Offline Support
How HorseBook works without an internet connection using local caching and background sync.
HorseBook uses SwiftData to cache your data locally on your iPhone. This means you can still view your horses and their records even when you do not have cell service — at the barn, on the road, or in areas with spotty coverage.
What Works Offline
When you have no internet connection, you can still:
- View your horse list — browse all your horses with their photos and basic info
- View horse details — see cached data for any horse you have previously viewed, including overview, medical records, reproduction, husbandry, documents, and contacts
- View cached expenses and contacts — recently viewed data is available from the local cache
- Browse the calendar — see events that were previously synced
All data you have viewed while online is stored locally and remains accessible.
What Requires Internet
Some features need a network connection to function:
- Scanning documents — the AI extraction runs on the server, so scanning requires an internet connection
- Creating or editing records — new records and edits need to sync to the server
- Syncing changes — any changes made on the web or another device will not appear until you are back online
- Signing in — authentication requires a network connection
Network Status Banner
When the app detects that you are offline, a banner appears at the top of the screen to let you know. The banner disappears automatically when connectivity is restored and data syncs.
Info
The offline banner is informational only. You can continue browsing cached data while offline without interruption.
Sync Behavior
When you come back online:
- The app syncs the latest data from the server automatically
- Any changes made on the web while you were offline will appear
- Pull-to-refresh on any list triggers an immediate sync if you want to force it
The local cache updates in the background so your data stays current without manual intervention.
Cache Management
The local cache grows as you use the app. Cached data includes horse records, contact details, expense entries, and document metadata. Photo thumbnails are also cached for faster loading.
Signing out of the app clears the local cache. When you sign back in, data will be re-cached as you browse.