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Pro

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Overview

Storehouses is built as a Progressive Web App (PWA), enabling you to access your portfolio even without an internet connection. Install the app on your devices for a native app-like experience with offline capabilities, faster loading, and home screen access.

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What is Offline Mode?

Offline mode allows Storehouses to function when you don’t have internet connectivity. The app caches essential data locally on your device, so you can view your portfolio, browse items, and access information even when you’re offline.

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Benefits of PWA Offline Mode

Work Anywhere

Access portfolio during flights or in areas without connectivity

Faster Loading

Cached data loads instantly without network delay

Reliability

Never lose access due to poor internet connection

Native Feel

App-like experience with home screen icon and full-screen mode

Reduced Data Usage

Less bandwidth consumption with cached content

Privacy

View sensitive portfolio data without active internet connection

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How Offline Mode Works

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Service Worker Technology

Storehouses uses a service worker (Serwist) to enable offline functionality:
1

Initial Visit

When you first visit Storehouses, the service worker installs in your browser
2

Data Caching

App assets and your portfolio data are cached locally on your device
3

Offline Access

When offline, the app serves cached data instead of requesting from servers
4

Background Sync

When connection returns, changes sync automatically to the cloud

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What Gets Cached

The app caches:
  • App shell: UI components, navigation, layouts
  • Static assets: Images, icons, fonts, stylesheets
  • Portfolio data: Items, collections, locations
  • Item images: Thumbnails and full-resolution images
  • Spot prices: Last fetched precious metals prices
  • User preferences: Settings and configurations

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Installing as PWA

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On Desktop (Chrome, Edge, Brave)

1

Visit Storehouses

Navigate to storehouses.app
2

Look for Install Prompt

Click the install icon in the address bar (usually a computer/phone icon)Or: Click the three-dot menu → “Install Storehouses”
3

Confirm Installation

Click “Install” in the popup dialog
4

Launch App

The app opens in its own windowDesktop shortcut is created automatically

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On iPhone/iPad (Safari)

1

Open in Safari

Navigate to storehouses.app in Safari
2

Tap Share Button

Tap the Share button (square with arrow pointing up)
3

Add to Home Screen

Scroll down and tap “Add to Home Screen”
4

Name the App

Confirm or edit the app name
5

Add

Tap “Add” to create the home screen icon
6

Launch

Tap the Storehouses icon on your home screen
On iOS, PWAs must be added from Safari. Chrome and other browsers on iOS don’t support PWA installation.

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On Android (Chrome, Edge)

1

Open in Chrome

Navigate to storehouses.app
2

Tap Menu

Tap the three-dot menu in the top right
3

Add to Home Screen

Select “Add to Home screen” or “Install app”
4

Confirm

Tap “Add” in the confirmation dialog
5

Launch

Tap the Storehouses icon from your app drawer or home screen

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What Works Offline

When you’re offline, you can:
  • Browse all items in your portfolio
  • View item details and images
  • See collections and organization
  • Check locations
  • View cached portfolio value
  • Item descriptions and notes
  • Purchase and market values
  • Category-specific metadata
  • Images and uploaded documents
  • Collection membership
  • View dashboard statistics
  • See allocation charts
  • Check item counts
  • Review organization structure

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What Doesn’t Work Offline

When offline, you cannot:
The following features require an internet connection:
  • Add or edit items: Creating new items or updating existing ones
  • Delete items: Removing items from portfolio
  • Create collections: Adding new collections or locations
  • Upload images: Adding new photos or documents
  • Real-time spot prices: Current precious metals pricing
  • Price alerts: Alert monitoring and notifications
  • Export features: Generating PDF or CSV exports
  • Sharing: Creating or managing share links
  • Account settings: Updating email, password, or preferences
  • Billing: Managing subscription or payment methods
  • Authentication: Logging in or out
  • Sync changes: Changes made offline won’t save
The app displays a banner when you’re offline to remind you of limited functionality.

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Data Syncing

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Automatic Sync When Online

When your connection returns:
  1. Detection: App automatically detects connectivity
  2. Refresh: Latest data is fetched from servers
  3. Update: Cached data is updated with current information
  4. Notification: Visual indicator shows sync is complete
Storehouses uses a “server-first” approach. Data edited online by you or other devices takes precedence over cached data.

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Manual Refresh

To force a data refresh when online:
  1. Pull down on the dashboard (mobile)
  2. Click the refresh button (desktop)
  3. Navigate away and back to a page
Refresh your data before going offline to ensure you have the latest portfolio information.

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Storage Management

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How Much Storage is Used?

PWA cache size depends on your portfolio:
  • Small portfolio (< 50 items): ~5-10 MB
  • Medium portfolio (50-200 items): ~10-30 MB
  • Large portfolio (200+ items): ~30-100 MB
  • Images: Largest contributor to cache size

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Checking Storage Usage

Desktop (Chrome):
  1. Open DevTools (F12)
  2. Go to Application tab
  3. Click “Storage” in sidebar
  4. View usage under site storage
Mobile:
  • Storage is managed automatically by the browser
  • Typically not accessible to users directly

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Clearing PWA Cache

If you need to clear cached data: Desktop:
  1. Visit Storehouses
  2. Open browser settings
  3. Navigate to site settings for storehouses.app
  4. Click “Clear data” or “Clear storage”
iOS:
  1. Go to Settings → Safari
  2. Advanced → Website Data
  3. Find storehouses.app
  4. Swipe to delete
Android:
  1. Go to Settings → Apps
  2. Find Chrome (or your browser)
  3. Storage → Manage Space
  4. Find storehouses.app
  5. Clear data
Clearing cache requires re-downloading all data when you next visit online.

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PWA Features

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Home Screen Icon

After installation, Storehouses appears as:
  • Desktop shortcut (Windows, Mac, Linux)
  • Home screen icon (iOS, Android)
  • App drawer entry (Android)
  • Dock icon (Mac, when pinned)

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Standalone Mode

The PWA runs in standalone mode:
  • No browser address bar
  • Full-screen app experience
  • Native-like window (desktop)
  • Immersive full-screen (mobile)
  • System back button support (Android)

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Splash Screen

On mobile devices:
  • Custom splash screen displays on launch
  • Storehouses branding
  • Smooth loading experience
  • Native app feel

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Notifications (Future)

PWA framework supports push notifications:
  • Currently used for heir access requests
  • Future: Price alert notifications
  • Future: Portfolio update reminders
  • Requires user permission

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Best Practices

  • Open Storehouses while online
  • Navigate through your portfolio
  • View items you’ll need offline
  • Ensure all images are loaded
  • This refreshes your cache with latest data
  • Install PWA on phone, tablet, and desktop
  • Each installation maintains its own cache
  • Access portfolio from any device offline
  • Consistent experience across platforms
  • Large image files increase cache size
  • Compress images before uploading
  • Limit resolution to reasonable size
  • Remove unnecessary images periodically
  • Don’t expect to add items offline
  • Spot prices won’t update offline
  • Plan ahead for export needs
  • Work online for full functionality
  • Open app online periodically
  • Allow cache to refresh
  • Ensure you have latest features
  • Sync any server-side changes

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Security & Privacy

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Offline Data Security

Your Cached Data is Secure

  • Cached data stored in browser’s secure storage
  • Isolated from other websites
  • Protected by device-level security (passcode, biometrics)
  • Not accessible to other apps
  • Cleared when app data is cleared

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Privacy Considerations

On shared computers or devices:
  • Anyone with device access can open the app
  • Consider logging out when not in use
  • Use device-level lock screens
  • Clear cache on public/shared devices
If device is lost:
  • Cached data remains on device
  • Use device tracking to remote wipe
  • Change password from another device
  • Revoke sessions in account settings
  • Cache eventually expires without updates
Benefits of offline mode on public networks:
  • View portfolio without connecting to WiFi
  • Reduce exposure on unsecured networks
  • Load from cache instead of public network
  • More private viewing experience

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Troubleshooting

If offline mode doesn’t function:
  • Check service worker: Open online first to install
  • Browser support: Ensure browser supports PWAs
  • Storage: Verify sufficient device storage
  • Private mode: Disable private/incognito browsing
  • Clear and reload: Clear cache, reload online
Supported browsers: Chrome 45+, Edge 17+, Safari 11.1+, Firefox 44+
If cached data seems outdated:
  • Pull to refresh (mobile)
  • Click refresh button (desktop)
  • Close and reopen app while online
  • Clear cache and reload
  • Check internet connection
If installation doesn’t work:Desktop:
  • Use Chrome, Edge, or Brave
  • Ensure you’re on HTTPS site
  • Clear browser cache
  • Try incognito window
iOS:
  • Must use Safari browser
  • Follow iOS-specific steps above
  • Ensure iOS 11.1 or later
Android:
  • Use Chrome or Edge
  • Enable “Add to Home screen” in browser settings
  • Ensure sufficient storage space
If images don’t appear offline:
  • Images load only if previously viewed online
  • Large images may not cache automatically
  • View all important images while online
  • Check available storage space
  • Consider reducing image file sizes
If app doesn’t show latest features:
  • Close and reopen app while online
  • Clear browser cache
  • Uninstall and reinstall PWA
  • Check browser is up to date
  • Force refresh with Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + R

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Technical Details

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Browser Support

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Service Worker

Storehouses uses Serwist for PWA functionality:
  • Automatic caching strategies
  • Background sync capability
  • Offline fallback pages
  • Cache versioning and updates
  • Precaching of critical assets

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Cache Strategies

Different caching strategies for different content:
  • App shell: Cache-first (instant loading)
  • Portfolio data: Network-first (freshest data)
  • Images: Cache-first (reduce bandwidth)
  • Spot prices: Network-only (always fresh when online)

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Offline vs Desktop Apps

The PWA approach provides app-like experience without large downloads or OS-specific builds.

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Future Enhancements

Planned offline mode improvements:
  • Offline editing: Queue changes to sync when online
  • Conflict resolution: Handle edits made on multiple devices
  • Selective sync: Choose which collections to cache
  • Background sync: Automatic syncing when connection returns
  • Push notifications: Offline-aware notifications
  • Larger cache: Support for bigger portfolios offline

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Next Steps

Install PWA

Install Storehouses on your device

View Dashboard

Explore your portfolio

Mobile Experience

Optimize mobile usage

Export Data

Backup portfolio data