Getting Started with Lens
What you'll learn: How to take your first verified photo in under 2 minutes.
Quick Start
- Open Lens and tap Continue on the welcome screen.
- Grant permissions when prompted (camera, location).
- Point and shoot — the data overlay appears automatically.
- Find your photo in Gallery with embedded metadata.
That's it. Your first verified capture is complete.
Core Concepts
What is "Verified Capture"?
Lens embeds real-time data directly onto your photos and videos at the moment of capture:
| Data Embedded | Source |
|---|---|
| Date & Time | Device clock |
| GPS Coordinates | Device location services |
| Address | Reverse geocoding |
| Compass Heading | Device magnetometer |
| Weather | Optional (requires enable) |
| Content Credentials | Cryptographic digital signature (Photos & Video) |
This creates proof of work — visual evidence that a capture occurred at a specific place and time.
Private by Design
- All processing happens on your device. Photos are never uploaded.
- Zero data retention. Captures are discarded immediately after transient AI processing for reports.
- No hardware identity tracking. We do not collect PI or behavioral data.
- You own your data. Export and delete at any time.
The Main Interface
Camera Screen
| Element | Action |
|---|---|
| Shutter Button | Tap to capture photo |
| Video Button | Tap to start/stop recording |
| Gallery Icon | Bottom-left — access captured media |
| Settings Gear | Top-right — adjust preferences |
| Note Area | Tap to add site documentation |
| Tap on preview | Focus at that point |
| Slide up/down | Adjust exposure |
Overlay Elements
The data overlay displays in real-time on your preview:
- Info Card — Date, time, coordinates, address
- Mini-map — Visual location context (optional)
- Compass — Heading indicator
- Custom Logo — Your branding (optional)
Taking Your First Photo
Step 1: Frame Your Subject
Position your device. The overlay updates live as you move.
Step 2: Tap to Focus (Optional)
Tap anywhere on the preview to set focus point. Slide up/down to adjust exposure.
Step 3: Add a Quick Note (Optional)
Tap the Note area on the overlay to add a site observation. You can type custom text or select from your Quick Note Templates for speed.
Step 4: Capture
Tap the shutter button. The photo saves immediately to your gallery with all metadata embedded.
Step 4: Review
Open Gallery → tap your photo → view the captured data permanently embedded in the image.
Recording Video
- Tap the video icon to switch modes (or swipe on the shutter).
- Tap record to start. The overlay displays live on the recording.
- Tap stop to finish.
- Video saves to gallery with embedded data throughout the clip.
Customizing the Overlay
Access Settings (gear icon) to adjust:
| Setting | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Project Profile | Switch between saved project presets |
| Project Name | Pre-filled from active profile |
| Quick Notes | Create and manage reusable text notes |
| Font Pairing | Choose typography style |
| Map Style | Satellite, Standard, or None |
| Show/Hide Map | Toggle mini-map visibility |
| Custom Logo | Upload your branding image |
Creating AI Reports
Generate professional PDF reports from your captures:
- Open Gallery.
- Select photos (long-press to multi-select).
- Tap Create Report.
- Add notes, adjust title.
- Generate — AI structures your report.
- Export or Share the PDF.
Next Steps
- Add a custom logo: Settings → Branding → Add Logo
- Set project defaults: Settings → Project Name
- Explore video recording: Swipe to video mode
Content Credentials
Lens supports Hardware-Backed Content Credentials to help verify the authenticity of your photos.
[!IMPORTANT] Feature Preview: This feature is currently in Preview. Verification sites will currently show "Lens App Signer" (Self-Signed) with Trusted Timestamps until our partnership with a public Certificate Authority is finalized.
Enrolling Your Device
- Go to Settings → Lens Labs.
- Toggle Content Credentials to ON.
- Tap Enroll with Hardware Key.
- Wait for the status to change to "Enrolled (Hardware Backed)".
Once enrolled, every photo you take will be digitally signed by your device's secure hardware.