Using the Camera to Capture and Upload Attachments

Oftentimes, you may need to take multiple photos at once at the job site to give as much context as needed to your team and customers. We are excited to create an improved camera on the mobile app that allows you to take multiple videos (when available) and photos at once. You'll also be able to add annotations (when available) to the photos that you capture before uploading them to the job.

Photo Annotations and Video Uploads are paid features available with the HCP Cam add-on.

To use the camera to capture and upload attachments on the HCP mobile app:

Open a job and tap the Attachments + button toward the bottom of the page.

Tap the camera icon in the top right corner, then select Use camera from the menu at the bottom of your screen.

You'll now see the camera, where you have the option to capture photos or videos (when available).

If you choose to take a video, the camera will automatically stop recording at 1 minute. You will see a countdown timer to know how much time is left.

After taking a photo or video, a preview will appear in the bottom left corner of the screen.

You can tap this preview to view all photos and videos you have captured but have not uploaded to the job yet.

If you have access to photo annotations, you can tap on a photo you have taken and then annotate it using our annotation tools.

Or, click on the annotate icon immediately after capturing a photo.

Tap Save in the top right corner of the screen to save your annotations. This does not upload the photo yet. You will still need to click on Done from the capturing screen.

When you are finished capturing photos and videos and are ready to upload them to the job, tap Done in the top right corner of the camera screen.

Video Tutorial: Capture & Upload Attachments

Please Note:

Photo Annotations is a paid feature available only with the HCP Cam add-on.

Mobile Photo Uploads on iOS and Android

Photos on mobile will be uploaded in the background of the app, allowing you to continue working on other tasks in Housecall Pro while waiting for an upload to finish.

PDF uploads are available on jobs only.
PDF files have a maximum size of 5MB when uploaded from a mobile device.

The minimum versions to utilize this feature are:

Android - 2024.5.7
iOS - 2024.5.14

Please Note: To send customers photos or documents with their invoice or estimate, you must first attach them through the job details page.

Add a Photo Attachment to a Job (iOS)

To add a photo to a job on iOS:

Open a job and tap the Attachments + option toward the bottom of the page.

Tap the camera icon in the top right corner of your screen.

Select your method of uploading a photo (take a photo, or select one from your library).

If you are choosing a photo from your phone, you will need to allow Housecall Pro to access your photos.

Press Add in the upper right corner of your screen.

You can continue to navigate the app or upload more images while the upload is in progress.

Add a Photo Attachment to a Job (Android)

To add a photo to a job on Android:

Open a job and tap the Attachments + button at the bottom of the page.

Choose Take a photo or Select from library.

Add a Photo to a Job with Existing Attachments (Android)

Open a job and scroll down to the Attachments section.

Tap the pencil icon to go to the attachments page, or tap the camera icon to upload a photo.

After tapping the camera icon to upload a new photo, a menu will appear at the bottom of your screen.

Select Take a photo or Select from library.
- Select from library will access your phone's gallery and allow you to choose which photos to upload.

The image will then be uploaded into the Attachments section of the Job details page.

You can continue to navigate the app or upload more images while the upload is in progress.

Troubleshooting Mobile Photo Uploads (iOS & Android)

Failed photo uploads will be notified with an error banner and stored locally on the job details page. You will be able to retry an upload when you have a better connection or cancel the upload altogether.

To troubleshoot photo uploads on mobile:

If the image fails to upload, there will be an error message on the Job details page in the Attachments section.

Click on the attachments card or banner to view the photos.

iOS	Android

In-progress uploads will be shown with a spinning progress wheel.

Failed uploads will be shown with an exclamation point.

iOS	Android

Tap the thumbnail of the photo, and a menu will appear at the bottom of the screen with the available actions.

iOS	Android

Delete a Photo Attachment from a Job (iOS & Android)

To delete a photo attachment from a job:

Open a job and tap the pencil icon in the Attachments section.

iOS	Android

Select a photo you'd like to delete.

iOS	Android

Tap the trashcan icon, then select Delete Attachment to confirm, and you're all set!

Once the photo has been deleted, you will automatically be redirected to the Attachments page.

Photo Upload Settings

This section explains how to optimize photo file sizes for faster uploads using Photo Upload Settings, accessible from both the camera and Preferences under the “More” menu.. These settings are specific to your user account and are designed to help you manage your uploads more efficiently, whether using the HCP Camera or uploading from your device library.

Access and Change Your Photo Upload Settings

From the Camera:

When using the HCP Camera, you can access the Photo upload settings directly from the camera interface before taking a picture.

Tap the gear icon in the top right, which will lead you to the Photo upload settings page where you can make your selection.

From the "More" menu:

Select More in the navigation bar at the bottom of your screen.

Choose Preferences under Your Account in the More menu.

Within Preferences, select Photo upload settings.

To change your settings:

Access the Photo Upload Settings using one of the methods described above.

Select your desired upload quality or custom setting from the available options.

Save your changes by clicking the back arrow in the top left corner of the screen.

📌 Note: These settings are user-level specific, meaning your chosen preferences will apply to all photos you upload from your account, regardless of the device used, unless you change them again.

Optimizing Photo File Size

Smaller photo file sizes generally result in faster upload times. The Photo Upload Settings allow you to choose options that compress your images, reducing their overall size without significantly impacting visual quality.

Available Settings

Setting Option	Description
Fast upload	Faster uploads, smaller image size
Balanced	Balances image quality and upload speed
High detail	Best quality, may take longer to upload without a strong network connection