A shopping list that works with no signal
A ShopLister guide.
You get to the back of the shop, open your list, and it spins. Supermarkets are some of the worst places for phone signal, which is a problem for any shopping list that needs the internet to work.
Why the signal drops
Large buildings with steel frames and metal roofs block mobile signal, and so do basements and the far corners of big stores. Shop Wi-Fi helps, when it exists and when your phone joins it. Either way, the moment you most need your list is often the moment your phone is offline.
What goes wrong with online-only lists
- The list will not open, or opens without the items added since yesterday.
- Ticking an item off fails, or seems to work and then quietly reverts.
- Something added in the shop never reaches the other people sharing the list.
What to look for
- Everything saved on your phone first. The list should open, and accept changes, with no connection at all.
- Automatic syncing later. When the signal comes back, your changes should go up by themselves, with nothing to press.
- No account needed for the basics, so there is nothing to sign in to at the wrong moment.
If your list app is not built for it
- Open the list before you go in, while you still have signal, and leave it open.
- Take a screenshot of the list as a backup.
- Use the shop's Wi-Fi if it has some.
ShopLister works offline
ShopLister keeps everything on your phone first. You can add, tick and reorder with no signal at all, and with ShopLister Plus your changes sync by themselves when the signal comes back. You do not need an account to start.
See how ShopLister works · Coming soon to the App Store, iPhone first, with Android to follow.