Remote Connections

The Remote Connections settings screen lets you configure external services for importing and exporting data. All remote connections are managed in one place under Settings - Remote Connections.

Android

Accessing Remote Connections

1. Open Settings from the main menu.
2. Tap Remote Connections.

FTP / SFTP

Configure an FTP or SFTP server to import and export projects and layers remotely.

Setting	Description
Host	The hostname or IP address of your FTP server (e.g. ftp.example.com)
Port	The port number (default: 21 for FTP, 22 for SFTP)
SFTP	Toggle to enable SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) instead of plain FTP
Server Path	The remote directory path for file operations (SFTP only)
Username	Your FTP/SFTP username
Password	Your FTP/SFTP password

After entering your connection details, tap Test Connection to verify everything is working. The app will attempt to connect and report success or failure.

tip

Always use SFTP when possible - it encrypts the connection and is more secure than plain FTP.

note

The FTP/SFTP connection must be configured before the FTP import and export options appear in the app. See Import/Export via FTP for usage details.

Dropbox

Link your Dropbox account to import and export files directly from the app.

1. Tap Connect to start the Dropbox authentication flow.
2. Sign in with your Dropbox credentials and grant access to Mapit GIS.
3. Once connected, your account name and email are displayed.

Files are stored in the /Apps/Mapit GIS/ folder on Dropbox. See Export to Dropbox for details.

To disconnect, tap Disconnect. This removes the stored tokens from the device but does not delete files already on Dropbox.

PostgreSQL / PostGIS

Configure a PostgreSQL database connection for exporting layer data directly to PostGIS.

Setting	Description
Host	Database server hostname or IP
Port	Database port (default: 5432)
Database	The database name
Username	Database username
Password	Database password

Tap Test Connection to verify the server is reachable. See Exporting to PostgreSQL for usage details.

ArcGIS Online is configured separately

ArcGIS Online sign-in has its own dedicated settings screen and is not part of Remote Connections. See ArcGIS Online Settings.

iOS

Accessing Remote Connections

1. Open Settings from the main menu.
2. Tap Remote Connections.

The Remote Connections screen groups three services: Dropbox, SFTP, and PostgreSQL.

Dropbox

Link your Dropbox account to import projects and layers from, and export them to, your Dropbox account directly from inside the app. Files live in the /Apps/Mapit GIS/ app folder on Dropbox.

Row	What it does
Connect to Dropbox	Shown when no account is linked. Opens the Dropbox sign-in page in a secure in-app browser sheet (ASWebAuthenticationSession). After you grant access, the sheet closes automatically and the row is replaced by the connected-state rows below.
Account name	The full name of the signed-in Dropbox account. Read-only.
Account email	The email address of the signed-in Dropbox account. Read-only.
Test Connection	Calls Dropbox to refresh the cached account info. A green checkmark appears on success; a red cross on failure. Useful after a long offline period or if uploads start to fail.
Disconnect from Dropbox	Asks for confirmation, then removes the stored access and refresh tokens from the device Keychain. Files already on Dropbox are not affected.

The sign-in flow uses OAuth 2.0 with PKCE, so the app never sees your Dropbox password. Access tokens are stored in the iOS Keychain and refreshed automatically on 401 responses, so a normal connection lasts indefinitely without you having to re-authenticate.

A green checkmark next to Dropbox in the Remote Connections list tells you at a glance that an account is currently linked.

What "connected" enables

Once Dropbox is linked, three extra entry points become available across the app:

• Projects → New Project sheet — adds an Import from Dropbox option to the create / import list.
• Projects → project row → Export — adds an Upload to Dropbox destination to the export sheet.
• Layers → layer row → Export / Import — adds Upload to Dropbox and Import from Dropbox entries (layer upload is Pro+).

See Export to Dropbox for the full import / export workflow.

SFTP

Configure an SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) server to import and export projects and layers directly from the app. Plain FTP is not supported on iOS.

Setting	Description	Default
Host	Hostname or IP address of the SFTP server	—
Port	SSH port	22
Username	SFTP username	—
Password	Stored securely in the iOS Keychain	—
Remote path	Directory on the server used for file listings and uploads	/

Tap Test Connection to perform a live SSH + SFTP round-trip with a 10-second timeout. A success or failure banner confirms whether the credentials and path are working before you go into the field.

Tap Forget Connection to remove all stored credentials — host, username, and Keychain password — from the device.

Host key handling

The iOS SFTP client accepts any host key without verification. This makes it straightforward to connect to self-signed corporate SFTP servers. If you are connecting over the public internet, use a VPN for an additional layer of protection.

Subscription

SFTP import and export require the Import/Export entitlement, available on Pro and Pro+ tiers.

See Import/Export via SFTP for the full import and export workflow.

PostgreSQL

Configure a direct PostgreSQL/PostGIS connection to export layer data from the field into your database.

Setting	Description	Default
Host	Database server hostname or IP	—
Port	PostgreSQL port	5432
Database	Target database name	—
Username	Database user	—
Password	Stored securely in the iOS Keychain	—
Schema	Target schema for exported tables	public
Output SRID	SRID written to the PostGIS geometry column	4326
SSL mode	disable / prefer / require	prefer

prefer mode connects over SSL when the server supports it and trusts any certificate. Use require with a valid certificate for production databases reachable over the public internet.

Export options

The Export options section contains two hide-toggles that control which export modes appear when exporting a layer:

Toggle	Effect
Hide "Overwrite"	Removes the Overwrite button from the layer export flow — useful in teams where accidental overwrites would be catastrophic
Hide "Append"	Removes the Append button from the layer export flow

The two toggles are mutually exclusive: turning one on forces the other off, so you can never hide both modes simultaneously.

Subscription

PostgreSQL export requires Mapit Pro+ on iOS. Pro users see the paywall when they tap either export button.

See Exporting to PostgreSQL for the full export workflow.