Starting your Neptune Mobile Application in Offline Mode (Aeroplane Mode) - iOS

Posted over 5 years ago by Steve Campbell

Steve Campbell Admin

Overview

After and number of support calls and internal testing we've identified an issue where the mobile application doesn't recognise that it is offline when it is started in Aeroplane mode. This means that your applications (including BlueWorx) will try to make network requests which the device will reject resulting in an obscure "0 - Error" message briefly showing on the screen. In BlueWorx the map will attempt to work in online mode.

This is specific to iOS devices.

Work Around

The simple work around is to toggle the device's aeroplane mode. Turning connectivity on then off will correctly set the applications connection state. There are events that fire when the connectivity state is changed, and the Neptune mobile application listens for and takes action on these events.

Fix

We've advised Neptune Software of the issue and they will include the fix in their next release. At time of writing this post, the current release is Planet 8 version 5.5.5 so we'd expect to see the fix in either 5.5.6 or 5.6.0 whichever comes first.

You can apply a fix manually. The fix is required in the index.html file of the Neptune mobile application so you will need to rebuild the application and deliver the update to your devices.

In the index.html file find the onDeviceReady function

// onDeviceReady

function onDeviceReady() {

at the end of the function add the following code to check the connectivity status when the application is opened.

// Initial Connectivity State

if (navigator.onLine) {

onOnline();

} else {

onOffline();

}

The onOnline and onOffline functions are standard functions provided by Neptune and are the same functions that are called with the connectivity state change events mentioned above.

We will continue to post information like this when it has impacted our BlueWorx community. There is also a treasure trove of information at the Neptune Community at https://community.neptune-software.com/topics for the Neptune Platform upon which BlueWorx is built.

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2 Comments

Michael Johnson posted 28 days ago

This issue appears mainly on iOS when Neptune-based applications are launched while the device is already in Airplane Mode. The app doesn’t detect that it’s offline at startup, which causes it to try network requests immediately. Since iOS blocks those requests, users see a quick “0 - Error” message, and features like maps in BlueWorx attempt to work in online mode instead of switching offline.

The root cause is that iOS doesn’t trigger any connectivity change event when Airplane Mode is already active before the app starts. Neptune’s framework relies on those events to identify the network status, so the app simply assumes it’s online. By toggling Airplane Mode off and on again, those events are fired, and the app correctly switches to offline mode.

Until Neptune’s next release (expected in version 5.5.6 or 5.6.0) includes a permanent fix, the most reliable solution is to modify the index.html file. Adding a connectivity check inside the onDeviceReady() function ensures that the app evaluates the navigator.onLine property at launch. Depending on the result, it will call either onOnline() or onOffline() to correctly set the state.

This small addition fixes the startup behavior and prevents the “0 - Error” message entirely. It’s a simple change but makes a big difference for users who frequently work in offline conditions or travel in areas with poor network coverage. Implementing this before the next Neptune update can save unnecessary confusion and keep the application performing smoothly even without an internet connection.

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Arish12 posted 6 months ago

Starting your Neptune Mobile Application in Offline Mode (Airplane Mode) on iOS can be really helpful when you have limited or no internet access. This way, you can still access essential features without interruptions. Just make sure your device is in Airplane Mode before launching the app to avoid any network connections. It’s a great option for working while traveling or in areas with poor signal, ensuring productivity even offline.

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