Offline without login?

[yajo]

I wanted to start using the app for managing some tasks in the congregation. However, I had to register the congregation.

The app is supposed to work fully offline:

organized-app/README.md

Line 43 in e6e8945

🛜 **Offline-use convenience:** Use the app offline. Your data syncs automatically when you reconnect.

Thus, as far as I understand, using an offline app to manage tasks with local information should be no different from using a local spreadsheet file in my computer, right?

Therefore, why do I have to register an account and a congregation if I only want offline use?

Thanks!

[ux-git]

Hi @yajo, thanks for your question!

Organized is first of all a web app that works in a browser, but it uses a local database so you can work offline as much as possible. Your data is stored on your device, but it isn’t a “classic offline app” that skips setup or registration. The congregation registration is needed because of how permissions and security are structured. Each congregation has its own encryption key and user roles, so even if you use it alone, the setup keeps everything consistent and ready in case you later invite others or decide to communicate with other congregations (e.g. in case of sharing your outgoing speakers list). Also, the meeting materials like the ones from the meeting workbook are synced through the internet.

You can still use most of the app “local only” with sync feature turned off and by entering the offline mode. Your data won’t leave your device (just remember clearing browser data or reinstalling will also remove it, so make sure to do manual data backups).

Another option for the future is a self-hosted version. It is often requested and on our roadmap, but not yet in the development as we focus on developing other core features first.

Hope that helps!

[yajo]

You can still use most of the app “local only” with sync feature turned off and by entering the offline mode. Your data won’t leave your device (just remember clearing browser data or reinstalling will also remove it, so make sure to do manual data backups).

Yes, that's what I wanted to begin with.

There's still something I don't quite understand. Why is registration needed even if sync is turned off? IMHO registration should be necessary for syncing, but I see no use for it when using the app fully offline and saving/restoring data purely from backups.

Thanks for your patience!

[rhahao]

@yajo: thanks for your reply. As explained above, registration is required before you can use the app, regardless of whether synchronization is enabled or disabled. This helps us associate your account with the correct congregation and verify its availability, making sure that Organized is really being used in a real congregation. It also ensures we can assist you more effectively if you decide to enable synchronization or need support later on.

I hope that helps. Please let me know if you still have some questions about this.