---
title: "Online-only features"
canonical: "https://help.fieldbuddy.com/space/FBDOCS/5377392988/Online-only%20features"
format: markdown
---
While FieldBuddy Swift is a FieldBuddy Swift is an offline first native application, some of the solutions we offer require a stable internet connection for fetching essential data that is needed for some features to function.

Here is a list of all functionalities that require a stable internet connection:

| **Functionality** | **Why internet connection is required** |
| --- | --- |
| Logging in/out and authentication | Authentication information for the user is stored on the server, which needs to be accessed or revoked in order to use log in functionalities. |
| Syncing | Syncing involves retrieving and/or sending data from/to the server, which naturally requires an internet connection.<br>If user has no internet connection, user is not able to sync, as the sync functionality will be disabled and the user will be informed that they need to go online to sync. Sync is automatically reattempted when internet connection is detected. |
| Work Order Creation | In order to create a work order, an installation needs to be selected, which need to be fetched from the server and accessed with proper authentication. |
| Installation Creation | In order to create an installed product, a product needs to be selected, which need to be fetched from the server and accessed with proper authentication. |
| Installation Relation | In order to relate an installed product, an existing installed product needs to be selected to figure out what other installed products can be related to specific work order. This can only be fetched from the server and accessed with proper authentication. |
| Related Work Orders | Related work orders are fetched only when are requested by the user in the related work orders tab in order to limit the size of the initial sync. |
| Searching for online work order items | Online work order items are fetched only when are requested by the user in the related work orders tab in order to limit the size of the initial sync. |
| Attachment downloads and uploads | Images and files can be picked from user’s device without an internet connection, but a connection to the server and proper authentication is definitely needed for eventual transferring of files and images between the server and the user. |
| Geolocation | If the initial location related data is incomplete, we use geolocation services to translate coordinates into addresses, or addresses into coordinates, which requires internet connection.<br>You can get around this requirement by making sure location data on the server side is complete (e.g., all addresses linked to work orders having pre-filled/geolocated coordinates). |
| User location tracking | If user location tracking is on, user will need internet connection to send this information to the server. |
| Routing | In order to draw routes between work orders and between user and locations, the location data needs to reach our Routing API. |
| Changing avatar of user | The new avatar needs to be uploaded to the server, which requires internet connection. |