Field Apps

A Field App is a mobile-first interface designed for people working in the field — inspectors, surveyors, technicians — to view a list of records, jump to one, and take an action on it (add a comment, measure, update the record, get directions). Field Apps are built in the same project as your map and share the same data, but they're previewed inside a phone frame and optimised for one-handed use.

When to use which builder

Open the editor

In the project, switch to the Field Apps builder. The editor shows a phone-frame preview on the left and a settings panel on the right. Add or pick a Field App from the dropdown to start editing. If no Field App exists yet, create one — the setup wizard opens automatically.

Setup wizard

When you create a new Field App, Atlas opens a Configure field workflow wizard that guides you through setup:

1. Use case — pick the type of work the app supports:

   • Tasks — manage a list of work items with status tracking. Selected by default.
   • Inspections — step through records one by one and fill out a checklist.
   • Data capture — collect new records from the field. Selecting this collapses the wizard to two steps.

2. Data — select the dataset that feeds the task list and configure field display settings.

3. Tracking — configure how field users update record status (shown for Tasks and Inspections).

4. Offline — define the geographic area available for offline use. Optional; can also be configured later from the Field App settings.

Atlas pre-fills sensible defaults based on the use case you select. You can adjust every setting after the wizard completes.

Configure the task list

A Field App is built around a single dataset (the "task layer"). For that layer you configure:

• Layer settings — pick which layer feeds the task list. Settings include sorting, defaults, and which fields show on each row.
• Task list display — what each row in the list looks like (title field, subtitle, status icon).
• Quick filters — chips above the list that let users filter by attribute with one tap. Each quick filter targets a single field. When you finalize a new task configuration, Atlas automatically generates a default "My active tasks" filter preset using AI based on the columns you've configured — you'll see it pre-selected in the Quick Filters list. You can edit or delete it like any manually created filter.
• Download bounds — restrict the visible area so users only see records inside a polygon, useful for splitting work by territory.

Action buttons

Each task can show a row of action buttons that the field user can tap on the selected record. Three action types are available:

• Add comment — opens a comment editor on the record. Comments sync to the project's comments.
• Measure — launches the measurement tool with the record as context.
• Add record — adds a new record to a target dataset (typically a child or related table).

Each action has its own settings popover. For Add Record, you choose the target dataset and how the new record relates to the parent.

Task buttons

Task buttons are a separate row of utility buttons that don't open an editor — they trigger an action directly:

• Get directions — opens turn-by-turn navigation to the record's location in the user's mapping app.
• Update record — updates a field on the current record (e.g., toggle a status from "Open" to "Done").

Layer Visibility

Field workers can show and hide layers directly in the field app. Tap the layers icon on the map to open the layers sheet, then tap the eye icon next to any layer to toggle its visibility on or off.

Editing Record Geometry

To edit the location or shape of an existing record, open the record detail and tap Edit location. The map enters geometry-edit mode for that feature — drag the point to a new position, or move and reshape line and polygon vertices. Tap Save to write the updated geometry back to the dataset.

Preview

The preview pane uses a real phone-frame component so what you see is roughly what a field user sees on their device. Click around in the preview to test filters, list interactions, and action buttons before publishing.

Publish

Click Publish in the editor header to push the current configuration to the live Field App. Until you publish, edits stay local to the editor.

Sharing with field workers

Field workers access Field Apps through the Atlas mobile app using a Field Worker seat. To give someone access:

1. Go to Workspace settings → Members and invite the person (or update their seat) to Field Worker.
2. In the project, open Share and add the field worker — or a team they belong to — with at least Viewer access.
3. The field worker opens the Atlas mobile app and the project's Field App appears in their list.

If the Field App isn't showing up for a team member, check:

• Their seat type is Field Worker (not Editor or Viewer — those seat types do not show Field Apps in the mobile app).
• They have been granted project access, not just workspace membership.
• The Field App has been published — unpublished drafts are visible only to editors in the browser, not to field workers on the mobile app.

Limits and notes

• A Field App targets one dataset; for multi-dataset workflows, build separate Field Apps and switch between them.
• Action and task buttons are configured per Field App, not globally — each app can have its own combination.
• Field Apps use the Field Worker seat. Workspace members invited with a Field Worker seat get access scoped to Field Apps they've been granted — they cannot access the full map editor or other project views. Grant Field App access to a field worker directly or through a team.
• Users who can't access the underlying dataset won't see records.