Take, mark up and share job photos

Overview#

Photos are the proof of what you found and what you did. In TradesWork Field you can shoot several photos in a row, review them, leave out the bad ones, name them, and mark them up with arrows, circles, freehand lines and text before they're added to the job. Photos are saved on the phone first and upload when there's signal. The office sees them on the job, you can attach them to estimate options, and you choose which ones show in the customer's recap.

Before you start#

• You can add photos on jobs you're assigned to. Technicians, dispatchers, owners and admins can add, caption, mark up and remove photos in the field app.

• Allow camera and photo library access when your phone asks. If you said no, turn it on in your phone's Settings.

• Photo links are private. They're signed and expire after a few hours, so they can't be passed around indefinitely.

Steps#

Take photos#

1. Open the appointment and scroll to Photos.

2. Tap Take photos. The camera opens full screen.

3. Tap the shutter (Take picture) as many times as you need. A counter shows {count} taken.

4. Tap Library at any time to add pictures you already have.

5. Tap Review ({count}) when you're done.

To start from your library instead, tap Add from library in the Photos section.

Review, name and mark up before adding#

1. On Review photos ("Tap a photo to leave it out. Name it and mark it up before adding."), tap any photo you don't want. It changes from ✓ Keep to Left out.

2. Type a Name (optional) under a photo, for example "Cracked heat exchanger".

3. Tap Mark up to draw on it (see below).

4. Tap Add {count} photos (or Add 1 photo).

5. Need more? Tap Take more or Library. To throw the batch away, tap Discard all and confirm.

Photos are saved on this phone first and upload when there's signal.

Mark up a photo#

1. Tap Mark up (or Edit markup if it already has some).

2. Pick a tool: Arrow, Circle, Draw or Text.

3. Pick a color: red, yellow, blue, green, white or black.

4. Drag on the photo to draw. For Text, type a label ("Type a label, then tap where it goes"), then tap where it should go.

5. Use Undo to remove the last mark, or Clear to start over.

6. Tap Save markup.

The original photo is always kept. Markup is a layer on top that you can change later.

View, caption, share or remove a photo#

1. Tap a photo in the grid to open it full screen. Use the ‹ and › arrows to move between photos ("{n} of {m}").

2. To caption it, type in Add a caption (e.g. Cracked heat exchanger) and tap Save caption.

3. To include it in the customer's recap, tap Show in customer recap. It then reads Shown to customer · tap to hide.

4. To change markup on an uploaded photo, tap Mark up or Edit markup. This needs signal.

5. To delete it, tap Remove photo, then tap again to confirm ("Tap again to remove this photo").

Take a required photo from the checklist#

If your office requires photos (for example a Before, After or Data plate photo), they show in the stage bar's checklist as {name} photo with 1 of 2 photos style progress. Tap Take photo on that row. The photo is tagged automatically so it counts toward the requirement. See Forms and checklists.

Attach photos to an estimate option#

While building an estimate, tap Add photos under Photos for this option, pick from the job's photos and tap Done choosing. They appear on the option the customer sees. See Build and present estimates.

Settings that change this#

• Account › Photo upload quality (in the field app): Standard uploads faster on weak signal; High keeps more detail with bigger uploads. Data plate scans always use high quality.

• Settings › Operations › Forms › Required photos: which tagged photos a job needs, how many, at which stage, and whether a missing photo blocks finishing.

• Settings › Marketing › Customer Portal & Reputation: what customers see on their job page.

Tips#

• Take a wide shot first, then close-ups. Name the close-ups so the office knows what they're looking at.

• Circle the problem in red and add a short text label. It makes estimates easier to sell and warranty claims easier to file.

• Switch to Standard quality on a weak connection so photos don't pile up waiting.

Troubleshooting#

• "Camera access is off." → camera permission is denied → turn it on for TradesWork Field (or your browser) in Settings, or use Add from library.

• A photo shows "Upload failed" → it couldn't be sent → tap Retry upload. It stays on the phone until it goes through.

• A photo shows "Saved · uploads with signal" → you're offline → it uploads automatically when you're back online.

• "Couldn't save the markup" → editing markup on an uploaded photo needs signal → try again with signal.

• No Take photos button → you aren't assigned to this job or your role can't add photos.

FAQ#

Does markup change the original photo? No. The original is always kept. Markup is saved separately and can be edited.

Who sees my photos? The office sees every photo on the job. Customers see only the photos you mark Show in customer recap and the photos attached to estimate options you present.

Can I delete a photo after it uploaded? Yes, with Remove photo, on jobs you're assigned to.

Coming from ServiceTitan#

• Same: photos attach to the job and show up for the office.

• Different: you can take a batch, review it, and mark up before adding. Required photos are tagged and counted in the checklist, and photos work offline.

• Where it lived: the Attachments area of the job in ServiceTitan Mobile.