Photos Uploading Slowly

Photos Uploading Slowly

RxPhoto stores all client data in its HIPAA compliant cloud server. In order to do this, all data (photos, forms, notes, etc) are first encrypted on the device and then "pushed" to RxPhoto's servers. Successful pushing requires a device (iPhone/iPad) that is:

  1. Running iOS 11 or higher
  2. Has a strong Wi-Fi connection
  3. Using Wi-Fi with a high upload speed (click here for instructions on testing Wi-Fi speeds)
  4. Using Wi-Fi without a firewall that would restrict uploading (to check this, please contact your practice's IT department)
When logged in, any photos that have not finished uploading, RxPhoto will continue to "push" to its servers in the background. To help our providers know if their photos have finished uploading, RxPhoto (version 4.0 and above) has added an upload bar for upload status. 



Because images are heavy files, if there are any connection issues such as a firewall or slow Wi-Fi speeds, it may take longer than usual for an image to push to the RxPhoto server. If a photo does not successfully upload to RxPhoto, RxPhoto is unable to recover the data as it never reached the RxPhoto server. The photo may be stuck in transit. On very rare occasions, an image may become corrupted, not allowing the image to be received by the RxPhoto server. For these reasons, we suggest that every provider checks that all their client data has successfully uploaded at the end of the client's visit.

This article will go through steps to troubleshoot a slow upload speed.

As you work through this article, you may expand screenshots by clicking on the image you would like to expand.

Force Close and Reopen RxPhoto

To force quit the RxPhoto Mobile app on your device (iPhone/iPad), swipe to view all open apps, swipe away RxPhoto, then reopen the RxPhoto app.

iPad Instructions to Force Close and Reopen (Jump to iPhone)

1. Double click the iPad "Home" button to view all your open apps.



2. Swipe away RxPhoto with your finger.


3. Reopen RxPhoto.


4. Log back in with your preferred log in method (PIN code, touch ID, face ID, etc.)


iPhone Instructions to Force Close and Reopen:

1. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to view all open apps.



2. Find RxPhoto and swipe it away.


3. Reopen RxPhoto.


4. Log back in with your preferred log in method (PIN code, touch ID, face ID, etc.)


Check iOS Version

RxPhoto is supported by iOS versions 11 or higher. To check what version of iOs a device is running, go to Apple's Settings > General > About > Software version. For example, in the screenshot below, the iPad is running iOS version 13.3:



If the device is running any iOS lower than 11 (10.3.3 for example), please update the iPad's software and retake the photos.
If the device says there are no updates, but it is not running iOS 11 or newer, this is likely because the device does not support newer iOS versions. 

The following Apple devices support iOS 11:
  1. iPads 5 or newer and iPads 2 mini or newer
  2. iPhone 5s or newer
  3. iPod Touch (6th generation)

Try a Different Wi-Fi Network

If photos are uploading very slowly, or not uploading at all, often logging in with a different Wi-Fi network will do the trick. If the photos are able to finish uploading on a different network, then the primary network must be examined for speed, firewall issues, etc.

Try at Home

If photos are able to upload on a home network, it is possible that either the home network has faster upload speeds, or there is a firewall at the office is preventing photos from uploading. If this is the case, please contact the practice's IT department for help resolving the issue.

Try Using Data

iPhone

For uploading photos from an iPhone that is experiencing slow upload speeds, try turning the phone's Wi-Fi off and allowing it to use data instead.

1. Swipe down from the top right corner of the iPhone screen to view basic settings.
2. Tap the Wi-Fi button to toggle Wi-Fi off.

3. Now test capturing and uploading photos using data. If speeds on data are faster, the Wi-Fi network may be too slow to be able to upload the photos.

iPad

For uploading photos from an iPad that is experiencing slow upload speeds, try turning off the iPad's Wi-Fi and using your phone as a hotspot to test your iPad using data.
1. Go to your iPhone's Settings > Personal Hotspot.

2. Toggle "Allow Others to Join" to the on position.

3. On your iPad, go to Settings > Wi-Fi and choose the appropriate network name.

4. Enter the Wi-Fi password of your iPhone's personal hotspot and connect to the hotspot.
5. Now test capturing and uploading photos using the phone's data as a hotspot. If speeds on data are faster, the Wi-Fi network may be too slow to be able to upload the photos.

Wi-Fi Speed Test

A good first step is to perform a speed test on your Apple device (iPhone/iPad). We recommend using the Speedtest by Ookla App for its accuracy. Follow the steps below to test the speed of your internet:

            1. Download and install Speedtest by Ookla from the App Store.


            2. In the Speedtest by Ookla app, press the "Go" button.



                  3. After a few moments, Ookla will display your speeds.





The upload speed is the most important, since photos are being uploaded from the RxPhoto Mobile App to the RxPhoto HIPAA compliant cloud servers. In the screenshot above, the device has an upload speed of 39.3 Mbps, which is quite high. We suggest upload speeds of 10 Mbps or higher for best results.



Check With the Office IT Department

Sometimes internal firewalls can affect the ability for photos to be uploaded to the RxPhoto HIPAA compliant cloud. If the steps above do not solve the slow uploading speeds, please contact the office's IT department to make sure there were no changes in your internet settings or firewalls that may be affecting the proper functioning of the RxPhoto app. 

Summary

For RxPhoto to be able to store data securely, the data must successfully be sent from the device (iPhone/iPad) to the RxPhoto HIPAA compliant cloud server. If there is a problem "pushing" data to the RxPhoto HIPAA compliant cloud server, data may be lost. Logging out or force closing the app will not compromise the data. However, we suggest not uninstalling and reinstalling the RxPhoto app unless it is a last resort as data may be lost. The steps above can help finish uploading photos to the RxPhoto HIPAA compliant cloud before uninstalling and reinstalling the app as a troubleshooting strategy. 





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