Why Does It Take a Few Seconds to Add a Photo to My Report?

If adding a photo from your camera roll is slow, especially if it has gotten worse over time, the cause is almost always one of two things on your iPhone. Neither one is a problem with your report, and both are quick to fix.

1. Your iPhone is taking very large photos

Newer iPhones take 24 MP or even 48 MP photos by default. Those files are big, and Tap Inspect has to shrink every one of them before it can go into your report. Bigger photos mean a longer wait each time.

Your report doesn't need them that big. Report photos end up at about 4 MP or less (see What is the resolution of photos in my report?), so a 12 MP photo looks exactly the same in the finished report as a 48 MP one.

To switch to 12 MP:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap Camera, then tap Formats.

3. Under Photo Mode, choose 12 MP

   

4. iPhone Pro models only: if you see ProRAW & Resolution Control, turn it off. This setting only shows up on Pro iPhones, so if you don't see it, you can skip this step.

Not sure what you're looking at? Here's a quick video.

Tip: iOS updates and new phones can quietly reset these settings. If photos suddenly slow down after an update or a phone upgrade, check here first.

2. The photo has been moved to iCloud

If you use iCloud Photos with Optimize iPhone Storage turned on, your iPhone moves older full-size photos to iCloud to save space. When you add one of those photos to a report, your iPhone has to download it first. That can take several seconds, or longer on a weak signal.

Ways to avoid it:

• Take photos in Tap Inspect as you inspect (see Take a Photo in Tap Inspect), or add camera roll photos to the report soon after you take them.
• If you shoot first and write later, try to add your photos the same day while you have a good connection.
• If your iPhone has room, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Photos and choose Download and Keep Originals. This uses more storage on your iPhone.

Still slow?

If your camera is set to 12 MP and you're adding fresh photos but it's still slow, try Force Quit and Restart the App first. If that doesn't help, contact support and let us know your iPhone model, iOS version, and roughly how long each photo takes to add.

Related articles

• Photo Workflows: Find the Fastest Way to Capture and Mark Up Photos
• Add Existing Photos to a Tap Inspect Report
• What is the resolution of photos in my report?