all that shows is a blank gray screen. In this case, there are no satellites - the satellite icon has an exclamation point over it.

If I have airplane mode "off", and look at the map, it responds well. Then if I turn ON airplane mode, the map is okay until I try to move and then it never shows.

I've attached the entire xls form in case something in it is the issue, but I don't think it is.

Specs:

* Survey123 field app version 3.22.58; Connect version 3.22.49
* 2 mmpk files, each are only 200kb.
* The entire folder in My Survey Designs is only 3mb.
* satellite icon shows that satellites are detected
* Using Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 lite, all up to date
* Camera and locations allowed
* location permission allow all the time, and use precise location is on

Thank you for any suggestions, or even if someone can at least tell me that this is what is supposed to happen so I can stop looking.

Peg

SurveyforMapAccess_10May25a.xlsx

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ThomasGoodridge_1-1740771280693.png

PegGronemeyer1 · Answer

I used the imagery hybrid basemap in Pro and created a MMPK that way. I've never used a tvpk b'c I get confused on how to use it, but my mmpk's have been small enough, even with the basemap. This is how I have done it several times in the past and it worked well. I then copy the mmpk to my media folder in My Survey Designs folder of the survey.  I did not think you had to do both - link the map in connect as well as copy mmpk to the survey's media folder. As I said it had worked in the past - but I checked jsut now and the map only worked well on the tablet when I did both: linked the map in connect map tab _and_ added the mmpk to the media folder.   Did something change?  For several months I've been dropping the mmpk into the media folder and it works fine... now what's different?

Thanks for suggestions.

PegGronemeyer1 · Answer

Hi

I"ve checked that location services are 'on' even after messing around with airplane mode. What I have found online is that airplane mode should _not_ turn off location services.  However, we all know how so many things should _not_ happen, but they do.  Thank you for the suggestion.

TylerGraham2 · Answer

Airplane mode may disable your GPS in addition to bluetooth, cellular and wifi connections, which would explain why you can't find satellites in airplane mode. What Does Airplane Mode Do, and Is It Really Necessary? That seems to be device/regulation dependent, so probably no easy solution to that.

Is there a particular reason you need to be in airplane mode when collecting a survey? If you're using airplane mode as a proxy for being offline during testing, I would consider turning off cell and wifi instead of putting the device in airplane mode. I do all my offline testing by just turning the services I want off, which will more accurately mimic being in an area with no service.

As for the map packs, what type of basemap did you use? I'm assuming you used one because it sounds like you're trying to get a basemap to appear offline for users.  200kb should get you some good area of coverage with a vector map (e.g. OpenStreetMap), but likely not much if your basemap is raster (e.g. Imagery). Check the extent and scale of your map packs, if you are outside either of those then I would consider it normal if the offline map doesn't show since that data isn't included in the map pack.

Also, just double check that your map packs are included in the linked content tab of Survey123 Connect, That the map packs are shared to the same groups as the survey, and that you have the map pack selected in your survey in Survey123 as the basemap.