Multiple Logbooks on one iPhone

Sometimes software applications have features that you don't even know exist. And sometimes you know they exist but you can't remember how to use them and don't want to take the time to look it up in the documentation. Well iPhone applications are intuitively obvious to figure out ..... right? Right.

But just in case it's not intuitively obvious, here's a quick look at how to keep more than one users logbook on the same iPhone. (Just to be clear up front though - we don't advocate depending on this feature at all. No one should be deprived and everyone should have their own personal iDevice to use and covet and play with and be productive with. We only added this feature so that you could still log your dives if your buddies iDevice was dropped in the water or broken while diving.) (;-)

First, under the "More" tab, there is a Personal item in the table. If you select this to go to the Personal screen, you will see the name of the person that the current Logbook belongs to. If there is nothing there, then you'll want to edit the information so that your name *does* show up there. This is the name that will be used to identify your logbook. (See previous Blog post).

To change Logbooks, or add a new Logbook, we again go back to the "More" tab, and now look for and select "Settings". The first item in the list is the "Active Logbook" and it will be named the same as the name listed in the Personal section. If you select the item, you will see a screen that allows you to manage Logbooks. All of the currently available Logbooks will be listed and the top one is the Logbook currently in use. To select a new Logbook, simply select it in the displayed list and it will be loaded. To add a new Logbook, touch the "+" sign in the upper right hand corner and you will be prompted for a name to use for your newly created Logbook.

When you backup your device using iTunes, all of the data associated with Dive Log is backed up and so all of the Logbooks contained on your iDevice will be saved as part of the backup. The desktop Logbook synchronization software however (both on Mac and PC), work with one Logbook at a time, ie: your "currently loaded" Logbook. So make sure you know which one is loaded before transferring back and forth. If you want to back up/synchronize "all" of the Dive Log Logbooks onto your desktop, you will need to transfer the first one, switch to the other Logbook in Dive Log, and then do another transfer to the Desktop.

It really is easy to manage. But not as easy as just buying another iPhone ...... ;-)