Frequent crashes during offline data collection in Collector for Android 20.2

Question

I manage GIS for an archaeology company using Trimble TDC 150s to conduct offline data collection in remote locations with Collector for Android. Since switching to version 20.2, my crews are reporting that the app is consistently crashing over the course of a field day, sometimes with resulting data loss. Crashes occurring immediately after a feature has been recorded are common, and the most likely to result in data loss. However, the app seems to crash regularly and repeatedly in a variety of settings.

Has anyone else encountered this issue, and if so are there fixes or best practices that have eliminated it or at least reduced its impact?

PhilLeckman1 · Answer

Unfortunately, not yet. Tech support at both Trimble and Esri have told me it's a "known bug" and they're working on a solution; however, no time table has been set for that fix to become available. In the meantime, their official advice is to revert to Collector Classic. That's not an option for us, so we're making do by recording spatial and attribute data separately - recording spatial data, clicking back on the map, then reselecting the newly-recorded feature to update attributes. It's certainly not ideal but has minimized data loss for our workflow. Here's hoping the bug gets resolved soon...

ChandlerCallison · Answer

We just started noticing this issue for certain users. We're on version 20.2.3. They scan items in with a bluetooth barcode scanner, and Collector keeps crashing and they lose data. Have you been able to figure out the problem?