Upgrading to the latest release of FrontlineSMS will enable new features, and should provide fixes for recurrent bugs of the last release, including the notorious “(No Forms)” bug.

Unfortunately, because of changes to the database architecture, there is currently no direct upgrade from previous versions of FrontlineSMS to the latest release. This means that although you can import all your previous contacts, you will not be able to directly import all of your data from a previous install. You won’t be able to import your old messages, your keyword/action setup or your email history.

If you still want to get the latest version, below is a quick guide to switching from 1.5.8 to 1.6.x.

1. Export your contacts:  click on the “File” menu on the top of the screen from your 1.5.8 version, and choose “Export…“, “Contacts“. Then choose your options and save this into a CSV file.
2. Ensure you have safeguarded all other data that you wish to keep from the old version of the software. This is important, as once you have uninstalled v 1.5.8, this data will not be recoverable. If you are using the default database (SQLite), copy the frontline.db file in your FrontlineSMS configuration folder to a safe place. This file contains the database of all your contacts, messages, keywords etc. If you do need to access it at a later date, you could re-install FrontlineSMS 1.5.8, or alternatively use a SQLite tool such as http://sqlitebrowser.sourceforge.net/.
3. Uninstall 1.5.8 using the normal procedures for your operating system.
4. Download the version of FrontlineSMS 1.6.x corresponding to your operating system through the download form and install it normally.
5. Launch the newly installed software, choose “File“, “Import…“, “Contacts” and look for the file you previously saved. Your previous contacts should then be present in your software.

If you experience problems upgrading, feel free to contact us through on the community forum and we’ll be happy to help you.