📝 Note: Photo To-Dos require iOS version 7.10.0 or Android version 4.30 to show up on Estimates and Work Orders. If you don’t see these features, update the app through the App Store or Google Play.
Photos help you document your work, show customers the results, and keep your office in the loop. You can attach photos to an Estimate or a Work Order from the mobile app in two ways:
From a To-do (guided capture): Your office sets up To-dos that ask for specific photos. Each photo you take is filed against its To-do automatically.
From Photos (standard capture): Take a photo at any time and choose its photo type when you save it.
Every photo is saved to the Photos section on the Photos tab of the Estimate or Work Order. Photos are sorted by type: Before, After, Private, and Recommended.
Each photo type helps technicians sort job photos by purpose:
Before: Shows what the area or equipment looks like before any work starts.
After: Shows the finished work so customers can see the difference. These photos also serve as proof of what was done.
Private: For photos you don’t want to share with the customer. Only ServiceBridge users can see them.
Recommended: Shows possible work that isn’t on the current work order or estimate yet.
Selecting Your Photo Source
Each time you start a capture, the app shows Select source:
Camera opens your device's camera. When you're taking an After photo, the camera opens with the Ghost Overlay.
Photo Library opens your device's photo library so you can use a photo you already took. The first time you use it, the app asks for permission to access your photos.
Select Cancel to go back without capturing.
Path | iOS | Android |
Via Photos |  |  |
Via To-Do |  |  |
Capturing Photos from a To-Do
Use guided capture when your Estimate or Work Order includes Photo To-Dos.
📝 Note: You can complete To-Dos in any order.
Open the Estimate or Work Order, and then select To-Dos.
The list shows each To-Do and your progress toward the required photos.
Select a To-Do you haven't completed yet.
📝 Note: Your office sets the photo type for each To-Do, and each photo you take is filed under that type. For example, if a To-Do asks for three Before photos, all three photos you take for it are saved as Before photos.
When your device asks, choose whether to take a new photo or pick one from your photo library.
📝 Note: This prompt comes from your phone’s operating system, so the wording is different on iOS and Android.
Take a photo, or choose one from your photo library.
Review the photo. From the review screen, you can:
Select Markup to draw on the photo.
Select Label to add labels from your office’s list, such as Damage or Roof.
Select Note to add a note and choose whether the customer can see it.
Select Retake to take the photo again. Your labels and note are kept, but your markup is removed.
Select Save to save and sync the photo. The app takes you back to the To-Do list so you can move on to the next one.
✅ Tip: Filed a photo under the wrong To-Do? You can move it after you save it:
Open the photo from its To-Do or from the Photos tab.
On the photo details screen, select Reassign.
Choose the correct To-Do, then select Done.
Capturing Photos from Photos
Use standard capture for photos that don’t belong to a specific To-Do.
Open the Estimate or Work Order, select More, then select Photos.
Select + Add Photo.
When your device asks, choose whether to take a new photo or pick one from your photo library.
📝 Note: This prompt comes from your phone’s operating system, so the wording is different on iOS and Android.
Take a photo, or choose one from your photo library.
Review the photo. From the review screen, you can:
Select Markup to draw on the photo.
Select Label to add a label from your office’s list, such as Damage or Roof.
Select Retake to take the photo again. Your labels and note are kept, but your markup is removed.
Select Note.
Under Assign photo type, choose Before, After, Private, or Recommended.
📝 Note: You need to choose a photo type before you can save.
(Optional) Enter a note of up to 100 characters and choose whether the customer can see it.
📝 Note: Customers can see notes marked as visible in the customer portal and on PDFs of estimates, work orders, and invoices.
Select Save. Your photo appears in the media library under All and under the type you chose.
✅ Tip: Need to add or change a label or note after saving? Open the photo to go to its details screen, then select Label or Note.
Finding Photos in the Photo Section
From the Photos tab, you can:
Select a type tab to filter photos, or select All to see every photo on the estimate or work order.
Switch between grid view and list view.
Sort by Newest or Oldest.
Select a photo to open its details screen, which shows who took it, when, and where.
From the details screen, you can:
Select Label to add or change labels.
Select Note to add or change the note.
Select Reassign to move the photo to a different To-Do.
Select Delete photo, then confirm to remove it.
❗ Important: Photos taken with the camera in the app can’t be recovered after they’re deleted. If you deleted a photo from an Estimate or Work Order, you can upload a new photo from your device's photo gallery.
📝 Note: Recording where a photo was taken uses your device’s location services. The first time you take a photo after updating the app, you’ll be asked to allow location access. If you don’t allow it, you can turn it on later in your device’s settings. Where to find it depends on whether you’re on iOS or Android.
Taking a Matching After Photo with the Ghost Overlay
The Ghost Overlay displays a translucent copy of the Before photo over your camera view. Line up the scene with the overlay to take your After photo from the same position, so your customer can see a true side-by-side comparison.
From a Before and After To-Do
📝 Note: The To-Do needs at least one Before photo before you can add After photos.
Select the To-Do. Photo Details — Before / After opens with the Before photo locked in place.
Select Take After Photo.
When your device asks, choose to take a new photo.
📝 Note: The ghost overlay only works when you take a new photo. It isn’t available for photos from your photo library.
Line up the camera with the ghosted Before photo. Use the Ghost opacity control to make the overlay lighter or darker.
Take the photo, review it, then select Save. The app pairs your After photo with its Before photo automatically.
✅ Tip: Already took the After photo? On Photo Details — Before / After, select Choose After Photo, select the photo, then select Create Pair.
Pairing Two Existing Photos
To view a pair, select either paired photo in the library. The Before and After photos appear side by side. To separate them, select Unpair. Both photos stay in the library.
In Photos, select Create Before / After.
Select one Before photo and one After photo of the same area.
Select Create pair.
📝 Note: You can only pair one Before photo with one After photo, and neither photo can already be in a pair. The app uses each photo’s type to place it on the correct side, so you don’t need to select them in any particular order.
Capturing Multiple Before and After Photos
Some To-Dos ask for several Before and After photos of the same area, like a room, kitchen, or yard. For equipment like an HVAC unit, you may need photos from different angles to show the whole asset.
📝 Note: Your office sets how many photos each To-Do needs. The To-Do shows what’s still missing, for example: Missing 3 Before - 3 After.
Capture Before photos
Open the To-Do and select + Add Photo.
When your device asks, choose whether to take a new photo or pick one from your photo library.
Take a photo: Line up your shot, take the photo, then confirm it.
Choose from your library: Select a photo from your device’s gallery.
On the review screen, you can add markup, labels, or a note, or retake the photo.
Select Save.
Keep taking or uploading photos until you have all the Before photos the To-Do needs. When you’re done, the app takes you back to the To-Do list.
Capture After photos
On the To-Do, select Start. The details screen for your first Before photo opens. Swipe left or right to see each Before photo.
Add an After photo in one of these ways:
Take or upload a new photo: Select + Add Photo, then choose your source. Ghost capture mode shows your Before photo as an overlay so you can line up the same angle for an accurate side-by-side comparison.
Pair an existing photo: Select Choose After Photo to see the After photos on this estimate or work order that aren’t paired yet. Select the photo you want, then select Create Pair.
Repeat for each Before photo.
Once you’ve captured all the required Before and After photos, the To-Do is complete.
If You Can't Take a Required Photo
Sometimes you can't take a photo, for example, when an area isn't reachable. You can flag the To-Do instead.
On the To-Do, select Can't do.
Enter a reason, and then confirm.
Once you flag a To-Do and give a reason, you can keep working through the rest of your To-Do list or complete the work order. If you get a chance later, you can go back to the flagged To-Do and finish it.
📝 Note: The office will be able to see the flagged To-Do.
Uploading Photos
Photos upload in the background each time the app syncs. Your photos are saved on your device with the estimate or work order, so if your connection drops, they’re kept until the next sync and nothing is lost.
Photos only upload while the app is open. If you close the app or restart your device before a sync finishes, your photos stay saved on your device and upload the next time the app syncs with a stable cellular or Wi-Fi connection.
Each photo records who took it and when, so more than one technician can capture photos on the same estimate or work order at the same time.
📝 Note: The app doesn’t show when a photo has finished uploading. To make sure your photos reach the web app, open the app and sync while you have a stable connection.