For riders · Updated
How the GPS check works (and adding a note)
The app checks how far your photo was taken from the stop and shows the result to the reviewer. It's only a hint. You can always send your photo, and add a note if the location looks off.
How it works
Before your first photo, the app asks whether it can use your photo's location. Choose Allow for the check below, or Not now to send photos with no location at all (the reviewer judges them by eye). The line under Take photo shows which you picked and lets you change it.
- When you pick a photo, the app reads where it was taken, if the photo has that.
- If the photo has no location and you used Take photo, the app uses your phone's location instead, if you allow it.
- It compares that spot with the stop's pin and shows you a message before you send.
The three messages
- Location looks like a match. You were inside the stop's zone, so the reviewer can approve it fast.
- This photo looks about 2.3 mi from the stop (with your real distance). You can still send it. Add a note if there's a reason.
- No location in this photo. That's fine. The reviewer will judge it by eye.
Adding a note
Below the photo, type in Tell the reviewer why (optional) when it looks far, or Anything the reviewer should know? (optional) otherwise. For example: "The mural is on a private lot. I shot it from the road." Keep it under 500 characters. The reviewer sees your note next to the photo.
A heads-up when you pull in
Turn on arrival alerts on your card and leave the card open while you ride. When you're inside a stop's zone that still needs a photo, an orange You're at banner appears. Tap Take your photo to go straight to that stop, or Not now to hide it for the rest of the ride.
- It only works while the card is open on your screen. Phones don't let a web page watch your location in the background.
- Your location stays on your phone. The app only compares it with the stops and never saves where you've been.
- Tap Turn off under the card title to stop it.
Good to know
- Each stop has its own zone, set by your chapter, from about 500 feet up to 1 mile. New stops start at about 1,650 feet (500 meters).
- A far reading doesn't mean a rejection. A person looks at your photo. Some chapters approve GPS matches automatically and review the rest by hand.
- If your phone asks to share your location, saying no is fine. You can still send the photo.
- Some phones leave the location out of photos picked from the library.
- The saved photo carries no location data. The app reads the spot first, sends it along for the check, then uploads the photo without it.