Get started
- How do I get the app?
- Why can't I sign in?
- What is the licensing of the app?
- What is Collector Classic and how do I know which Collector app I should use?
- Can my mobile workers open Collector from emails, websites, or apps?
- How can I give feedback on the app?
- Can I install a previous version of the app?
- Does using Collector consume credits?
- What is planned for Collector?
GPS accuracy and receivers
In the field
Get started
ArcGIS Collector is available on Google Play for Android devices and the App Store for iPad and iPhone.
Note:
If you can't access Google Play, see the technical article about downloading Collector from Esri.
If you're looking for Collector on Windows, see Collector Classic.
There are a couple of common issues that may occur when trying to sign in. Verify that you typed your user name and password correctly. Make sure your account is part of an ArcGIS organization (ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Enterprise, or Portal for ArcGIS 10.3.1 or 10.4.1). Collector doesn't support using ArcGIS Online public accounts. If you're using ArcGIS Enterprise, verify the URL to your portal instance, for example, https://myportal.mycompany.com/arcgis.
ArcGIS Collector is available to members of ArcGIS organizations. This includes those with a subscription to ArcGIS Online or an account on ArcGIS Enterprise. For more information, see ArcGIS account requirements for Collector and Licensing Terms of Use.
Collector Classic is the original Collector app available on Android, iOS, and Windows. The app you are reading about here is an updated Collector app, available on Android and iOS.
You can have both Collector apps installed on the same device and transition to the updated app as your organization is ready to do so. However, future development work is focused on the updated app.
Note:
If you have both Collector and Collector Classic installed on the same iPad or iPhone, and you open your map from an arcgis-collector link (for example, through ArcGIS Workforce), there is no way to specify which Collector app is used.
Yes. By using Collector links in your app, website, or email, your users can open Collector. You can specify a particular portal that should be used or map that should open, and even the location the map should center on or a feature to search for. If you want to start capturing an asset or observation, specify the layer you want to add a feature to, any attributes you want to set, the value to assign to each attribute, and if there is an application to return to when the capture is completed. See Open your map from a link for more information.
The ArcGIS Collector team wants to hear from you about the app. If you have feedback or inquiries, send an email to ArcGISCollector@esri.com. You can also provide feedback on the ArcGIS Collector GeoNet community page.
No, reverting to a previous version of the app is not supported. For details, see the Product Life Cycle for ArcGIS Collector on Android or the Product Life Cycle for ArcGIS Collector on iOS.
Collector does not consume credits; however, certain functions from ArcGIS Online that can be used in Collector do. For example, in hosted feature layers, adding features consumes Feature Storage credits, and adding photo attachments to features consumes File Storage credits. For details about credit consumption for these and other ArcGIS Online functions, see Credits in the ArcGIS Online View status topic.
Collector allows you to create an asset inventory, record observations, and perform inspections in the field. While there are no plans to add new capabilities to Collector, it will continue to be supported. New capabilities will be part of the new ArcGIS Field Maps app. ArcGIS Field Maps will be the only app your mobile workforce needs to complete their map-centric workflows. They will be able to collect data, mark up maps, capture location tracks, complete assignments, and navigate to assets all from one app. The ArcGIS Field Maps app has a beta program and will be released in three phases, the first of which will be made available in Q3 2020. Learn more about ArcGIS Field Maps.
GPS accuracy and receivers
Collector supports internal GPS receivers and external GPS receivers that output NMEA sentences. See Choose a receiver for a list of NMEA sentences that Collector can read and a list of GPS receivers that can be used with Collector.
- To use a receiver with an iOS device, it must be listed in Choose a receiver as supported.
- To use a receiver with an Android device, it must be supported on Android and output NMEA0183 sentences. Choose a receiver includes a list of receivers that the Collector development team has used with Collector.
The best way to determine the accuracy level to expect from a particular external GPS receiver is to check the website of the receiver's vendor for GPS specs. If you are looking for the accuracy level of an integrated GPS receiver or if you want to compare accuracy levels of various external GPS receivers, you may find the MTDC GPS Receiver Horizontal Accuracy Reports and Tested Accuracies published by the USDA Forest Service helpful. This organization has been testing GPS receivers of various grades to determine their horizontal accuracy in different canopy cover conditions, and in some cases, different GPS settings. While Esri does not endorse the Forest Service's results, they may be a useful guide to determine which receiver best suits your organization's needs. Esri does not officially recommend any specific receiver for use with Collector.
In the field
No, location tracking is not supported the same way it was in Collector Classic. In Collector Classic, tracking first came to ArcGIS as a special layer. This capability had a number of issues, the primary one being its lack of support for collecting tracks while in the background. The Collector Classic tracking capability was replaced by a new location tracking capability that allows sites to capture location data across their organization.
The new location tracking capability supports a variety of security and work management needs. The ArcGIS Tracker mobile app, available on Android and iOS devices, is optimized for tracking locations in the background, minimizing the impact on device battery life. The mobile app records tracks independent of a data connection and provides mobile users control of when they are and aren't tracked.
Note:
The location tracking capability is available on ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise 10.7 or later.
On iOS, Collector supports viewing tracks collected through Tracker so that mobile users can see their tracks while working. Tracker stores the tracks locally on your device, so they are available even while offline. To view tracks in Collector, turn on My Tracks in Layers 
. The tracks you see are configured through Tracker and honor the settings you make for viewing tracks.
Note:
ArcGIS Tracker must be installed and the same user must be signed in to both Tracker and Collector to view tracks in Collector.
To learn more, see ArcGIS Tracker.
Yes, you can copy a map tile package (.tpk or .tpkx) or vector tile package (.vtpk) directly to the device or SD card. Copied basemaps are available for use when working online or offline. To use the basemap on the device as the default basemap when downloading a map area, the map must reference it. If working offline, the copied basemap must overlap the extent of the map area and must have the same spatial reference as the default basemap. See Copy a basemap for more information.