Plottr Pro Setup Guide

Welcome to Plottr Pro! This article walks you through setting up and using your Pro account. (These instructions are for Pro customers only.)

Getting Started with Plottr Pro

The Pro version takes Plottr's standard features and adds cloud-based functionality, including: 

• Access to the Plottr web app, as well as desktop and mobile applications
• Automatic syncing across platforms (web, desktop, mobile) to ensure your content is accessible from any device
• Automatic cloud backups to ensure your files are safe – without using third-party tools like Dropbox, iCloud, or OneDrive
• Real-time collaboration on projects with other Pro members

Watch the video to get started with Plottr Pro in just a few minutes – or continue reading:

Activating Pro on Desktop

Important: Do NOT activate Pro on desktop devices until you update to v2022.1.12 (if your update fails, please re-download the installer from your account and manually re-install).

To activate Plottr Pro on desktop, follow the steps below depending on your situation:

➡️If you already have Plottr installed on desktop, follow these steps to activate Plottr Pro on Windows and Mac:

1. Open the Plottr app on your computer (v2022.1.12 or later is required)
2. Click the User Icon  > Account at the top left to access the Account Dashboard
3. Click the "Start Plottr Pro" button
4. Click the "Go" button 
5. Sign in with the email and password associated with your Pro account (if you need to reset your password, click here for help)
6. Select "Upload All Projects and Templates" or "Choose What to Upload" and follow the instructions
7. Configure your backup settings and click the "I'm Done" button to complete the setup

➡️If you're installing Plottr for the first time, follow these steps to activate your Pro account:

1. Install the Plottr desktop app using either the Mac or Windows installer
2. On the "Welcome to Plottr" screen, click the “I have Plottr Pro” button
3. Sign in with the email and password associated with your Pro account
4. Begin working on your project!

If you're interested in learning more about using Plottr on desktop, click here.

Activating Pro on Mobile

Important: Do NOT activate Pro on mobile devices until you update the mobile app to v3.05 (or higher) from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store – if you have an issue using Pro on Android devices after logging in, force close the app and reopen it.

To activate Plottr Pro on mobile devices, follow the steps below depending on your situation:

➡️If you already have Plottr installed on your iOS or Android mobile device, follow these steps to activate Plottr Pro:

1. Open the Plottr app on your mobile device (v3.05 or later is required)
2. Click the hamburger menu at the top left to access the Mobile Dashboard
3. Click the "Start Plottr Pro" button at the top right
4. Click the "Get Started" button
5. Enter the email and password associated with your Pro account and click the "Next" button (if you need to reset your password, click here for help)
6. From the Projects tab, click the plus (+) button and then select individual existing projects on your device you'd like to upload to Pro
7. From the Templates tab, deselect any custom templates you don't wish to upload to Plottr Pro
8. Click the "Upload" button to upload your Projects and Templates to Plottr Pro
9. Click "Start Plotting" to finish

➡️If you're installing Plottr for the first time, follow these steps to activate your Pro account:

1. Install the mobile app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store
2. When opening the app, click “Use Plottr Pro Login” at the bottom of the screen
3. On the "Welcome to Plottr Pro" screen, sign in with your Pro account email and password 
4. Click “Log In" and follow the prompts to start your next project!

If you're interested in learning more about using Plottr on mobile, click here.

Accessing the Web App

To access the Plottr Pro web app:

1. Navigate to app.plottr.com
2. Log in with your Pro account email and password
3. That's it! Any projects you've uploaded to Plottr Pro via Desktop or Mobile will now be available in the web app

Uploading Individual Projects 

Once you've initially set up and logged into Plottr Pro, you may wish to upload individual projects to access them across devices.

Uploading Projects via Web

To upload individual Plottr projects to Plottr Pro from the web app:

1. Navigate to app.plottr.com
2. Enter your Pro account email and password to sign in
3. Click "Upload Existing Project" from the Project dashboard 
4. Select the file from your computer or cloud storage provider (e.g. Dropbox)
5. Click "Open" to upload it

Uploading Projects via Desktop

To upload individual Plottr projects to Plottr Pro from the desktop app on Windows or Mac:

1. Open Plottr and click the User Icon > Projects at the top right of the screen
2. From the Projects section of the Dashboard, click the button to “Open Existing File”
3. In the pop-up browser window, navigate to where you stored the file, either on your computer or Cloud storage provider.
4. Click “Open” in the browser window

Uploading Projects via Mobile

To upload individual Plottr projects to Plottr Pro from the mobile app on iOS or Android:

1. Open the Plottr app on your mobile device and click the hamburger menu at the top left to access the Mobile Dashboard
2. From the "Welcome to Plottr Pro" screen on the app, click the blue “From File” button
3. Navigate to where the file is saved, either in the device’s internal storage or your Cloud storage provider
4. Click on the file to upload it

Real-Time Collaboration

Plottr Pro's real-time collaboration functionality means any Pro users can work on projects together at the same time (ala Google Docs).

To collaborate with other members of Plottr Pro:

1. From a web browser, navigate to app.plottr.com (the invitation currently must be sent from the web app)
2. Enter your Pro account email and password to sign in
3. Open the project you want share with a collaborator from the Project dashboard (User Icon  > Projects)
4. Click the  Share Icon  on the menu bar 
5. From the Sharing window, enter the Plottr Pro account email for the person you wish to invite to the file and close the window
6. When your collaborator logs into Plottr Pro – either on desktop, mobile, or the web app – they will see the shared file listed under their ‘Recent Files’ in the Account section of their Dashboard and their permission will be listed as "Collaborator."

Syncing Across Devices

Plottr Pro's syncing functionality means any changes you make on one platform will be auto-updated across all others using Pro without having to use 3rd party tools (e.g. Dropbox).

To sync projects across devices with Plottr Pro:

1. Activate Plottr Pro on all platforms (desktop, mobile, web) you'd like to sync – see instructions above
2. Make changes on one platform
3. Your changes will automatically appear on the other platforms

Common Questions

If your question isn't answered below, please click here for our Plottr Pro troubleshooting guide.

What's the difference between Plottr and Plottr Pro?

The Pro version takes Plottr's standard features and adds cloud-based functionality such as a web app, automatic syncing across platforms (web, desktop, mobile), cloud backups, and real-time collaboration – with more features to come.

With Plottr Pro, what platforms can I use Plottr on? Does it work on Chromebooks?

You can use Plottr on all of your platforms, including desktop, mobile, and web. The web app works on all devices, including Chromebooks, Microsoft Surface tablets, and computers with Linux OS.

With Plottr Pro, is my work private and secure?

Yes. Plottr stores the files you upload to Pro locally on your computer and syncs them to your Plottr account over an encrypted connection when you go online. 

Your work is encrypted and stored on Google’s cloud services, which are professionally managed by Google engineers and IT personnel. Only Plottr's lead engineers have access to your work and only access it to provide support upon request.

Do I need to be connected to the internet to use Plottr Pro?

Plottr Pro uses a living file connected directly on our database here at Plottr to store your file. Because of this, when you open up Plottr Pro you need an internet connection to retrieve your file from our database and open it on your computer. You need an internet connection to make this initial connection. So you need to be connected to the internet to open a Plottr Pro Project file that you have already created because that file is stored on our database.

What happens if I lose internet connection while working on a file?

Plottr Pro will allow you to keep working on the file even with the loss of the internet. Please be aware that this feature is still in Beta, so you will need to turn it on in settings.

1. Open Plottr and go to Dashboard
2. Under the Settings tab, select Beta
3. Turn on Offline Mode

This setting will attempt to reconnect to our database after your internet connection is restored and save your file to the most current version. Please be aware that you can’t close the Plottr window until after reconnecting to the internet or your newest data will be lost.

Who can I collaborate with using Plottr Pro?

Currently, you can share files and use our real-time collaboration functionality with other members of Plottr Pro.

How does automatic syncing and cloud backups work?

Auto-syncing means any changes you make on one device will automatically be updated across all others using Pro without having to use, for example, Dropbox or iCloud.

With cloud backups, if you have an issue with your computer or mobile device, you will be able to count on our internal system to retrieve your files without fear of significant data loss.