CARE FOR YOUR DATA

Local-first. Never leave it to chance.

Your fieldwork may be irreplaceable. Understand where it lives, what can erase it and how to keep an independent recovery copy.

THE ESSENTIALS

Six habits that protect your work.

Build a small, repeatable routine before relying on local storage.

Your browser is not your backup. Keep a restorable project ZIP outside the browser before cleanup, reset or migration.

Use a regular browser

Do not collect irreplaceable work in private, incognito or guest browsing. Storage is usually removed when those sessions end.

Keep site data intact

Clearing cookies/site data can remove local projects, records, maps and media. Cache-only clearing is different, but cleanup menus may combine them.

Back up after fieldwork

Use Create project backup (.zip), confirm the download and keep a second copy outside the device/browser. Test recovery.

Install for convenience

Add NaturaNote to your Home Screen or desktop and test it offline. Installation is not an automatic backup or a permanent-storage guarantee.

Stay with the same app address

Browser, profile, device and app domain can have separate storage. Export before changing any of them; restore and verify on the destination.

Leave room for evidence

Free device space matters, especially for media. Storage pressure, browser policies, device loss or reset can remove your local copy.

KNOW THE BOUNDARIES

What local-first does and asks of you.

Expand a topic for the practical detail.

Where the data livesLocal projects use browser storage on the current device. There is no automatic universal account-based recovery.

Browser storage is associated with the app’s origin and may be separated by profile, browser or installed-app context. Keep independent backups even if a browser grants persistent storage. Clearing data or losing the device can still remove your only copy.

Offline collection and map limitsPrepare the app, data and saved map images while online, then test in airplane mode.

A saved map is an image at a specific extent and detail. It does not bring unlimited online map tiles or live search offline. GPS may work without reception, but hardware, permissions, environment and accuracy vary.

Sharing is optional, and uses hosted servicesLink and QR sharing uploads only the selected project for others with the link to sync.

Anyone with the link may view and contribute to that project. A forwarded link can widen access. Disabling a link cannot erase copies already downloaded. Protect creator backups, review sync status and conflicts, and do not treat sharing as your only backup.

Permissions, media and dictationLocation, camera, microphone and downloads depend on device/browser support and permission.

Photos are resized. Audio is limited to 60 seconds, video to 30 seconds and each clip to 15 MB. Keep the app visible during recording. Keyboard dictation is an operating-system feature and may involve external processing; check your device settings.

Accuracy, standards and interpretationA structured record is useful evidence, but it does not validate itself.

GPS and drawn areas are approximate. ALA suggestions do not certify species identity. ISO 19115-1 / 19157-1 concepts inform metadata design, without certification. Device timestamps, initials and signatures do not prove identity, trusted time or legal chain of custody. Use appropriate methods and review outputs before decisions.

Sensitive places and community stewardshipCollect and share only information you are authorised to hold and disclose.

Respect land access, Traditional Owner and cultural-heritage protocols, ecological sensitivity and personal privacy. Possible/uncertain sensitive heritage concerns have restricted spatial/media handling in the app. Do not bypass those safeguards with other fields or screenshots.

Beta and long-term continuityThe current app is a pre-release beta. Plan for change and retain portable outputs.

Use a regular backup routine, preserve source licences and method notes, and retain open exports alongside restorable backups. Evaluate suitability before relying on the app for a formal, regulated or enterprise workflow.

A ROUTINE YOU CAN REPEAT

Before. During. After.

Use this checklist on every field trip.

Before leaving reception

Check App offline ready; sync shared data; save the right map image and optional checklist; check permissions; test airplane mode.

While collecting

Check the active project/visit; save each observation; review location and attachments; record uncertainty and method context.

After returning

Sync deliberately; review conflicts; download a restorable backup and verify it; keep a second copy; export the outputs you need.

Follow the backup walkthrough

Good care is informed care.

Practical background on browser storage and the current app’s own policies.

Browser storage

MDN: Storage quotas and eviction criteria

App privacy

NaturaNote Privacy Policy

App terms

NaturaNote Terms of Use

Website terms

Website Terms & Conditions, including Licensing