Guides / Offline PAT testing app

Field-use checklist

How to choose an offline PAT testing app

“Works offline” should mean finishing a real job without signal, not merely typing into a form that waits for a connection before it can produce the certificate.

Last reviewed: 31 August 2026 · Sources and product boundary checked: 31 August 2026

Offline capture is not offline completion

An app may accept notes while disconnected but still require a server to sign in, look up assets, calculate a result or render a document. Ask which exact steps work with both Wi-Fi and mobile data off:

• first launch after the app has been installed;
• creating a client, site, item and test session;
• recording visual checks and measurements;
• issuing, opening and saving the certificate PDF;
• searching and reopening an existing record.

Downloading an app from the App Store and sending email are connection-dependent tasks. The useful question is whether the app itself can complete the field workflow and produce a file while the phone is offline.

Try the no-account test

Sign-in can hide a network dependency. On a clean test device, check whether the core job starts without an email address, verification message or server session. If an account is required, ask what happens when the sign-in service cannot be reached and whether previously saved work still opens.

Find the actual files

Create one sample certificate and locate it outside the app. On iPhone, Apple’s Files app can show files stored locally under On My iPhone and files saved in iCloud Drive. From Files, a copy can be sent using the iOS share sheet.

Note the folder, filename and file type. Open the PDF with a second app. A thumbnail visible only inside the PAT app is not the same as a portable document you can hand over or retain independently.

A backup and live multi-device access are different

A backup is a recoverable copy taken at a point in time. It may contain relationships and settings that are not present in a CSV. It should not be described as immediate multi-device continuity unless changes really do move between devices and conflicts are handled.

Ask where the backup sits, who controls that location, whether it is encrypted, and what is needed to restore it. The National Cyber Security Centre advises knowing how to restore a backup and checking that it contains the important data, rather than assuming that the presence of a file proves recovery.

Check export and payment boundaries

Export clients, sites, items and tests before committing to the software. Check whether the export preserves stable identifiers so rows can still be joined, and whether certificate PDFs remain available separately.

Then ask the question most trial screens avoid: if you do not buy, renew or upgrade, can you still open, search, share and export every record already created? A fair gate limits new output. It does not turn earlier work into a hostage.

Be precise about the platform

“Mobile” does not necessarily mean both major phone platforms, a tablet layout or a desktop companion. Confirm the supported devices and operating-system versions your team actually uses. Also check how files move from the phone into your organisation’s chosen storage and handover process.