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APSense documentation

Troubleshooting guide

Troubleshooting APSense Issues

If you encounter issues while tracking expenses or generating reports, use this guide to identify the cause and resolve the problem. APSense uses a local-first design, meaning most features work offline, but certain actions like AI extraction and report merging require a stable internet connection.

Resolve receipt scanning and AI extraction errors

When you capture a receipt, the Cortexa AI automatically identifies the vendor, amount, and date. If these fields do not populate correctly, check the following:

Symptoms

  • The app displays an “unreadable” or “transient error” message.
  • Extracted amounts or dates are incorrect.
  • The camera does not open when you try to scan.

Fixes

  1. Check permissions: Ensure APSense has permission to access your Camera and Photo Library in your device settings.
  2. Improve image quality: AI extraction works best with clear, well-lit photos. Avoid shadows, glares, or crumpled paper. If a receipt is very long, use the multi-image feature to capture it in sections.
  3. Verify internet connection: While basic OCR can happen on some high-end devices locally, advanced AI extraction requires a connection to process the image.
  4. Use manual entry: If a receipt is too faded or damaged for the AI to read, you can select Add Expense Manually to enter the details yourself.

Fix mileage tracking and GPS inaccuracies

APSense uses smart filtering to reject “GPS drift” (small movements recorded while you are stationary) and impossible speeds.

Symptoms

  • The trip distance seems lower or higher than expected.
  • The trip stops recording when the app is in the background.
  • You see “phantom mileage” added while parked.

Fixes

  1. Set location to Always: For the most accurate background tracking, set your device location permissions for APSense to Always Allow rather than “While Using the App.”
  2. Disable battery optimization: Some devices aggressively kill background apps to save power. Ensure APSense is excluded from strict battery-saving modes during trips.
  3. Use alternative entry methods: If you are in an area with poor GPS signal (like a tunnel or parking garage), use Odometer Mode (entering start/end readings) or Map Mode (picking addresses) instead of live GPS tracking.

Troubleshoot email receipt ingestion

You can forward digital receipts to expenses@apsense.app to have them automatically added to your account.

Symptoms

  • Forwarded receipts do not appear in your expense list.
  • Receipts land in the wrong workspace or category.

Fixes

  1. Verify your sender email: APSense matches incoming emails to your account based on the From address. Ensure you are forwarding from the email address associated with your APSense account.
  2. Check file formats: The system supports JPG, PNG, and PDF (including multi-page PDFs). Other formats may not process correctly.
  3. Use correct tagging syntax: You can automatically sort emailed receipts by adding tags to the subject line or body:
    • Use # for workspaces (e.g., #Freelance).
    • Use @ for categories (e.g., @Travel).
  4. Wait for processing: Emailed receipts may take a few moments to appear as the system converts attachments into viewable images.

Fix report generation and export failures

APSense generates professional PDFs with receipt thumbnails and CSV files for accounting software.

Symptoms

  • The “Generating preview” spinner spins indefinitely.
  • The app crashes when creating a very large report.
  • The “Download CSV” button does not trigger a file save on the web version.

Fixes

  1. Check connectivity: Report generation and merging PDF attachments are cloud-based operations that require an active internet connection.
  2. Reduce report size: If a report with hundreds of receipts fails to generate, try splitting the expenses into two smaller reports.
  3. Retry without receipts: If a specific image is causing a failure, the app may offer to generate a “summary only” report. You can use this to send the data while you investigate the problematic receipt.
  4. Browser settings: On the web version, ensure your browser is not blocking automatic downloads when you click Export CSV.

Address account sync and workspace access issues

APSense synchronizes your data across mobile, web, and desktop platforms in the background.

Symptoms

  • Expenses created on your phone do not show up on the web dashboard.
  • You cannot see a workspace created by another team member.

Fixes

  1. Force a refresh: Pull down on the expense list (mobile) or click the refresh icon (web/desktop) to trigger a manual sync with the cloud.
  2. Check workspace selection: Ensure you have the correct workspace selected in the top bar or sidebar. Expenses are scoped to specific workspaces and will not appear if you are viewing a different one.
  3. Verify authentication: If you use Google or Apple Sign-In, ensure you are logged into the same social account on all devices.

Contact APSense support

If these steps do not resolve your issue, contact our technical support team for assistance.