Offline vs cloud gun inventory apps
Gun inventory apps come in two kinds. Cloud apps keep your records on the company's servers. Offline apps keep them only on your phone. Neither is right for everyone, so it's worth knowing what you trade either way.
How cloud apps work
You create an account, and your records, photos and serial numbers are stored on the company's servers. The app on your phone shows a copy.
The upside is convenience. Your inventory syncs between your phone, tablet and computer, many cloud apps have a website you can log into, and a new phone picks everything up when you sign in.
The catch is that a detailed list of your guns sits on a computer you don't control, tied to your name and email address. A data breach, an employee with the wrong access or a legal request could reach it. If the company goes out of business or changes its terms, your records go with it. Good encryption reduces these risks a lot, but the list still exists somewhere other than with you.
How offline apps work
Your records stay on your phone. There's usually no account to make, and the app works the same at a range with no signal as it does at home.
The upside is that there's no copy on a company server to leak, subpoena or lose. What's on the phone is all there is.
The catch is that you're responsible for backups. If you lose your phone and never made one, your inventory is gone. Offline apps also don't sync across devices or offer a website.
Which suits you
If you want your inventory on several devices or in a web browser, a cloud app will suit you better. If you'd rather your gun list never left your hands, an offline app is the closer fit, as long as you make backups.
Questions to ask before you type in a serial number
- Does it need an account? An account links your inventory to your name and email.
- Can it reach the internet? On Android, look at the app's data usage in Settings › Apps after a few days. An app that never goes online uses none.
- Where are the photos stored? Some apps keep records locally but upload pictures.
- Is the data encrypted on the phone, and who holds the key? Encryption only protects you if the company can't open it too.
- How do you get your data out? Look for a backup you control and an export to a format you can open, like a spreadsheet.
- What happens if the company shuts down? With a cloud app, ask how you'd download everything first.
Where Arms & Ammo Log stands
Arms & Ammo Log is an offline app. It has no internet permission, so it can't send anything anywhere, and there's no account. Your records, photos and receipts are encrypted on your phone. For backups, it makes one password-locked file that you save wherever you like, such as a USB drive or your computer, and you restore from that file on a new phone. The details are on our security page, along with how to check them yourself.
Questions
Are cloud gun inventory apps safe?
It depends on the company: how it encrypts your data, who on its staff can reach it and how it handles legal requests. Even with good security, your list exists on a server you don't control. Read the app's privacy policy before adding serial numbers.
How do I back up an offline gun inventory app?
Most offline apps can save a backup file you keep somewhere else. In Arms & Ammo Log it's one password-locked file you save to a USB drive or computer, and you restore from it on a new phone.
More guides for gun owners, or see everything the app does.