Capturing Photos and Signatures in the Field

I've been using FieldPulse in the field for about three years now, and the photo and signature features are honestly what save me from paperwork headaches back at the office. Here's how to get the most out of them.

Taking Photos That Actually Help

The mobile app lets you attach photos directly to work orders, which sounds basic but there's a right way to do it. Pro tip: take your "before" shots from the same angles as your "after" shots. I've had customers try to dispute whether we actually replaced something, and having matching angles shuts that down fast.

When you open a work order in the app, tap the Photos tab, then the camera icon. You can snap new photos or upload from your gallery. The app automatically timestamps and geotags everything — this matters more than you'd think for warranty claims.

What I typically recommend is a simple pattern:

Wide shot of the work area
Close-up of the problem
Close-up of the fix
Wide shot showing completed work

I've seen techs lose disputes because they only took "after" photos. Don't be that person.

Getting Clean Signatures

The signature capture works best on phones with larger screens, honestly. If you're on a smaller device, rotate to landscape before handing it to the customer. The Signature field is usually at the bottom of the work order form, or your dispatcher might have it set as required before you can mark complete.

Tell the customer to use their finger, not a stylus — weirdly, it comes out cleaner. Make sure they sign in the actual box, not off to the side, or it might not save properly.

Photo Quality and Data Usage

High-res photos eat storage fast. If you're working in areas with weak signal, the app will queue uploads and sync when you're back online. But if you're taking dozens of photos per job, consider enabling compressed upload in Settings > Mobile Data. I've never had a customer complain about photo quality on the compressed setting, and it saves you when you're on 2 bars.

Customer Approval Workflow

Some companies require customer signatures on photos or checklist items, not just the work order itself. If your dispatcher set up custom checklists, you might see signature fields scattered throughout. Same process — just make sure the customer understands what they're signing off on.

Troubleshooting

App crashing when you open the camera? Force-close and reopen. Still happening? Check that FieldPulse has camera permissions in your phone settings. iOS especially likes to revoke those after updates.

Photos not uploading? Don't panic. They stay on your device until they sync. You can manually trigger a sync from the main menu if you're back on WiFi and impatient.