Mapping Offline
Offline mode lets users continue working with maps and selected data when connectivity is lost (mobile dead zones, remote sites, flight mode). Some capabilities are reduced because real‑time services (live geocoding, remote queries) are unavailable.
Offline mapping is supported inside model‑driven Power Apps (mobile & desktop) and Dynamics 365 Field Service. Browser use without the offline profile enabled will not cache data.
Prerequisites (Quick Reminder)
Ensure you have completed:
- Offline Prerequisites – required tables enabled.
- Mobile Offline Profile & Filters – profile assigned to the app.
- Offline Maptaskr Config – basemap / layer regions prepared.
Capability Overview
| Functionality | Online | Offline (If Configured) | Key Limitations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Layer Search | Full (all indexed & provider) | Limited to offline-enabled layers | No remote provider expansion |
| Attribute Filtering | Full | Works if target table & related tables offline | Filters referencing non-offline tables ignored |
| Shapes (Create/Edit) | Yes | Yes | Syncs when back online |
| Measurements | Yes | Yes | Pure client calculation |
| Basemap Switch | All configured basemaps | Only basemaps with offline region tiles | Non-offline basemaps hidden or show blank tiles |
| Elevation / Terrain | Live + cached | Only if elevation tiles cached | No live fetch beyond cached extent |
| Vector Feature Layers | Streaming + cached | Cached subset only | Features outside cached set absent |
| Notes / Attachments | Full | Only if Notes table offline | Large attachments can bloat payload |
| Geocoding / Address Search | Online providers | Not available (unless locally cached results) | Suggest entering coordinates manually |
| Routing / Directions | Real-time service | Not available | Pre-plan routes before going offline |
| Data Create/Update | Immediate server write | Stored locally then queued | Conflicts resolved on reconnect |
| Security Evaluation | Real-time | Based on cached security tables | Role changes while offline not reflected until sync |
Searching
Offline search returns results only from layers and tables that were flagged for offline and included in the profile. External provider / global geocoding is not available.
- Narrow your search term (e.g., asset code) rather than broad text.
- Use layer-specific quick filters if present to refine results.
Layers Panel
You can toggle and manage layers that were taken offline. Layers listed but not offline-enabled will remain disabled (no geometry rendered) and may display a warning icon.
Shapes
Viewing, creating, editing, and deleting shapes works offline if the underlying shape table (and related parent record table) were included. They will sync upon reconnection. ID collisions are handled by Dataverse upon merge.
Filters
Filters operate on locally cached data. A filter referencing a table or column not present offline is skipped. Shape-based spatial filters continue to function because they are client-side intersections with cached feature geometry.
If a filter seems to return zero results offline, check that the target table’s rows actually met the profile filter criteria and were downloaded during the last sync.
Measurements
Distance / area measurement tools operate fully offline (pure client geometry math). Projection differences are the same as online; ensure the required coordinate system metadata was cached with layers.
Changing Basemaps
Only basemaps with at least one defined offline region (tiles cached for the active zoom range) are selectable. Non-offline basemaps are omitted or appear disabled.
Elevation / Terrain
Elevation layers behave like basemaps: availability is limited to cached tiles within defined regions. Outside that extent, elevation-dependent styling (e.g., hillshade) will not render.
Sync Behavior & Conflict Notes
Edits queue locally. On reconnect, the standard Mobile Offline sync pushes changes then pulls server updates. If a record was edited both offline and online, Dataverse applies normal conflict resolution (typically last write or custom plug-in logic). Review discrepancies in standard audit/history views.
Troubleshooting Quick Reference
| Symptom | Likely Cause | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| Layer listed but blank | Not enabled offline or outside cached extent | Confirm table flag + profile filter + region bounds |
| Search returns fewer results than expected | Profile filter too restrictive | Broaden date/status; resync |
| Basemap switch option missing | No offline region for that basemap | Add region & wait for refresh flow |
| Large initial sync size | Included high-volume tables (Notes at all time) | Add filters; reduce zoom depth |
| Shape edit not syncing after reconnect | Sync pending | Force manual sync / verify connection |
Best Practices Summary
- Test with pilot users & limited geography before broad rollout.
- Keep max zoom levels conservative; increase only if a strong business case.
- Regularly audit profile filters against actual device payload size.
- Document each offline region (name, zoom, date created) for governance.
Related setup: Offline Overview | Prerequisites | Profile & Filters | Offline Maptaskr Config