User Guide¶
This guide covers every part of Flow GPS Map Camera, from your first photo to PDF reports.
Getting started¶
When you first open the App:
- Choose your language. You can change it later in Settings → App Language
- Grant permissions:
- Camera is the only one required
- Location adds the address, coordinates and map to the stamp. Approximate location works, with a less precise stamp
- Microphone is optional. The App asks for it the first time you record a video; without it, videos are recorded without sound
- The App shows its Pro plans once. Tap Skip to continue with the free version
If you deny a permission and tell Android not to ask again, the App offers a button that opens its Android settings page so you can turn it back on.
The camera screen¶
Top bar¶
| Icon | What it does |
|---|---|
| Camera options | Opens the options panel (see below) |
| Flash | Off, on, auto or torch |
| File Naming | Chooses how photos and videos are named |
| Photo Map | Shows your photos on a map |
| Switch camera | Swaps between the back and front camera |
| Crown | Flow GPS Map Camera Pro (hidden once you have Pro) |
| Settings | Opens Settings |
Camera options panel¶
Tap Camera options to open the panel:
- Ratio - 4:3 or 16:9
- Grid - composition grid lines
- Timer - a countdown before the photo is taken
- Focus - auto focus or a fixed focus mode
- Sound - the shutter sound
- Add Text - put your own text anywhere on the picture (see Text on the picture)
- White balance (AWB) - auto, or presets such as daylight and cloudy
- Level - an on-screen level to keep the horizon straight
Tap outside the panel, or press Back, to close it.
Zoom and capture modes¶
- 0.5x, 1x, 2x switch zoom. 0.5x uses the ultra-wide camera where your phone has one. You can also pinch to zoom
- Below the zoom buttons are the four modes: LOCATION SHARE, PHOTO, VIDEO and REPORTING
Bottom bar¶
| Button | What it does |
|---|---|
| Thumbnail | Opens your last photo or video |
| Locations | Saved locations you can use for the stamp |
| Shutter | Takes a photo, or starts and stops a video |
| Folder | The folder new captures are saved to |
| Template | Chooses and customises the stamp |
Turning your phone sideways¶
The camera screen stays upright in portrait. When you turn your phone, the icons and the stamp turn with it, and photos and videos are saved the right way up.
Capture modes¶
Photo¶
Tap the shutter to take a stamped photo. It's saved to your gallery in the GPSMapCamera folder, with the location also written into the photo's GPS metadata.
Video¶
Switch to VIDEO and tap the shutter to start recording. The stamp is burned into the video frames. While recording you can:
- Pause and resume
- Take a snapshot - a stamped photo taken without stopping the recording
- Tap the shutter again to stop and save
Location Share¶
Takes a stamped photo and opens the share sheet, with a Google Maps link to the spot and a link to the App.
Reporting¶
Opens Create Report, where you turn photos into a PDF report (see PDF reports).
The stamp¶
Templates¶
Tap Template to choose one of 15 stamp styles. Classic, Default, Advance and Only Map are free. The other 11, marked with a lock, come with Pro. The categories include social story styles, a compass layout and a scan location style that adds a QR code linking to the spot.
Customising what the stamp shows¶
In the template screen, tap Customize to choose what appears on the stamp:
- Address, coordinates, date and time, time zone
- Map, map type (normal, satellite, terrain, hybrid) and map scale
- Altitude, GPS accuracy, compass direction and sound level
- Country flag, a person's name and contact numbers, and custom text
- Weather: temperature, wind, humidity and pressure. Weather fields are off by default, and appear only when weather is available in your version of the App
Some fields don't apply to every template; the App greys those out.
Location and date formats¶
In Settings → Location Settings:
- Location Format - decimal (28.5509°) or degrees-minutes-seconds
- Date Format and 24-Hour Time Format
Watermark¶
Free photos carry the App's logo. With Pro you can turn it off in Settings → App Logo Watermark. In the free version you can also watch a short video, when one is offered, to remove the logo from your next photo.
Saved locations¶
Tap Locations to save places you visit often and pick one for the stamp. This is useful where GPS is weak, such as deep indoors. While a saved location is selected, the stamp uses it instead of your GPS position; select your current location again to go back.
Please use saved locations honestly: the Terms of Service don't allow using them to mislead anyone about where a photo was taken.
Text on the picture¶
Choose Camera options → Add Text, type your text and tap Done. Then:
- Drag the text to move it
- Use the corner handle to resize and rotate it
- Tap the text to select it, then edit or delete it
Text is part of the photos and videos you take until you remove it.
Folders and file names¶
- Folder (bottom bar): create folders and choose where new captures are saved. They stay inside the GPSMapCamera folder of your gallery
- File Naming (top bar): build a naming pattern from the date, time, address, coordinates, plus code, a sequence number or your own text
Gallery and photo map¶
- Tap the thumbnail to browse your photos and videos. From a photo you can Share it, see it on the Map, or Delete it
- Photo Map (top bar) shows all your photos with a location on a map
- To pick photos from elsewhere on your phone, the App uses Android's own picker, so it only sees the photos you choose
PDF reports¶
Switch to REPORTING:
- Tap Add photos and choose photos. Photos taken with the App show their coordinates, address and a View on Maps link. Photos from other apps show them if their file includes GPS data
- Remove a photo with its × button
- Open ⋮ → Report settings to set the title, company name, logo, supervisor, project, remarks and other header fields
- Choose ⋮ → Save as PDF or Save as image, or tap Share
Reports are saved to Download/GPSMapCamera/Reports and include Google Maps links for each photo.
Settings¶
| Section | Settings |
|---|---|
| Flow GPS Map Camera Pro | Upgrade to Pro, Restore purchases, Manage subscription |
| General | App Logo Watermark (Pro), Save Original Photos, QR Code Detection, Front/Rear Camera Stamp, Idle Timeout |
| Camera Settings | Image Quality, Volume Button Settings, Touch Settings |
| Location Settings | Location Format, Date Format, 24-Hour Time Format |
| App Settings | Theme, App Language, Privacy settings (where it applies), About |
A few worth knowing:
- Save Original Photos - also saves a copy of each photo without the stamp
- QR Code Detection - reads QR codes in view of the camera. Off by default
- Idle Timeout - after a minute without use, the camera and location pause to save battery. Tap the screen to resume
- Volume Button Settings - choose what the volume buttons do, such as taking a photo
- Touch Settings - tapping the preview can focus, take a photo, or do nothing
- Theme - light, dark or follow the system
Flow GPS Map Camera Pro¶
Pro removes all ads, unlocks all 11 premium templates and lets you turn off the App's watermark. Everything else is free.
- Buy it from the crown icon, a locked template or Settings → Upgrade to Pro
- Choose a monthly or yearly subscription, or a one-time Lifetime purchase
- On a new phone, or after reinstalling, use Settings → Restore purchases with the same Google account
- Cancel a subscription at any time in the Google Play Store app, or from Settings → Manage subscription