Offline Mode is available to all SDS Mobile™ users — free and full access. It lets you download SDS sheets to your device while you have a connection, then read them anywhere with no signal needed. Full-access users can download entire binders at once; free users can download individual SDS sheets and access them in the My SDS Downloads section.
How Offline Mode Works
Offline Mode is a dedicated section of SDS Mobile™ that stores downloaded SDS sheets on your device as PDF files. There are two ways content ends up in Offline Mode:
Binder download
Download an entire binder at once. All SDS in that binder are downloaded to Offline Mode in a single action. This is the primary way to prepare for a job site. Requires full access.
Individual SDS download
Find any SDS using SDS Search and download it individually. Individual downloads are stored in the My SDS Downloads section within Offline Mode. Available on both free and full access.
Important Note: Before you travel on-site, open Offline Mode and verify that all binders for that location are fully downloaded. Once you leave connectivity, you cannot download additional SDS.
What Works Offline and What Doesn’t
Use this table as a quick reference before heading to a job site.
Feature | Works Offline? | Notes |
View SDS sheets downloaded via Offline Mode | YES | PDF format, all pages |
Search within Offline Mode | YES | Searches downloaded SDS only — not the full database |
UPC barcode scan within Offline Mode | YES | Matches against downloaded SDS only |
Search the full SDS database | NO | Requires internet connection |
AudibleSDS™ (read SDS aloud) | NO | Always requires connection |
Downloading new binders (full access) or individual SDS (free & full access) | NO | Must download while connected |
Important Note: AudibleSDS™ requires a Wi-Fi or cellular data connection to read safety data sheets aloud. It does not work in offline mode. Even when an SDS is downloaded to your device, AudibleSDS™ cannot play audio without an active internet connection.
Opening Offline Mode
To access Offline Mode, tap the “Menu” tab in the bottom-left corner of the app
Select “Offline Mode.”
Downloading a Binder for Offline Access
Downloading a binder saves all SDS sheets it contains to your device at once — the fastest way to prepare for a job site. Binder downloads require a full-access subscription.
Step 1
iOS & Android Open Offline Mode
Tap the Menu tab in the bottom-left corner and select Offline Mode.
Step 2
iOS & Android Open the binder selector
Tap the Choose Binders button, or tap the binder icon in the top-right corner of the Offline Mode screen.
Step 3
iOS & Android Select binders to download
You are on the Available tab. You will see all binder locations you are authorized to download. Tap the checkbox next to each binder you want to download.
Step 4
iOS & Android Tap Download Binders
Tap the Download Binders button. SDS Mobile™ downloads a PDF copy of every SDS in those binders to your device. Download time varies depending on the number of SDS sheets and your connection speed.
Tip: Download binders the evening before a job site visit, when you are on a fast Wi-Fi connection. Large binders with many SDS sheets can take a few minutes on a slow connection.
Step 5
iOS & Android Verify the download completed
Once downloaded, binders appear on the Downloaded tab in Offline Mode. You can now view all SDS in those binders without any internet connection.
Downloading Individual SDS Sheets
Downloading individual SDS sheets is available to both free and full-access users. If you need a specific SDS that is not contained within a binder, you can download it individually using SDS Search. Individual downloads are stored in the “My SDS Downloads” section within Offline Mode.
Step 1
iOS & Android Find the SDS using SDS Search
From the app home screen, search for the product by name or scan its UPC barcode. Tap the result to open the full SDS.
Step 2
iOS & Android Download the SDS
On the SDS detail screen, tap the download icon to save it to your device.
Step 3
iOS & Android Access it in Offline Mode
Your individually downloaded SDS sheets are available in the My SDS Downloads section within Offline Mode. Open Offline Mode from the Menu tab to find them.
Searching Within Offline Mode
Once you are offline, you can still search for SDS sheets you have downloaded:
Use the text search box within Offline Mode to find SDS by product name or keyword.
Use the UPC barcode scanner within Offline Mode to scan a product container.
Important: Searching within Offline Mode only searches the SDS you have already downloaded to your device. It does not search the full SDS Mobile™ database. If you cannot find an SDS in Offline Mode, it was not downloaded before you lost connectivity.
Removing Downloads from Offline Mode
You can remove downloaded SDS sheets from Offline Mode when they are no longer needed — for example, when a job site is finished. There are two separate processes depending on whether you are removing an individual SDS or an entire binder.
Removing an Individual SDS from My SDS Downloads
Open Offline Mode from the Menu tab.
Go to the My SDS Downloads section.
Tap the delete icon next to the SDS sheet you want to remove.
Removing a Downloaded Binder
Open Offline Mode from the Menu tab.
Tap the Downloaded tab.
Tap the checkbox next to the binder you want to remove. You can select multiple binders at once.
Tap the Delete Binder button.
Important Note: Delete Binder only removes the SDS sheets from Offline Mode on your device. It does not delete the binder or its SDS from your account. Your binder remains intact in Binder Management, and you can download it to Offline Mode again at any time.
Keeping Your Offline SDS Up to Date
SDS Mobile™ automatically updates your downloaded SDS sheets when new versions are added to the database. Updates are synced each time you log in to the app while connected to the internet.
You do not need to manually re-download SDS sheets to get the latest version. Simply open the app while connected, and any updated SDS will sync automatically.
Tip: Log in to SDS Mobile™ on Wi-Fi before you head to a job site. This ensures your offline SDS sheets are the most current versions available before you lose connectivity.
Troubleshooting
I can’t see a binder in the Available tab.
The Available tab only shows binders you are authorised to download. If a binder is missing, check with your account administrator that you have been granted access to that binder location.
The download is taking a long time.
Download time depends on the number of SDS sheets in the binder and the speed of your connection. Large binders on a slow cellular connection can take several minutes. Download on Wi-Fi when possible, and keep the app open in the foreground during the download.
An SDS I need is not in any of my binders.
Find the SDS using SDS Search (requires a connection), download it individually, and it will appear in My SDS Downloads within Offline Mode. See the Downloading Individual SDS Sheets section above.
AudibleSDS™ is not working when I’m in Offline Mode.
AudibleSDS™ always requires an active Wi-Fi or cellular connection. It cannot play audio in offline mode, even when the SDS is downloaded to your device. This is by design. See the AudibleSDS™ Not Playing troubleshooting article if you have a connection but audio still is not working.
I deleted a binder from Offline Mode and now I can’t find my SDS.
Delete Binder only removes SDS from Offline Mode — it does not delete your binder or its contents. Open Binder Management in the app to find your binder, then return to Offline Mode and download it again.