Installation

If you intend to use Android phones or Tablets to complete surveys, then you will want to install FieldTask on these devices. Alternatively you can complete surveys in browsers using Webforms.

You can get FieldTask from the Google Play store. This is the easiest way if you have a google account and are installing it on your own phone or tablet. Search for "fieldTask" with no spaces in order to find it quickly.

However if you are installing fieldTask on devices that will be shared then you definitely do not want to use your own google account as the phone user will have access to your gmail. Also setting up google accounts just to install the app is tedious. In this case a better approach is to download fieldTask from the server.

1. Download

For SmapServer 23.01 and above, fieldTask is downloaded from the download menu on the server home page. Using the internet browser on your phone enter the URL of your Smap Server. If you are using the public server then that would be https://sg.smap.com.au. Then select the download menu and select FieldTask. The application will then be downloaded to your phone.

Click on the fieldTask icon to download

Download

For versions of the server prior to 23.01 select the FieldTask button.

Click on the fieldTask icon to download

Download the old way

2. Viewing the state of your download

Drag down with your finger from the top of the screen in order to see how your download is progressing. Then tap on the fieldTask apk to install it or upgrade.

Drag down from the top of the screen

View download state

3. Accepting unknown sources

Google take quite extensive steps to validate applications that are in the Google Play store, however here we are downloading the app directly from the Smap server. So an "unknown" source from Google's perspective and the phone may require you to confirm that you understand the risks.

Accept installation from unknown sources

Accept installation from unknown sources

FieldTask should now install.

4. Minimal Configuration

To start using FieldTask you will need to go to then menu and then "General Settings" to set

  • The URL of the server
  • Your username
  • Your password

Follow the instructions in Create an account on the hosted server to get your username and password.

5. Required Permissions

When you open fieldTask and also while using the app it will ask you to accept a number of permissions. Most of these are self evident however the controversial one is shown when you first open a form.

Allow FieldTask to make and manage phone calls.

If you don't accept this, when opening a form, then you will see a message stating why it is required and the form will not open. This permission is used only to get the identifier for the android device, its device id. This information is critical for quality assurance as it identifies which device submitted which survey results. However there is no need to worry FieldTask will not make any phone calls on your behalf.