11. How do I upload my observations made on the app? Why are my observations not uploading?
By default, the iNaturalist apps are set to Auto Upload, which means the app will try to upload them as soon as you save them, via whatever data connection is available. This works great if you have cell service and are only uploading a handful of observations. However, if you are planning to upload a large number of observations, make a lot of observations in a row, or are using the app in an area with poor or no cell reception, you may wish to disable Auto Upload.
You can do this in the app settings. To get to the settings screen:
- in Android, it can be found in the side menu, just swipe right from the left side of the screen
- in iOS, go to the Me tab and tap on the gear icon in the upper right-hand corner of the screen
If you do disable Auto Upload you must remember to manually upload your observations later, which most people prefer to do over a WIFI connection. Note that if you upload large numbers of observations over the cellular phone network (either with auto upload or manually) you run the risk of exceeding data allowances on many monthly plans.