topic Re: Simple point, line, and polygon Field Maps fail to download offline in ArcGIS Field Maps Questions

Simple point, line, and polygon Field Maps fail to download offline

Dr_Jason_VanHorn — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 19:45:37 GMT

I'm teaching geomorphology and have teams of students collecting data. Every Field Map I create fails to download for offline areas, which are essential for data collection on the west Michigan dunes. I'm not doing anything special, just a point, a line, and polygon feature. I add just one line of text called Notes. I go to manage areas, and I draw any size of area small or big for PJ Hoffmaster State Park boundaries, like I've done each fall over many semesters, and it packages with no problem. I change to organization level so my students can use the field map I've designed for them.

We have Trimble TDC650 units with ArcGIS Field Maps and both the Trimble Mobile Manager and Field Maps are update to the most current version.

Should I expect this product just not to work? Why does it now not work for any field maps? I am the ArcGIS Administrator and have the highest-level permissions possible. I've checked all the parameters of these layers and gone to great lengths over this last week to fix issues with Field Maps, but with no success.

I've lost teaching time over it, which is frustrating, since we've invested in this training for our students.

Re: Simple point, line, and polygon Field Maps fail to download offline

DougBrowning — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 20:36:53 GMT

Turn on logging in settings and see if you can get more info.

Also in the AGOL setting page for the map make sure it passes the offline checks.

Hope that helps

Re: Simple point, line, and polygon Field Maps fail to download offline

ColinLawrence — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 00:21:53 GMT

Hi @Dr_Jason_VanHorn are you experiencing failures packaging pre-planned areas, in the "Manage Areas" screen in the Web Map Item Details, or when attempting to create on-demand offline areas directly in Field Maps mobile? It sounds like you have taken the Manage Areas path successfully in the past so I am trying to clarify if that is what is failing for you now. @DougBrowning also has good suggestions as there are Offline Area checks in Field Maps Designer as well. If the downloads are failing on the mobile devices, it would be helpful to gather the troubleshooting logs to see if we can locate a failure. Thanks

Re: Simple point, line, and polygon Field Maps fail to download offline

Dr_Jason_VanHorn — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 20:18:11 GMT

Colin, I create everything in Field Maps Designer my computer, including the Offline Manage Areas. I've never had a systemic failure like this. When I use the Field Maps app, the only Field Maps that will now successfully download are ones with points. I'm not doing anything sophisticated, just a point, line, and polygon with a comment field in each. Yet anything that has a line or polygon fails to download. If just a point, then it does not fail.

I've checked the point, line, and polygon layer for sync'ing, global id, offline editing and there is nothing wrong. I'm just using the default esri basemap (Topographic>World Topo Map and World Hillshade) in the packaging. The packaging always succeeds for little and big areas. I typically keep the defaults of level of detail, which gives World to Neighborhood. I've never used Optimizations.

On the app side on the GPS unit, I've cleared the cache and stored data.
We haven't changed anything of consequence at the organization level. This past summer I had no issues with any field maps. Now I can't create any field maps for download offline areas for my classes.

All our field maps are shared at the organization level, but I've been testing owner ones too and they fail as well. It's been a very large disappointment among GEO courses and faculty here and its pushing students away from using this technology.

Happy to share the logs, but I don't know how to get them or give them to you. The failure is on the GPS unit in the ArcGIS Field Maps app, but if the failure logs are somewhere else, I don't know how to access them. I've used ArcGIS Assistant to look at the JSON construction of new failing Field Maps and old ones that work, but really I only see version differences.

Re: Simple point, line, and polygon Field Maps fail to download offline

ColinLawrence — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 22:45:41 GMT

@Dr_Jason_VanHorn If you are using ArcGIS Online and you are able to, can you share the Web Map and layer(s) to a Group and invite the user "arcgisfieldmaps"? I can take a look and see if I can reproduce and debug the failures.

Re: Simple point, line, and polygon Field Maps fail to download offline

Dr_Jason_VanHorn — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 14:59:35 GMT

Colin,
Thanks for the help. I have created our group, 'Fieldmaps Failing at Calvin University' and invited arcgisfieldmaps to the group. I put one of our many failing Field Maps in there. Again, on the Field Maps Designer side, everything looks solid, but when we go to download it in the Field Maps App to be Offline, it fails. I packaged an older Field Map today for my university that I made in 2023 for offline and successfully downloaded it. It seems only the newest Field Maps are not successfully downloading, since around end of summer time.

Re: Simple point, line, and polygon Field Maps fail to download offline

ColinLawrence — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 19:45:01 GMT

Hi @Dr_Jason_VanHorn I took a look at your data and I can reproduce the download failure. I think I see what is happening here as we might have uncovered a new BUG. Can you try deleting the value for "PrecisePositioningService" on the Field "Worst fix type" for both the Line and Polygon layers in your map? You can do this from the Data tab under Fields in the Layer Item Details. I have added a screenshot of what to delete as I do not have permission on your layer.

Re: Simple point, line, and polygon Field Maps fail to download offline

ColinLawrence — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 19:46:06 GMT

Note you will need to re-create your offline area after you have removed these values in order to pick up the new layer schema.

Re: Simple point, line, and polygon Field Maps fail to download offline

JimMonchak — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 21:01:54 GMT

I have the same issue. I'm able to successfully download offline areas using iOS (phone), but when using Android (tablet) of the same map, I can't download--nothing happens when attempting to "Add offline areas". I'm working with the latest versions of FM 25.2.7 (android) and 25.2.5 (iOS).

I have slightly different GPS meta data fields that shown above. For example I don't have a "Worst fix type", but I do have a "Fix Type" field. Not sure what to try?

Re: Simple point, line, and polygon Field Maps fail to download offline

ColinLawrence — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 17:21:56 GMT

Hi @JimMonchak , its likely a different cause as what I mentioned should cause a failure on both iOS and Android devices.

Can you provide some additional details about what happens on your Android tablet? How far do you get into the process? Are you able to select "Add offline area", for example? Can you start the download but it fails?

Re: Simple point, line, and polygon Field Maps fail to download offline

Dr_Jason_VanHorn — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 18:12:35 GMT

Colin,

Thank you for your help. I deleted those lines from the hosted feature layer for the line and polygon features and saved the hosted feature layer. Then in Field Maps Designer, I re-created the offline areas and removed the failing one. I downloaded the new offline area in the current app on our Trimble and it successfully is available for offline use. Thank you very much for helping us. This really helps three of our classes this semester, GEO 181, GEO 252, and GEO 260.

Re: Simple point, line, and polygon Field Maps fail to download offline

Dr_Jason_VanHorn — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 18:23:22 GMT

I did the same fix to a very complicated Field Map that was recently created and updated all the lines and polygon features in the same manner and the ArcGIS Field Map successfully downloaded for offline areas.

Re: Simple point, line, and polygon Field Maps fail to download offline

ColinLawrence — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 19:09:57 GMT

That is great to hear! We should have this addressed in the near future so you dont run into it on any new layers you are creating.

Re: Simple point, line, and polygon Field Maps fail to download offline

JimMonchak — Fri, 14 Nov 2025 14:02:14 GMT

In FM when I select ‘Add offline area’ then ‘Download area’; under the section ‘On device’ the box shows the status as ‘Downloading’. However, there’s an ‘x’ on the right side of the box, rather than a progress wheel that would let me know it’s downloading. If I select the ‘x’, I have the option to either ‘Cancel’ or ‘Stop’ the download. I’ve tried both options and neither appears to do anything or make any change to the download status: it doesn’t stop or cancel (it doesn’t start to begin with). I also can’t remove/delete these attempts at downloading.

Re: Simple point, line, and polygon Field Maps fail to download offline

JimMonchak — Fri, 14 Nov 2025 14:27:30 GMT

I should also mention that I’m using Trimble Mobile Manager with the latest version (2025.22.6). Also prior to the September FM update, I did not have any problems like this. I was able to download offline areas to this device.

I have also tried changing the location provider from Trimble DA2 to Integrated to see if that helped with the download process—either way, it doesn’t work.

Re: Simple point, line, and polygon Field Maps fail to download offline

ColinLawrence — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 20:15:05 GMT

@JimMonchak The "X" icon you see is part of the UI when downloading a Map. There should be a circle around it that fills out clockwise as the download progresses. It sounds like you are getting stuck somehow at the initial stages of the download. The download should not be impacted by the Location Provider or Profile you have set up. How long have you waiting to see if the download progresses? Do you see the same problem if you try a pre planned offline area (generated in the Map Areas in AGOL/Portal)?

Re: Simple point, line, and polygon Field Maps fail to download offline

JimMonchak — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 20:48:58 GMT

That's right, I don't see the circle progress that I used to (before September) on this device. I've gone through the steps multiple times and waited hours--even checking days afterward. The circle never shows up. The status does not change and nothing appears to be happening. I also can't remove/delete these unsuccessful download attempts; and each successive attempt increments the label: "Map Area 1", then "Map Area 2", etc.

I experience the same problem if I try a pre defined area (generated from AGOL): I see the download arrow in FM, but when I click on it nothing happens; I just see the box with the "x"--no progress circle.

Re: Simple point, line, and polygon Field Maps fail to download offline

ColinLawrence — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 23:05:58 GMT

Thats interesting. I assume online maps open fine on this device? Do you see this same issue with downloads if using another device? What basemap are you using in these maps? Random thought but make sure you have storage space available on this device to store these maps, especially if taking offline large areas with lots of layers.

About the incremental naming, that part is expected even if a download fails. Its to avoid any potential conflicts with names in case you are attempting to take offline multiple areas at a time.

I would suggest opening a ticket with Esri Support if you have not already.