Photos and videos

Each annotation can contain multiple photos and videos. This is the heart of site documentation: every observation is visually illustrated and located on the plan.

Take photos

In Visit mode, the camera opens automatically when you create an annotation. After the first shot, the preview shows the photo, where you can add a comment, a color or an audio comment.

Several photos in a row

To take more photos for the same annotation, tap Add another photo in the preview. The camera stays open: each shot flashes the screen, and a Done button counts your photos as you go. Tap Done to return to the preview with every photo you took.

Add photos to an existing annotation

Open the annotation and choose Take Photo in its + menu, or press and hold its marker on the plan and choose Add a new photo. The camera opens and stays open for as many shots as you need; tap Done to add them all to the annotation.

A new general observation works like a new annotation: Observation with a photo opens the camera, the first shot shows the preview, and Add another photo keeps the camera open for more.

Add photos you already took

To attach photos already taken, use Catch-up mode, choose Choose from Library in an annotation’s + menu, or press and hold its marker on the plan and choose Choose from Library.

Camera roll

When Save photos to Camera Roll is on in Settings, only the photos you take with the PhotoReport camera are saved to your camera roll. Photos you pick from your library are not saved a second time, so they no longer appear twice in the Photos app.

Record a video

From an open annotation, switch to video mode in the camera to record a clip. The video is attached to the annotation just like a photo.

Video export

When exporting to PDF, only the video’s preview image (first frame) is included in the report. The full video is not embedded in the PDF. To keep videos, use the ZIP export format, which includes all media files.

Photo capture quality

You can choose the resolution of photos taken from the app in Settings:

• Standard (1280 px), Lighter files and faster export. This is the default on fresh installs.
• High (1920 px), Maximum detail preserved. This is the default for existing users migrated from a previous version.

You can also set the default zoom of the back camera (0.5×, 1×, 3×…) based on the lenses available on your device. This option is hidden on single-lens iPhones.

Draw on a photo

You can draw straight onto a photo to highlight a defect, circle an area or point at a detail:

1. Open a photo inside an annotation.
2. Tap the drawing icon (pencil), or press and hold the photo and choose Draw. The tool palette appears over the photo.
3. Pick a tool: pen, highlighter, eraser (it removes a whole stroke), circle or arrow. Set the color and stroke width, and undo or redo at any point.
4. The drawing is saved automatically over the photo.

The palette floats above the photo: drag it wherever you want and it settles against the nearest edge.

Tip

Drawing is especially useful to circle a crack, point at a defect or trace the boundary of an area to redo. It is a quick tool that often replaces a long written comment.

Note

Since version 2026.9, drawings are saved in a format shared by every platform: a drawing made on iPhone or iPad appears exactly the same in the web dashboard and in your PDF and HTML reports. Drawings made with earlier versions are converted automatically the first time you open the photo.

Photo geolocation

If you allow PhotoReport to access your location, GPS coordinates are recorded with each photo taken from the app. This information is included in exported reports.

To enable or disable geolocation, go to your iPhone Settings > Privacy > Location Services > PhotoReport.

Note

Geolocation is optional. If disabled, photos are taken normally but without GPS coordinates.

Browse, rotate and delete photos

Open an annotation to see its photos and videos. Swipe left or right to move from one to the next, and pinch to zoom in on a photo.

Press and hold a photo for its menu:

• Rotate Left: turns the photo a quarter turn to the left.
• Draw: opens the drawing tools (see Draw on a photo).
• Delete: deletes the photo.

A video offers Delete only. The same actions are also in the annotation’s options menu (Rotate Left, Delete this photo).

Deleting a photo, video or audio comment is not final. For a few seconds a bar (Photo deleted, Video deleted or Audio note deleted) offers Undo. After that, the item stays in Project settings > Recently deleted for 7 days, where anyone who can edit the project can restore it.