Use the ATOM field app

Set up the field app, sign in, track live status, install the PWA, and recover from offline, expired-session, and reconnect prompts.

This guide shows technicians and coordinators how to set up and use the ATOM field app, including the differences between the native app and the web/PWA build, live status tracking, and recovery when the app is offline or asks to reconnect.

Use this guide alongside Book and manage technician visits when you need to see assigned bookings on a phone or tablet in the field.

#Native app or Web/PWA

The field app ships in two shapes that share the same sign-in and the same booking data.

The native app runs on iOS and Android. It has three tabs: Work, Status, and Account. It supports live status tracking with device location, push permissions, and standalone navigation.
The web/PWA runs in any modern browser at the field web URL. The Status tab is hidden on web; the visible tabs are Work and Account. The web build does not run live tracking even when installed as a PWA. If Status is opened directly on web, it shows a placeholder with an Open work button.

If you only need to read assigned bookings or send completion updates, the web build (including the installed PWA) is enough. If you need live status while driving between visits, use the native iOS or Android app. The installed PWA still counts as a web runtime, so the Status tab shows the same placeholder it shows in a browser tab.

Open the field app and sign in with your ATOM account.

Use the same email and password you use for the ATOM web app.
If your account requires multi-factor authentication, enter the 6-digit code from your authenticator app on the next screen. The app prompts you for a one-time setup code only the first time you turn on MFA.
If your account is rate-limited after repeated wrong attempts, the sign-in screen shows the lockout state and the time until you can try again. Wait until the timer expires before trying again.
After sign-in, the app opens the Work tab by default. The Work tab is the route the app calls bookings; it lists your assigned bookings.

The native app and the PWA both keep you signed in across launches. You do not need to sign in again every day unless your session expires or an admin signs you out.

#Check your account and role

Open the Account tab to verify the active account and role before you start work.

You will see:

Your name and email.
A role badge such as technician or contractor.
A Field actions or Read-only badge:
Field actions means you can mark bookings, send location updates, and toggle live status.
Read-only means your role is not allowed to write field data. Live status and field write actions are hidden for read-only roles.

If the name or email is not yours, sign out and sign back in with the right account. If your role is wrong, ask an admin in the ATOM web app to update your role; the field app picks the new role up on the next sign-in or session refresh. Workspace/tenant is not shown on the field Account tab; if you need to confirm which workspace your account belongs to, ask an admin to check it in the ATOM web app.

#Sign out

Use Sign out on the Account tab to end your session.

The button shows Signing out… while the app clears your session.
The app returns to the sign-in screen and clears the saved session on the device.
Use Sign out before handing the device to another technician so your bookings do not appear under their account.

#Live status and tracking

The Status tab is where you manage live tracking on the native app.

#Permissions

Location updates need OS location permission for the field app.

The OS permission prompt is shown when you tap Refresh location. Tap Refresh location once before you start sharing live updates so the prompt appears; choose Allow while using the app.
Go live toggles the live-updates flag on your profile but does not request OS permission on its own. If you tap Go live without ever approving location, the badge can move to live while no actual location is shared until permission is granted.
If you previously denied location permission, open the device Settings for the field app and turn location on, then return to the Status tab and tap Refresh location to confirm.
Refreshing location while permission is denied returns a permission notice instead of a location update.

#Go live and pause

Tap Go live to start sharing live updates. The status badge moves from off to live when sharing is on.
Tap Pause live updates to stop sharing. The badge returns to off and Live updates paused. is shown under the screen title.
Tap Refresh location to push a single up-to-date location reading. Use this when a coordinator asks where you are and live updates are off.

#Scheduled hours

The Scheduled hours section shows the nearest set of availability for your account: start and end times for the closest scheduled day, plus the availability status. If you do not see scheduled hours, your coordinator has not set them up; ask them to update your availability in the ATOM web app.

#Web limitation

The web build does not run live tracking, in a regular browser tab or in an installed PWA. The Status tab is hidden on web; opening it directly shows Status unavailable on web with an Open work button that returns you to the Work tab. Use the native iOS or Android field app for live status.

#Install the field app as a PWA

You can install the field web build as a Progressive Web App so it launches like a native app and keeps working when you re-open it after a brief offline period.

Open the Account tab to see the install hint. Follow the steps for your device:

iPhone or iPad in Safari: tap the Share button, scroll to Add to Home Screen, then tap Add. Other browsers on iOS do not support installing a PWA; open the page in Safari first.
Android: open the browser menu (often ⋮) and choose Add to Home screen or Install app, then confirm Install.
Desktop Chrome or Edge: click the install icon in the address bar, then click Install.
Desktop Safari: open File, choose Add to Dock, then click Add. If Add to Dock is not available, open the page in Chrome or Edge.
Other browsers: the install hint shows a fallback message. Open the page in a supported browser to install.

Installed PWAs launch in standalone mode. Once installed, the install hint disappears.

#Offline and connection states

The field app keeps a small slim banner at the top of the screen for connection state. The banner explains what the app is doing so you know whether a missing booking or pending action is an outage or a normal pause.

No banner: the app is connected and syncing.
Reconnecting — changes will sync shortly: the app briefly lost the connection and is reconnecting. Wait for the banner to clear before assuming an error.
You're offline. Changes will sync when reconnected.: the app has been offline long enough that you should expect delayed sync. New changes are queued locally and will sync after you reconnect.
Session expired. Refresh your auth and reconnect sync to keep working.: your session is no longer valid. Tap Reconnect to refresh auth without leaving the screen. If reconnect fails, the banner shows Couldn't reconnect sync. Try again.; sign out from Account and sign back in.
A modal alert titled Sync refreshed: the app detected that your local field data on this device was out of sync and reset the local copy. The app re-syncs on its own; just continue working.
A modal alert titled Update required: the field app build no longer matches the sync service. On the web build, the app reloads automatically; on native, restart the app and update it from your app store or the EAS update channel.
A modal alert titled Sync reset failed: the app could not reset local field data. Close the app and reopen it to retry.

#Offline boot on the web/PWA

If you launch the installed PWA while the device is offline, the app uses the cached session from your last sign-in and opens the bookings shell. Booking detail will only show data that was already synced before you went offline. Sign-in is not available offline; reconnect to the internet before signing in for the first time on a device.

#Troubleshooting

Use these steps before contacting support. Do not share screenshots that include customer addresses, phone numbers, or other private booking information unless support asks for them.

The app says my session expired. Tap Reconnect in the banner. If that does not clear the banner, sign out from Account and sign back in.
I cannot sign in and the screen says I am rate-limited. Wait until the timer on the screen expires before trying again. Confirm Caps Lock is off and the email is the one you use on the ATOM web app.
I cannot sign in and the app says it could not save my session. Sign in again from a clean app launch. If the same message appears, the device's secure storage is unavailable; restart the device and retry. If it keeps failing, ask support for help.
Live tracking will not turn on. Open Status and tap Refresh location to trigger the OS permission prompt, then approve Allow while using the app. Once permission is granted, tap Go live. If you previously denied permission, open the device Settings for the field app, allow location, return to Status, and tap Refresh location again to confirm.
I am offline and a change I made earlier is not in the office view. Wait for the offline banner to clear. Local changes sync automatically when the connection is restored.
The app asked to reset local field data. Tap through the Sync refreshed alert. The app re-syncs from the server; no manual cleanup is needed.
The web build will not let me start live tracking. Live tracking is intentionally unavailable on the web build, including the installed PWA. Use the native iOS or Android app for live status. See Live status and tracking.
I need to use a borrowed device. Always sign out before handing the device back; the field app keeps the session on the device until you sign out.

#See also

Book and manage technician visits — how an admin schedules the visits you see on the Work tab.
Set up ATOM for your first job and invoice — first-run walkthrough for the office side of ATOM.