Fill inspection reports on mobile
Technicians can start inspection reports from a visit or continue recent reports from the Reports tab.
Sections are shown without numbers. Sections with no visible content stay in place, grayed out with “No applicable questions.” They cannot be opened until an answer makes their questions applicable. Review & Publish stays available.
From a visit
Open the visit and tap Start Inspection. The report guides you through its configured steps, fields, assets, photos, deficiencies, and review flow. If the visit summary shows a Missing inspections warning, the office expected an inspection report for the listed asset group. Start or complete that inspection before submitting the summary.
Start Inspection is available while you are clocked in. It can also appear before clock-in when the visit already has a summary task and the end of the visit's scheduled day has not passed. Choose the asset group configured for the report, then work through the report steps.
If the equipment isn't set up on the property yet, tap the round + button at the bottom right of the asset group list to open Create Asset Group. Choose the Asset Group Type (only types with an inspection report set up are listed), pick a Report Type if that type has more than one, and optionally add a Description to tell it apart from other groups of the same type. Tap Start Inspection to open a new report for the group. Essential adds the asset group to the property when you publish the report. Depending on your permissions, each asset group type may be limited to one group per property; when every available type already has a group, the + button doesn't appear.
A status ring on each step and asset shows progress. A gray hollow ring means nothing has been answered, an amber ring means some work is recorded but required fields are still missing, and a green check means the required fields are complete. A small red dot marks a deficiency.
When a report field accepts multiple photos, tap Select Media to choose several photos or videos from the device library at once. Each item uploads into the same field. Fields that request one specific photo remain single-select.
Each asset row starts with its item number — "3." — the number the asset will have on the published report. Assets are numbered in report order; a skipped or deleted asset shows no number and does not take one, so the assets after it move up exactly as they will on the report. Skipped assets use a yellow/orange Skipped pill; deleted assets use a red Deleted pill. An asset added during this report is numbered right away. The number stays with the asset no matter what you are looking at, so a filtered or searched list shows gaps (1, 2, 4, 5) rather than renumbering. If an asset was removed from the asset group after the report was started, its row shows a red Deleted pill and no number, and the published report leaves that row out. That row is read-only, does not hold the report back from publishing, and publishing ignores it: no deficiency, service completion, or attribute update is recorded for the deleted asset. Any parts entered on it still count as parts used. Rows without a number — skipped or deleted — sit at the bottom of the list, below the numbered rows.
On asset lists, use Not Done, Done, and All to narrow the list and tap an asset to answer its questions. To add equipment that is not already in Essential, tap the round + button below the list. The button disappears once the asset type's maximum number per group has been reached.
If the asset type has a GPS location attribute, each asset's GPS section sits at the bottom, after its questions. On a draft report, an asset with no location yet is tagged automatically when you open it; on a published report, or if tagging fails, tap Use My Location, or Place Pin to put the pin on a map yourself. With a location, the section shows a small map with Move Pin (drag the map under the pin, then tap Done) and View on Map. The map-pin icon next to Actions above the list shows every located asset on a map, colored by result — tap a pin, then its card, to open that asset. Publishing the report saves the location onto the asset; it never prints on the report. See Tag where an asset is (GPS location attributes).
Record service dates
Each service section groups its answer, service date, and next due inside a rounded border.
For a service based on completed work, tap Add or Edit under Last service or installation date and select when it was last performed or the equipment was installed, up to today. Next due appears below the date as a month and year with time remaining, such as Sep 2031 (in 5 years), and updates automatically using the recurring service schedule. Dates due soon show days; past dates show how long they are overdue.
Tapping Done sets the service date to today, even if you entered an older date first. To record work completed on another day, tap Edit after Done and choose the correct date. Your edited date stays when you save or reopen the report.
If an asset has a recent Manufacture Date, Date Manufactured, MFG Date, or Year of Manufacture and no service history, Essential can estimate its installation date and select Not Done for services that are not due. This works for existing assets and equipment added manually or from photos/voice, including new equipment added to a previously published report. A year such as 2025 uses today's month and day in 2025; a full manufacture date keeps its exact date. The note Estimated from manufacture date sits directly below the Last service or installation date label, and you can edit the date. This also fills eligible service dates below Pass/Fail or Yes/No inspection questions, while leaving the inspection answer for you to choose.
Changing the manufacture date updates an untouched estimate and its Next due date. If you already edited the service date, Essential keeps your edit and offers Update to [date] when a new estimate is available. Unknown, conflicting, future, or old manufacture dates do not fill in service history. Not Done is selected automatically only when the service is more than 35 days away. A Pass/Fail date estimate can be due sooner; the due indicator remains visible and the inspection stays unanswered.
For applicable fire extinguishers with six-year maintenance and twelve-year hydrostatic schedules, a recorded last hydrostatic test also fills the six-year baseline. For example, a hydro test on Sep 23, 2025 makes the next six-year maintenance due Sep 2031. The date says Based on last hydrostatic test; it does not record a six-year exam as performed on this visit. If maintenance is more than 35 days away, Not Done is selected automatically. Due or overdue work stays unanswered for you to review.
A later six-year service takes precedence. Changing the hydro date updates an untouched baseline; if you manually edited the six-year date, your edit is kept with an Update to [date] offer. Six-year maintenance never fills in a hydrostatic test date.
Done records today's date. Recording Pass or Fail replaces an automatic installation estimate with today's inspection date; a date you manually edited is kept. Not Done keeps the service history and lets you enter an earlier service or installation date without saying you performed the work on this visit. N/A means the service does not apply to this equipment.
Fixed schedules use a separate Due date field for the scheduled occurrence the work satisfies. See service dates and N/A for required dates and service history.
Work through assets by group
To work through a large list one area at a time, tap View next to the Not Done, Done, and All tabs. The bottom sheet has Search, Filters, then Group by. A dot on View indicates an active search, grouping, or filter, including while you are inside a group. Under Group by, a Suggested row offers the attributes that split the list into a handful of similar-sized groups; below it, every groupable attribute is listed with how many values it has, plus a No grouping option. Tap an attribute such as Location or Floor to turn the list into groups, one for each value of that attribute.
While grouped, the list shows one row per group with its name, how many of its assets are inspected, and any deficiency count. Tap a group to open it. A light teal bar below the group name shows Group n of count, its position in the full group order. The group's own screen has its Not Done, Done, and All counts, the group's assets — swiping to pass or fail and tapping an asset to answer questions work the same here. If editing or deleting the last asset empties the group, its screen stays open until you leave it. The secondary Back to all groups button stays at the bottom of every group; it and the top back arrow return to the group list.
Groups follow the same order as the assets themselves: a group appears where its first asset sits in the asset order. To change it, open Actions and choose Reorder. The screen title becomes Reorder Groups: press and hold a group, drag it to its place in your walk order, and tap Save. Saving puts this report's assets in the group order you set, preserving the order within each group. The asset order is shared across web and mobile. Assets absent from this report keep their existing positions, so they may sit between group members in the full asset list. The same Actions → Reorder control reorders individual assets on the flat (ungrouped) list.
To make a grouping the default view, tap Save grouping next to the Grouped-by chip while online, then confirm in the bottom sheet. All reports for that asset group — past, present, and future, for anyone in your business on web and mobile — use that default when opened. The button reads Grouping saved for the saved view. To remove the default, tap it and confirm Remove grouping. Removing the saved default keeps your current view and open group unchanged. Each asset group remembers its own choice, so the same equipment type can default to Floor at one property and Building at another. Changing your current grouping is local until you confirm Save grouping again.
The Not Done, Done, and All tabs, search, filters, and Select all work across the groups; in Select mode each group row has a checkbox that selects the whole group. The chip row under the tabs shows which attribute you are grouping by.
Scan a new asset
When camera scanning is available, tap the round + button and choose Scan with Camera / Record Voice (next to Add Manually). This option needs an internet connection and is disabled while offline. Take one or more photos of the equipment nameplate or record a short note. The border around each photo tracks its upload and completes when the upload finishes. Tap Done to review the media while Essential displays Extracting asset… and fills the supported asset fields together.
When AI leaves a field blank, the review screen fills it from the group you are in or an active field filter with a single value. Text filters supply their entered text; filters with multiple selected values and general search do not supply a default. An AI value always takes priority, and your edits or rejections are preserved.
Review every extracted value before tapping Accept and Continue. The button remains unavailable while media is uploading or extraction is running. If a photo cannot upload, tap Retry on that photo or remove it. If extraction fails, keep the media and any manual edits, then tap Retry in the error message. A completed scan can legitimately show not found when the photos do not provide enough evidence for a field.
To change the order of an existing asset group, reconnect, open the asset-list actions, choose Reorder, press and hold an asset, and drag it to a new position. The rows carry no numbers while you reorder; the item numbers reappear on the list once you save. Tap Save when the order is right. New assets added during the current report are not included until they have been saved. Assets added to the group after this report was created do not appear in the report, and reordering here leaves them exactly where they are in the group's order.
A new asset group that does not exist yet can be reordered while offline. Its order is saved with the report draft and used when the group is created on publish.
Search and filter an asset list
Tap View above the asset list and type in Search all fields to match any value on the asset, such as location, barcode, or serial number — the list updates as you type.
To narrow by a specific field, open View → Filters, tap Add Field Filter, and pick a field. This works from the asset list, the group list, and inside a group. Inside a group, search and filters narrow that group’s assets alongside its Not Done, Done, or All tab. Dropdown fields show their real values with a live count of matching assets — check one or more values, and the filter matches assets with any of the checked values. Text fields match assets whose value contains what you type. Each filter appears as a chip: tap the chip to change it, or tap its × to remove it. Filters stack, so an asset must match every chip to stay in the list, and a Showing count above the list tells you how many assets match.
Clear inside the open View sheet removes the search, field filters, deficiency filter, and Group by choice. It does not change the Not Done, Done, or All selection. On the ungrouped list, Clear is also available beside the applied filter chips.
Some templates also contain repeatable report-only lists. Use Add row to record an item, tap a row to edit it, drag rows into report order, or delete one. These rows save and sync offline with the rest of the draft, but they do not create or change property assets, complete services, or create deficiencies.
Download a report photo
Tap a photo in a single-photo, multiple-photo, or deficiency field to open its preview, then tap Download. Use your device's share sheet to save or share the image. Read-only report photos also support preview and download.
Tap Markup photo in the preview to edit a writable photo. Downloading does not change the report or its photo. Newly added photos stored on your device can be downloaded before they sync; photos available only online need an internet connection.
From the Reports tab
The Reports tab shows all inspection reports at properties where you have a visit assignment within your office's technician history window, plus reports manually shared with you. This includes reports from another crew's visit and reports without a visit. Your office can remove your access to one report without changing visit assignments. Learn how report access works. Your office sets Days in the past technicians can see under Settings -> Team -> Technician App -> Scheduling: 0 includes today's and upcoming assignments, a number allows that many past days, and No limit removes expiration. Access is based on your latest assigned visit at each property, not the report's date. Manually shared reports have no expiration. Use Draft, Published, and All to filter. Search matches the asset group type, property name, street address, city, state, or ZIP code. Published reports include View PDF. Draft reports can be opened to continue work.
If your role can fill inspection reports, you can permanently remove a server-backed draft that you created: tap Delete Draft on its card, then type DELETE in the confirmation sheet to enable the Delete button and tap it. Drafts created by another technician do not show this action. This removes the draft's saved answers and attachments. Published reports cannot be deleted. If you are offline, an eligible server-backed draft disappears from the app immediately and the deletion syncs when the device reconnects. A brand-new draft created only on the offline device may not show Delete until it has synced once.
Review & Publish creates the inspection report PDF and adds it as a job file. Changes made to assets during the inspection are saved back to the property.
In Email To, adding a new contact checks for a possible duplicate under this report's customer, including another new recipient draft. Tap View on the single-line orange warning to expand its reasons, then View existing contact or View draft contact to inspect a match. Back to draft returns with your entries preserved. The X hides the warning; Show checks restores it. The warning is informational: Save Contact always adds the recipient, whether or not you reviewed it. If checking is unavailable or you are offline, the notice says so and you can still save; expand it to retry while online. Selecting an existing contact does not show a duplicate warning.
Where to find it: Mobile app > Visits > visit detail > Start Inspection; or Mobile app > Reports
When the office prepares your reports
If your role allows editing but not creating reports, open Inspection Reports from your visit and select the draft prepared by the office. You can fill it out and, with submission permission, publish it as usual. Create New Report, report duplication, and starting a report for a new asset group are unavailable.
If Create permission is removed before an offline report syncs, the app shows a brief permission message and returns you to the report list. Unsynced answers and attachments remain saved on the device.
If your role has Create Inspection Report without Edit Inspection Report, you can prepare a new report, then preview its saved PDF online. Editing answers and publishing require the corresponding permissions.
Update requested when opening a report
If Essential asks you to update before editing a report, install or apply the latest app update and reopen it. Newer service-date estimates and Undo records require the current app. On the web, refresh the page. If an older offline change still reports a conflict after updating, reopen the report and review that change before applying it again.
If a report shows Report not loaded, check your internet connection and tap Try again. You can also return to the report list. A cached list alone does not mean your access was removed; Report unavailable appears when the server confirms the report is inaccessible or removed.
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