Help

Short answers for the moments that happen in a shop. If yours is missing, email support@mobileinventory.org.

Getting started

Create an account on the web or in the app, name your shop, and add your first items. A new account is on a 14-day trial with the full product; no card is needed. Adding items, setting minimums, receiving a delivery, recording a counted quantity, search and export all work on the web; barcode scanning stays in the phone app.

In the app, add an item with its name, unit and optional barcode, cost, price and minimum stock. On the web, add the name, SKU, minimum and opening quantity, then edit the unit in the item dialog. When the shop has more than one location, choose the location in the toolbar before adding or receiving. The minimum is what puts it on the reorder list.

Installing the Android preview

The Android app is a direct download for now, not a Play install. On the phone open the download page, tap “Download the preview APK”, and allow installs from the browser when Android asks. The build is debug-signed for preview and needs Android 10 or later.

1. Download the APK and open it from the notification or your Downloads folder.
2. Allow the install, then sign in with the same email and password you used on the web — it is the same shop.
3. Allow camera access the first time you scan. Bluetooth scanners work without a permission prompt.

A Play test track will replace this once the developer accounts exist; the web trial keeps working either way.

Scanning an item

Tap the scan icon, or the “Add item” button. A camera scan opens the item if the barcode exists; an unknown barcode opens “New item” with the code already filled. A Bluetooth scanner works as a keyboard — no mode to switch.

A repeat scan within two seconds is ignored so a double read cannot add twice. Barcodes must be EAN-13, EAN-8, UPC-A or a Code 128 label.

Receiving stock

Tap an item, enter the quantity and choose Receive. The number changes at once and the movement shows your name, the device and the time. If you are offline, it waits in the outbox.

Counting stock

Tap the count icon. Count one location at a time and count blind: the expected number is hidden until the review.

• Leave an item empty to skip it — it keeps its current stock, never zero.
• Close the app mid-count and the draft resumes at the next uncounted item.
• The review shows the variance per item before you submit.
• If stock changed during the count, the review says so and keeps that receipt in the ledger.

Offline and syncing

Scanning and counting work with no signal. The home screen shows “N waiting to sync”; when the connection returns the changes are sent once. A retry never duplicates a movement because each one carries its own id.

Reorder list

The home screen shows how many items are at or below their minimum. Open the list to see a suggested top-up — twice the minimum minus what is on hand — edit it, and copy the order for your supplier.

Purchase orders

On Pro, create a draft order from the reorder list, send it, then receive what arrives. A short delivery leaves the order partial; the rest can be received later. Over-receiving is reported, not blocked.

Moving stock between locations

Open an item and choose “Move to another location”. A transfer writes one paired movement and refuses to move more than the source has. Transfers need a connection.

Multiple locations are a Pro feature; Starter includes one.

Team and roles

Owners invite people by email. An existing account is added immediately; a new address gets a sign-up email and joins the shop when they accept. Roles are owner, manager and staff. Staff can count and record stock but cannot change prices or manage the shop.

Importing a CSV

Paste a CSV with at least name and sku columns. “Check file” lists every row it cannot read with its line number; nothing is written until you import. Re-importing the same file updates items and never adds opening stock twice.

Optional columns: unit, barcode, cost, price, min_stock, quantity.

Export and account deletion

On the web, Export CSV gives a spreadsheet of items and on-hand quantities; Export JSON gives everything, including movements, counts and members. In the app, Export my data gives the JSON file. Export works even when the trial has ended.

Account menu → Delete my account removes your account. A shop you solely own is deleted with its history; a shared shop keeps its ledger and another member becomes the owner. You can also request deletion from this page without the app.

Signing in and resetting a password

The web trial at /app signs in with email and password. Forgot your password sends a reset link; follow it to choose a new one. In the phone app, use Forgot password on the sign-in screen. A reset link is single-use and expires within the hour. On this hosted preview transactional email is not connected yet, so reset mail is not delivered until SMTP is switched on at launch.

Trial, plans and billing

After 14 days the shop becomes read-only until you choose a plan; nothing is deleted and export still works. Paid plans are not on sale during the private preview; email support@mobileinventory.org if you need access after the trial. Starter is $19/month (or $15 annual) with unlimited items, 3 users and one location. Pro is $39/month ($31 annual) with purchase orders, 10 users and 3 locations.

Store purchases are managed in the store's subscription settings. Prices do not rise mid-term.

If something looks wrong

• A barcode will not scan. Type it into the item's barcode field; check it is 4–64 digits.
• A number looks wrong. Open the item's history: every number is the sum of movements, with who and when.
• Something is stuck waiting to sync. Pull down on the home screen to retry. If it persists, export your data before changing anything.
• Paid but still read-only. Open Plan → Restore purchases, then pull to refresh.