Lost install photos are painful — they double as marketing assets and warranty evidence. Here's how to recover and prevent.
How the upload pipeline works
1. Tech captures photo in the installer app 2. Photo writes to the device's local cache 3. Upload runs in background — within seconds if on WiFi, minutes if on cellular 4. Cloud confirms receipt; local cache marks "uploaded" 5. Photo attaches to the job + customer + warranty record
Failures usually happen at step 3 or 4.
Symptom 1 — Photos show "pending upload" indefinitely
Cause: connectivity issue at the device.
Fix: - Confirm device is on WiFi or cellular with adequate signal - Open the SalesThumb installer app, pull-to-refresh on the photo screen — forces upload retry - If still pending: Settings → Photos → Manual sync → Force upload all - If still pending: airplane mode toggle on the device, then re-open the app
The local cache holds up to ~2,000 photos before pressure starts deleting older ones. Don't let pending uploads sit for >48 hours.
Symptom 2 — Photo uploaded but doesn't show on the job
Cause: photo went to wrong job (rare) or attached to wrong customer.
Fix: - Settings → Photos → Recent uploads — find the photo by timestamp - Click the photo → "Re-attach to job" → pick the right job - Photo moves; warranty record updates automatically
Symptom 3 — Photos missing entirely
Most worrying scenario. Possible causes:
1. Tech deleted the photo from the device's Photos app before SalesThumb finished uploading (auto-deletion via "Optimize iPhone Storage") 2. Tech logged out of the app while photos were pending → cleared local cache 3. Device hardware failure (rare)
Recovery: - If photo was deleted from device but had partial upload: Settings → Photos → Recovery queue. We hold a 30-day server-side copy of any photo that started uploading. - If photo was deleted before ANY upload: it's gone. iCloud Photos may have a backup if the customer had it enabled.
Symptom 4 — Upload succeeds but image is blurry/wrong angle
Not a software bug — usually a focus or lighting issue. Tech needs to retake: - Open the installer app → job → Photos → tap the bad photo → Retake - Override is logged in audit history so manager can review
Prevention #1 — Train techs on photo SOPs
Mobile training: - Open camera within the app, NOT iOS Photos (so it stays in the upload pipeline) - Wait for the green checkmark before moving to the next photo - Don't power off the device until you see "All photos synced" on the job summary
Print a 1-page SOP and post it at each bay.
Prevention #2 — Auto-sync on shift end
Settings → Photos → Auto-sync on shift end. When a tech clocks out, the app forces a sync of any pending uploads. Catches the "tech went home with photos still pending" scenario.
Prevention #3 — WiFi at the shop
Cellular sometimes drops uploads mid-stream. Strong shop WiFi (with the installer device on the shop network) is the most reliable upload path. Mesh WiFi with bay coverage is worth the $400-800 setup cost.
Prevention #4 — Don't optimize storage on installer devices
iOS Settings → Photos → "Optimize iPhone Storage" should be OFF on installer devices. The "optimize" feature can purge photos before SalesThumb finishes uploading.
If you have dedicated installer iPads/iPhones (not personal devices), this is straightforward. If techs use their personal phones, ask them to change this setting.
When to escalate
If you've lost critical install photos (e.g. for a warranty dispute) and recovery queue doesn't have them, email info@roffik.com with:
- Customer name + job ID
- Date of install
- Tech who performed the install
- Approximate photo count expected vs received
We can sometimes recover from device-side telemetry if it was reported within 30 days.