Frequently Asked Questions

If I edit a checklist, what happens to runs I've already logged?

Nothing. When you start a run, List Log takes a complete copy of the checklist's structure at that moment. Editing or deleting the checklist afterward never affects past runs — every run is a permanent, independent record.

Why can't I delete this checklist?

A checklist that has at least one run cannot be deleted — the Delete Checklist option does not appear in the ··· menu when runs exist. To retire a checklist you no longer use, tap ··· and choose Set Inactive. All past runs remain fully accessible and exportable. If every run belonging to a checklist is later deleted individually, the checklist becomes eligible for deletion again.

I tapped Finish Run too early. Can I edit the values?

Yes — for Input items. Open the completed run from the Runs tab, tap Edit, and update any Input values you need to change. The run's Updated date will reflect when you last made a change. Reference values are permanently fixed and cannot be edited in a completed run.

What's the difference between Complete and Incomplete?

A run is automatically marked Complete when every Required item has a value. If you tap Finish Run before all Required items are filled in, the run is recorded as Incomplete. You can manually override the status at any time from the Run Detail screen by tapping the status badge.

What does the completion timestamp represent?

The completion date and time is set at the moment you tap Finish Run — not when you started the run or entered the last value.

How do I duplicate a checklist, and what gets copied?

Open the checklist's Detail screen, tap ···, and choose Duplicate Checklist. This creates a full, independent copy — every group, item, and Reference value — and opens it directly in the Checklist Editor with the Name field ready for you to type over (the suggested name is the original with " copy" added). The duplicate always starts with zero run history and Active status, regardless of the original's status, and lands in the same Collection as the original. If you cancel or leave the editor without saving, the duplicate is discarded entirely.

Does duplicating a checklist count toward my free-tier limit?

Yes. Duplicating counts toward the one-checklist free tier exactly like creating a new checklist or importing one — it requires full access if you already have a checklist.

What's the Run Name field for?

It's an optional label at the top of the Active Run screen — for example "Morning Shift" or "Building 4B" — so you can tell one run apart from another at a glance. It's purely a label: it has no effect on Complete/Incomplete status, Required items, or Finish Run, and you can add, change, or leave it blank at any time. If set, it's shown wherever the run is listed and included in PDF and CSV exports; if left blank, the run is simply identified by its date, exactly as before this feature existed.

What's a Collection, and how is it different from a Group?

A Group organizes the items within a single checklist. A Collection is a level above that — it organizes whole checklists together, for example "Site Inspections" or "Monthly Reports." A checklist belongs to at most one Collection at a time, or none (shown as Uncategorized). The two concepts don't interact.

Why can't I delete a Collection?

A Collection can only be deleted once it contains zero checklists. Reassign or remove every checklist from it first — from each checklist's Detail screen, tap ··· and choose Assign Collection — and the Collection becomes eligible for deletion.

If I delete a Collection, do I lose the checklists in it?

No. Deleting a Collection is only possible when it's already empty, and even then it never removes any checklist — only the (empty) Collection itself.

Do I have to put every checklist in a Collection?

No. Any checklist not assigned to a Collection appears in the Uncategorized section of the Checklists screen and works exactly the same as a checklist in a Collection.

Does a Collection's Active/Inactive status affect my checklists?

No. A Collection's status is purely organizational — it doesn't gate anything. It has no effect on a member checklist's own Active/Inactive status or its ability to start new runs.

Is Collections a free-tier feature?

Yes. Creating, renaming, reordering, and assigning checklists to Collections are all available on the free tier — no purchase required.

What's the difference between an Input item and a Reference item?

Input items are filled out by whoever runs the checklist, each time. Reference items are set once by the checklist designer and displayed as read-only information during every run — for example, a link to a procedure document or a specification limit.

Why can't I use List of Values as a Reference item?

List of Values is Input role only. Reference items display a fixed value the designer entered — a dropdown selection doesn't make sense in that context. For a fixed reference value, use Short Text instead.

My URL item shows an error and I can't finish the run. What's wrong?

URL items require both a label (the display text) and a valid URL that starts with https:// or http://. If the URL field doesn't start with one of those prefixes, a validation message appears and Finish Run is disabled until it's corrected.

What happens to photos I capture during a run?

Photos are automatically resized so the longest side is capped at 1600 pixels — a maximum of about 2.56 megapixels for a full 1600×1600 image — and stored within the app. They are not linked to the original asset in your photo library. This means deleting a photo from your iPhone's Photos app will not affect photos stored in List Log, and vice versa. Photos sync across your devices via iCloud along with the rest of your run data.

Does List Log work on iPad?

Yes. List Log supports both iOS and iPadOS. All features, including iCloud sync, are available on iPad.

Can I share a checklist design with someone else?

Yes. From the Checklist Detail screen, tap ··· and choose Export Checklist. This exports the checklist structure as a CSV file. The recipient can import it into their own copy of List Log using Import Checklist. Full access is required for both export and import. Note that Collection assignment isn't part of the export — an imported checklist always starts out Uncategorized, and can be assigned to a Collection afterward.

Can I export a log entry, or a checklist's full run history?

A single run can be exported as a PDF from the Run Detail screen. A checklist's complete run history can be exported as a CSV from the Checklist Detail screen via the ··· menu. Both require full access. The CSV export is a flat file with one row per item per entry, so to summarize or analyze trends across many runs — totals, averages, filtering by item — you'll typically want to build a Pivot Table in a separate application such as Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, or Apple Numbers.

How can I archive my checklists and runs somewhere outside my device or iCloud?

List Log stores your data on your device (and in iCloud, if sync is active) — it doesn't currently offer a single "export everything" backup. You can build your own archive using the existing export features: use Export Checklist to save a checklist's structure as a CSV, Export CSV to save its complete run history, and Export PDF (from the Run Detail screen) to save an individual completed run. Each of these opens the system share sheet, from which you can save the file to a cloud storage service such as Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive, to an external drive via the Files app, or send it to yourself by email or AirDrop. Doing this periodically gives you a durable, independent copy of your records that lives outside your device and Apple ID.

My import failed. What should I check?

List Log validates the entire CSV file before creating anything and will show a list of errors with row numbers. Common causes of failure: an incorrect number of columns (must be exactly 11), a missing Checklist Name, Group Name, or Item Title, an unrecognized Item Type, an invalid Role value, a List of Values item set to Reference role, or a checklist name that already exists in the app. For URL items with Reference role, the Reference URL and Reference URL Label columns are required and the URL must begin with https:// or http:// — for every other row, those two columns must be blank. No partial checklist is ever created from a failed import.

Is there a limit to how many checklists, runs, or photos I can store?

List Log itself doesn't impose a storage limit. Everything is stored on your device, so the real limit is your device's available storage. If iCloud sync is active, your checklists, runs, photos, and PDF attachments also count against your iCloud storage plan. If you're running low on space, freeing up device storage or upgrading your iCloud plan will resolve it.

How can I see how much storage List Log is using on my device?

Open the Settings app, then go to General → iPhone Storage (or iPad Storage on iPad). Scroll down the list of apps and tap List Log. This shows the total space it's using, broken down into the app itself and its Documents & Data — your checklists, runs, photos, and PDF attachments.

My iCloud sync isn't appearing on my other device. What should I do?

Changes made on one device may take a few moments to appear on another. Wait a moment and pull down to refresh on the Checklists screen. If the issue persists, check that both devices are signed in to the same iCloud account and that iCloud Drive is enabled in Settings.

Does iCloud sync require full access?

No. iCloud sync is available to all users, including the free tier.

Does full access cover all my devices?

Yes. Full access is tied to your Apple ID, not to a specific device. It also supports Apple Family Sharing — a purchase by one family member grants full access to all members of the same Family Sharing group. If you already had two or more checklists before the one-checklist free tier was introduced, you keep access to all of them without needing to purchase — the checklist limit only applies when creating, importing, or duplicating a checklist.

I already purchased full access but it's not showing on my new device. How do I restore it?

Tap Restore Purchase on the upgrade prompt. Your purchase will be restored at no charge.

How do I submit a feature request?

Tap Contact Support at the top of any page on this site (or the website link on the app's About screen, which brings you here). This opens a short form where you can describe the feature you'd like to see. Feature requests, bug reports, and general questions all go through the same form, and we read every submission.