Mobile observation upload stuck in sync loop

Bug Reports
1

Platform: Android

App version number, if a mobile app issue: 1.38.2

Browser, if a website issue:

URLs (aka web addresses) of any relevant observations or pages: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/351154127

Screenshots of what you are seeing:

Screenshot_20260419-080855
Screenshot_20260419-080855864×1939 224 KB

Screenshot_20260419-075740
Screenshot_20260419-075740864×1939 231 KB

Description of problem: Creating a new observation via mobile is stuck and keeps cycling through “Preparing”, “Cleaning up”, “Syncing”.

Restarting phone doesn’t seem to help, nor does stopping and resuming the upload within the app. If I stop the upload, I can duplicate or delete it, and that seems to work. (2nd screenshot shows a duplicate of the Orbweavers and Allies observation uploaded successfully this way.)

It’s occurring with most but not all initial uploads, so can’t reliably replicate the issue.

2

The next time this happens, you can send log files from the Android app to the iNat staff to help diagnose the issue.

To send log files, go to the About tab in the app and tap three times on the version number. You will then have the option to email the log files to help@inaturalist.org.

In your email it would be good to include a link to this bug report too.

3

Yeah, a log file for this would be helpful to loook at. I’m sorry this is happening to you, @poptart.

Ah, and I see you’ve sent them thanks!