Overview
Collaborative Forms editing enables multiple users to work on the same form simultaneously on their mobile devices. Collaborators see the most current form data as changes are made between users.
Identifying Collaborative Forms on Mobile
Collaborative forms are marked with a blue people icon next to the form name in the Forms list.
[ADD SCREENSHOT 1: Forms list showing collaborative form with blue people icon]
Accessing Collaborative Forms on Mobile
1. Tap the menu icon (three lines) in the top left
2. Tap Forms from the side menu
3. Browse form categories or use the Search bar
4. Tap on a collaborative form (look for the blue people icon)
5. The collaborative form will open
6. Fill out the form fields as needed
7. Tap the SAVE button (top right) to save your progress as a draft
8. Continue editing and saving as needed
9. When complete, tap SAVE and select Submit to finalize the form
[ADD SCREENSHOT 2: Side menu with Forms option highlighted]
How to Open an Existing Draft
To continue working on a collaborative form that has already been started and saved as a draft:
1. Tap the menu icon (three lines) in the top left
2. Tap Forms from the side menu
3. Look for a collaborative form (look for the blue people icon) with a DRAFT badge - these are in-progress collaborative forms
4. Tap on the draft form you want to continue editing
5. The form will open and automatically perform an online check to verify the latest status
6. If the form has not been submitted, you can continue editing and saving your progress
7. If another user has submitted the form, you'll see a "Form submitted" notification
Note: Draft forms display the date and time they were last saved, helping you identify which draft to open.
Notifying Team Members
When you open a collaborative form, a Notify Team Members dialog appears. This allows you to:
Select specific users to notify (optional)
Select roles to notify (optional)
Send a collaboration invitation message
The default message reads: [Your name] wants to collaborate with you on [Form Name].
You can tap CLOSE to skip notifications or NOTIFY to send the invitation.
[ADD SCREENSHOT 3: Notify Team Members dialog showing user and role fields]
Mobile Form Interface
When viewing a collaborative form on mobile:
CANCEL button (top left) - Returns to forms list
Form title displays at the top
SAVE button with share icon (top right) - Saves your progress
Form sections and fields display below
[ADD SCREENSHOT 4: Collaborative form interface showing header buttons]
How Collaborative Editing Works
When you open a collaborative form on mobile, the app automatically performs an online check to:
Verify if the form has new information from other users
Check if the form has already been submitted by another user
This automatic sync prevents data conflicts and ensures you see the latest changes.
What Happens When a Form is Already Submitted
When you open a collaborative form that has already been submitted by another user:
The app performs an automatic online check
A "Form submitted" dialog appears with the message: "This form has already been submitted by another user. Any changes you make to this form will need to be submitted."
The SAVE button changes to SUBMIT - you can no longer save as a draft
The CANCEL button is simplified to only allow cancel/discard
[ADD SCREENSHOT 5: Form submitted dialog showing alert message]
Submission Detection
If another user submits the collaborative form while you're working on it, you'll receive a notification alerting you that the form has been submitted.
Best Practices
1. Ensure Stable Connectivity: Work on collaborative forms in areas with reliable mobile data or Wi-Fi to prevent sync issues and ensure real-time updates are received.
2. Communicate with Team Members: Before making significant changes to a collaborative form, check with other collaborators to avoid conflicts or duplicated work.
3. Save Progress Frequently: Tap the SAVE button regularly while editing to ensure your changes are synced to the server and visible to other collaborators.
4. Check for Submission Status: Before starting work on a form draft, verify it hasn't been submitted by another team member by hitting save to avoid unnecessary work.
5. Use the Notify Feature: When starting work on a collaborative form, use the "Notify Team Members" feature to alert others and coordinate editing sessions.
Troubleshooting
Issue: Changes not syncing to other collaborators
Solution: Ensure you have a stable internet connection. Tap the SAVE button to manually sync your changes. If the issue persists, close and reopen the form to force a sync.
Issue: Cannot see the blue people icon on a form
Solution: The form may not be configured as a collaborative form. Check with your administrator to verify the form settings in the web interface. Only forms enabled for collaboration display the blue people icon.
Issue: Form appears read-only after opening
Solution: Another user may have submitted the form. Check for the "Form submitted" notification dialog. If the form has been submitted, you cannot save it as a draft - you must submit any additional changes.
Summary
Collaborative Forms editing on mobile is enabled through Form Settings in the web interface and allows multiple team members to work on the same form simultaneously, with real-time synchronization and conflict prevention through automatic online checks and submission notifications.