FAQ for mobile workers

General

Project usage

Location sharing in the mobile app

General

What are the supported platforms and system requirements?

ArcGIS QuickCapture is available for iOS, Android, and Windows. See Device requirements for the mobile app for more information.

How do I get the app?

ArcGIS QuickCapture is available from Google Play for Android devices and the App Store for Apple devices. You can also download Android and Windows installation files from the QuickCapture Resources page.

How is ArcGIS QuickCapture licensed?

To use projects, the Field Worker, Creator, or GIS Professional user type is required. An Editor user type with a QuickCapture add-on license can also be used. See ArcGIS account requirements for more information.

How do I connect to my ArcGIS Enterprise organization?

When you start the app, sign in with ArcGIS Enterprise and enter the URL of your 10.7.1 or later portal. You will then be prompted for your ArcGIS Enterprise credentials.

Note:

Optionally, click the QR code scanner to enter your portal address. QR codes are created using third-party apps or websites, and the portal URL in the QR code should be of the format https://host.domain.com/webadaptor.

For example, the URL arcgis-quickcapture://?portalUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fhost.domain.com%2Fwebadapter&externalBrowserSignIn=true will open the portal sign-in dialog box in an external browser.

Why can't I sign in?

Do the following if you are having trouble signing in:

  • Verify that you typed your username and password correctly.
  • Ensure that you are using an ArcGIS account, that it is a valid user type, and that the appropriate app is assigned to you. See ArcGIS account requirements for more information.

How can I give feedback on the app?

To submit feedback directly from the mobile app, tap your profile icon and select Feedback from the menu. You can also provide feedback on the QuickCapture Esri Community page or by sending an email to QuickCapture@esri.com. If you're experiencing issues using the app, contact Esri Technical Support.

Can I roll back to a previous version of the app?

No. Rolling back to a previous version of the app is not supported. For details, see the Product Life Cycle for ArcGIS QuickCapture.

How is my personal information used by QuickCapture?

QuickCapture allows you to capture observations by tapping a button that represents the observation type you want to capture. These observations can be points (for example, a type of hazard), lines (for example, a stretch of road in poor condition), or polygons (for example, an area of weed cover), depending on the project being used. To capture these observations, QuickCapture does the following with your information:

  • Uses your location to record the coordinates of each observation you capture, before uploading them to ArcGIS for mapping and analysis
  • If configured by the project author, may include personal information such as your ArcGIS username, dates, and photos in captured observations
  • Stores signed-in user information locally in the app's secure storage to support automated sign-in

Captured observations are secured using ArcGIS role-based access control. This means that while on the device, only the signed-in user is able to access captured observations. Once uploaded to ArcGIS, observations are only accessible to users in your organization who have been granted the required privileges. Additionally, uploaded observations are subsequently removed from the device.

QuickCapture does not retain any of your location information in the app. Information added to ArcGIS is subject to Esri's Proprietary Rights Acknowledgment and will be handled in accordance with Esri's Privacy Policy.

Can I use the mobile app without an ArcGIS account?

Yes. You can use the mobile app without signing in and download publicly shared projects as long as you have been provided a project access or QR code.

Project usage

How do I get started with the mobile app?

To start capturing data with the QuickCapture mobile app, you need to download a QuickCapture project. Projects are created using the QuickCapture designer and then shared with the signed-in user. If you don't yet have access to your projects, you can download and test a selection of example projects using the Continue without signing in option in the mobile app.

Can I edit a project in the app?

No. Editing a project in the app is not supported.

Why is my line or polygon not captured?

Lines and polygons are not captured until the user moves a minimum distance from the first vertex. Lines require a minimum of two vertices and polygons require a minimum of three vertices.

How can I improve the location captured by my device?

You can improve the accuracy of the location captured by your device by using a high-accuracy receiver.

There is a broad range of GNSS receivers that can connect to your smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth.

How can I limit battery consumption when using QuickCapture for long periods of time?

Consider the following methods to limit battery consumption:

  • Battery saving mode—Go to Settings > Battery saving mode and enable the option. Battery saving mode is on by default on iOS devices.
  • Autosend—Go to Settings > Autosend and either reduce the autosend frequency or disable autosend completely.
  • Device settings—Configure settings on your device to improve battery consumption. For example, disable Wi-Fi and 4G if not required, reduce screen brightness, or lock the screen when not interacting with the app.

How can I use the location from my drone to capture records in QuickCapture?

QuickCapture can be configured to use the location of a drone that is controlled using Site Scan for ArcGIS. In QuickCapture Settings, choose Provider and choose Add Provider Via Network. Enter the Hostname and Port parameters taken from Site Scan and select Add. QuickCapture now receives location updates from Site Scan. For more information, see Site Scan for ArcGIS integration.

Why are photos that were taken in landscape mode in QuickCapture rotated 90 degrees when viewed in other ArcGIS apps?

On iOS, when Portrait Orientation Lock is on, turning your device to a landscape orientation will only change the preview on the screen; the image will still be captured in portrait mode. To capture photos in landscape, ensure Portrait Orientation Lock is off.

Why don't I see the expected project web map?

If a project is used while the device is offline and no offline map was configured by the author, a default offline basemap is used. When the device is online, the configured web map does not automatically reload. You must close and reopen the project while online to see the configured web map.

If the device is online but you still can't see the features on the web map, a restriction on who can view records may have been set for the feature layer. Contact the project author for more information.

Why does the location marker lag behind the device location on the map?

When zoomed in and moving at speed, it will appear that the location marker lags behind the device location. This is a result of smoothing applied to the map updates. This visual display does not have an impact on the location of captured records or vertices.

Location sharing in the mobile app

How does location sharing work in the QuickCapture mobile app?

If location sharing is configured in the project, tracks can be captured when the project is open in the QuickCapture mobile app. If location sharing is configured to be required, the mobile worker cannot turn it off. If it is not required, the mobile worker can start or stop location sharing when they choose.

Optionally, a project may be configured to only update the last known location layer and not upload tracks.

QuickCapture relies on fused location providers that determine location through available on-device hardware, including (but not limited to) Wi-Fi, GPS, and cellular networks. These locations are stored locally on the device until they're uploaded to the location sharing layer. The minimum distance required between points is 10 meters.

Tracks are uploaded every 10 minutes.

Separately, the last known location of the mobile device is updated every 60 seconds by default. This interval can be modified by the project author to be 15 or 60 minutes.

Can an organization automatically start and stop location sharing on a mobile device?

No. The mobile worker is in complete control of when they are recorded and sharing their location with others.

Can mobile workers see the locations of other mobile workers in the QuickCapture mobile app?

By default, no, unless the project has been configured to use a web map that contains a track view.

While mobile workers can only see their tracks, other users who are not administrators—such as supervisors and field crew chiefs—need to view the tracks of others. A track view contains the last known locations and tracks of a set of mobile workers. Anyone with the privilege to view location tracks and access to a track view can view the tracks of the specified mobile workers. For more information, see View tracks.

Will using location sharing in the QuickCapture mobile app drain my device's battery?

Yes, any running app uses the battery. However, the impact of location sharing in QuickCapture is minimal.

Does location sharing in the QuickCapture mobile app work offline?

Yes. Once a mobile worker has signed in to QuickCapture and has started location sharing, tracks are collected whether or not the device has a data connection. All tracks are stored locally on the device until they are uploaded to the location sharing layer.

How does location sharing work when there is no GPS signal?

Although location sharing in QuickCapture works when there is no data connection, meaning no internet access is required, it does rely on multiple hardware components to determine the mobile worker's location. The most important is the GPS receiver. QuickCapture records all positions that it receives that meet accuracy thresholds set for the project. Both horizontal and vertical accuracy of positions are recorded and can be used to filter the tracks later.

In some cases, QuickCapture may not receive a GPS signal and may not have enough other auxiliary information to determine a location. In those scenarios, tracks won't be recorded. One example of when this may occur is when the device is underground (for example, the mobile worker is on the subway, in a basement, or in a tunnel). In many instances, GPS positions can be acquired when the device is in airplane mode.

Will QuickCapture record locations indoors?

QuickCapture relies on the Android and iOS location services for positions. It doesn't honor any indoor positioning APIs. If you're looking for indoor location sharing, see ArcGIS Indoors.

How are tracks removed from the device?

Tracks are removed from the device once they have been sent.

What happens when a mobile worker signs out of the app?

When a mobile worker signs out, any unsent tracks will be sent and deleted from the app. If the device is offline, a message will appear, warning the mobile worker that unsent tracks will be deleted.

Signing in again as the same user doesn't restore the removed information.

What location mode is recommended for Android devices?

Android devices support four location modes: high accuracy, battery saving, device/sensor only, and off. It's recommended that mobile workers on Android use high accuracy mode. This generally provides the best location accuracy by using a combination of GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and mobile networks. Since QuickCapture efficiently requests locations and minimizes its impact on battery life, you can use high accuracy mode and get the most accurate locations.

How is the value for the location track's activity attribute determined?

Each track point has an associated activity, which is an integer value representing one of the following:

IntegerActivity

0

Unknown

1

Stationary

2

Walking

3

Running

4

Cycling

5

Automotive

The activity is determined by Core Motion on iOS and ActivityRecognitionClient on Android, with QuickCapture honoring the activities common between the two systems. Each of these APIs relies on sensors including accelerometers, gyroscopes, the pedometer, the magnetometer, and the barometer of your device. If you constantly see a value of Unknown, it's possible your device has limited sensors available.

Why do some locations show stationary activity with a nonzero speed?

The activity and speed values are determined by different sensors on the device. The activity value is determined from native APIs, and the speed value is determined from the location services APIs (the device’s GPS). In some cases, the change in the activity value may be delayed.

Some steps have been taken to mitigate this. For example, on the Android platform, the QuickCapture mobile app monitors the change in acceleration to determine when to start and stop requesting locations from the GPS sensor. This results in some scenarios in which the last known activity is stationary, but a new location with a new speed value is recorded. The two data sources combine to create and upload a track point that has a stationary activity with a speed greater than zero.