How to capture a room

01 What the app helps with

The app watches three things for you: whether the phone is level, whether you are holding it still, and how high off the floor it is.

It does not choose the shot for you. Where you stand and what you point at is still your decision.

02 Reading the screen

• The grid. It turns green when the app thinks the shot is good to take, and amber when something is off. You can switch it off in Settings under “Composition guides”.
• The level line. It tilts as you tilt the phone. Straighten it up.
• The steadiness bar. It shows how still you are holding the phone.
• The pill at the top. It reads Adjusting, Hold still, or Shoot now.
• The height. Once the phone has found the floor, it shows how high the camera is, in metres.

One short line of advice appears at a time — things like “Line the walls up straight” or “Hold still — brace or rest on a surface”. Do what it says and the pill turns to Shoot now.

03 Taking the shot

1. Frame the room the way you want it.
2. Wait for the pill to read Shoot now.
3. Press the shutter. You press it yourself — the app never fires on its own, and there is no countdown.
4. The screen flashes white and a row of pips fills in. That is the app taking several exposures at different brightnesses, all from the one press.

Hold the phone still until the pips have finished. If you move, the app says so and takes the set again.

04 Getting sharper photos

Resting the phone on a bench, a windowsill or a small phone tripod gives you the sharpest result. It is not required, but it is the easiest improvement you can make.

05 Turning the phone

Most listing photos are landscape. If you are holding the phone upright the app tells you to rotate it. The shots you have taken so far are shown in a strip at the bottom, so you can see what you already have.

06 What comes next

Photos are not finished on the phone. When you have shot the property, see What happens after you shoot.