Survey123 Image back button bug can result in data loss (BUG-000179745)

Question

PSA in case this helps others prevent data loss:

There is a bug related to the image back button in Survey123 that resulted in costly data loss during our 2025 field season. ESRI confirmed the bug but stated that they do not intend to fix it because they are focusing on their next generation build of Survey123. In prep for the field season this summer, we tested on our new Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 5 tablets using the latest version of Survey123. We were able to reproduce the bug.  We have also replicated this bug on iPhones, iPads as well as the desktop version of Survey123 for Windows. ESRI was able to replicate this bug using their own survey template published to ArcGIS Online, which ruled out any issues on our end. Regarding affected versions, we first noticed the bug with version 3.22.53.  We have replicated it in all subsequent versions as well. We had 4 data loss incidents last summer caused by this bug. It was our 5th season using Survey123 and we had not encountered the bug before, which leads us to think it was introduced in late 2024 or early 2025.

Below is a guide we sent to our crews to educate them on what triggers the bug and steps to take to recover a survey. I hope others find this information helpful!

Actions that trigger the bug

* When taking a photo, there is a back button (see image below). Intermittently, when tapping/clicking the back button, survey123 goes back too many levels and exits the survey without prompting the user to save the survey as a draft. The bug appears to be triggered by the user inadvertently tapping the back button more than once, but we may have had cases where a single tap triggered it. 
* Viewing a photo that has already been taken and tapping the back button to return to the survey has also triggered the bug.
* Opening an image added to the survey using the media::image column to view it in full screen mode and then tapping the back button has also triggered the bug.

How to recover your survey if you encounter this bug

* Do not try opening the survey again from the Inbox if you are using Inbox. Do not use Collect to start a new survey. Doing so will delete the backup file containing your survey data. 
* Instead, go to the device’s open applications window and swipe to close Survey123.
* Reopen Survey123. Upon reopening, you should see a “Recovered Survey” dialog. At the bottom, tap Continue survey

Recommendations for minimizing the possibility of triggering this bug

* If you tap the option to take a photo and then decide a new photo is not needed, do not tap the back button to return to the survey. Instead, take the photo, and then delete it after the device returns to the survey.
* Don’t tap on an embedded survey image to open it in full screen mode.
* Avoid viewing photos unless necessary.

Additional recommendations for safeguarding your data

* Save the survey to draft periodically.* Tap the X button in the upper left corner, then select the Save in Drafts option
* This closes the survey and you will then need to open it again from the drafts folder. Survey123 does not have an option to save the survey while keeping it open, unfortunately.

* Take a screenshot of data that cannot easily be collected again before taking or viewing a photo

AmeWunderle · Answer

Sorry its taken so long to reply again. We have Android devices (Samsung Tab s9) in the field this year, having retired our old iPad 6.0 and 7.0 devices. We have not encountered the error identified here after extensive testing, just the one I mentioned where odd data loss occurs if the survey goes into standby mode. We directed our field staff to follow the safeguarding practices identified in this message in any case. Thanks for sharing this to the broader community so that we could check and protect our data/workflows.

Travis_Bugg · Answer

We have also encountered this error. It seems to be prevalent on iOS devices, and it rarely occurs on Android devices. We have tested iPads, iPhones, and a variety of Android phones (mostly Pixel phones). We actually took our iPads out of circulation for S123 use in the field. It was happening that often. And it was just as you have reported. A user takes a photo, then views that photo to make sure that the composition and content are good, and then taps the back button to return to the form. This often results in nothing visibly  happening on iOS devices. However, if the user taps on the back button again *poof* the survey is gone. Crashed to desktop (or in this case phonetop) without so much as a whimper. Any data recorded for that form that was not previously saved was irrevocably lost. On a few occasions, users did report a recovered survey screen. But most times nothing. They reopened S123 to find their entire form had vanished. Most of our forms have the photo at the end of it, too, meaning they had to fill out the entire, multi-page form again.

In my own tests, I discovered that if one is using an iOS device, and really needs to view a photo, one could do so under the following conditions: Great care must be taken to tap the back button only once, and if the photo doesn't close and return to the form, one could tap nearly anywhere else on the screen aside from the back button again to return to the form (I generally go for the center of the photo itself). I have used this workaround many times, and have only absent-mindedly tapped the back button more than once. This is not ideal, though, and should certainly be addressed.

Thanks for posting this. I have been meaning to make a post about it myself, but had not yet found the time.

Strahanjen · Answer

I'm usually able to trigger the bug within 1-3 minutes of opening the camera or image and tapping the back button and then going back and forth until it happens. I try to simulate a user inadvertently tapping more than once or long tapping. I know that in field conditions, it's easy for one to tap more than once. With the iOS devices, users have been reporting that there is sometimes a lag. The user may tap again if the screen doesn't revert to the survey right away. Most of our reports of data loss came from iOS users.

We have had cases where survey123 restarted after going into standby mode and the user was then presented with the Recovered Survey dialog. If I recall, there was a bug that was causing some data to not be retained in the autosave.json file. I need to look through my notes to refresh my memory on ESRI's workaround recommendation.