Photo Upload Button: Allow Uploading Saved Photos Instead of Taking in Real Time

Is it possible to have a take photo/upload photo button? A number of my field reps will take photos throughout the day and save them on their camera roll and then they want to be able to select those photos later when they complete their daily reports rather than take every photo in "real time"

Hi Paul,

Thanks for reaching out to Jotform Support. Currently, we have a Take Photo widget that allows you to take photos directly on your form. Just select whether the form will use the front- or rear-facing camera of a user’s device before you start collecting photos. Setting it up takes no time at all. Here’s how:

1. In Form Builder, click on the Add Element button located at the upper left.
2. Next, go to the Widgets tab, then search and drag the Take Photo widget to your form.
3. Once added, choose what Camera Facing option you wish to use, then click on the Update button once done.

Give it a try and let us know how it goes.

I know there is a take photo button. My question was in regards to being able to upload photos from the camera role.

Hi Paul,

The Take Photo widget is designed to access the device’s camera directly. But if camera permission is not granted, devices automatically allow the widget to open the gallery instead. This means your field reps can select and upload saved photos from their camera roll without needing to take them in real time. Check out my screencast below:

If you’d prefer a dedicated upload option, you can also use the standard File Upload field, which always lets users pick images from their gallery or storage.

Reach out again if there’s anything else we can help you with.

Your solution above seems to be the best way forward. If a user has already granted permission to JotForms to use the camera how can I direct them to remove that permission on their device so they get the upload from gallery option?

Hi Paul,

Since camera permissions are controlled by each device and browser, the steps depend on what your field reps are using. Alternatively, use a standard File Upload field for gallery photos. This way, your reps can always upload from the camera roll, regardless of camera permissions, and you can still keep the Take Photo widget for those who prefer live capture. Here's how:

1. Open your form in Form Builder and click on Add Element on the upper-left side of the screen.
2. Under the Basic tab, scroll down to the Field Upload element and click on it to add it to your form.

You can also specify which File Types your responders can upload. To do that:

1. Click on the File Upload field, and then click on the Gear icon to open File Upload Properties.
2. In the menu on the right side of the page click on the Options tab.
3. In the File Types section, remove unwanted file types and add the ones you want respondents to upload.

You can also check out our How to Create File Upload Forms guide for more information.

Give it a try and let us know if you have any other questions.