Accounts and beta service
On iPhone, sign in with Apple or verified email. Google is available only for identity verification inside Settings → Sign-in methods and account connections after sign-in; it is not an iPhone login option. On Android, sign in with Google or verified email. Email registration and password reset use a code valid for 10 minutes; check the junk folder if it is missing. No Google account is needed for email sign-in.
Account linking
To use one ShotMap account across platforms, open account connections, verify both identities and confirm the displayed account name and ID. Accounts that both already have content are kept separate and are not automatically merged. Your public profile username is optional, uses 3–30 English letters or numbers, and changes only after approval; your display nickname remains separate.
Your work and permission
You retain copyright and must hold the rights and any privacy or likeness permissions needed to upload and publish. You grant ShotMap a non-exclusive license, while providing the service, to store, back up, review and display your work and generate display copies and sharing previews. This does not transfer ownership or permit unrelated commercial uses. Authors control original downloads; public content may still be captured or saved by third parties.
Profile approval
On first sign-in, set an avatar and username; manual approval is required before using the app. Later changes to your avatar, username, bio, location, Instagram and background (including crop and opacity) also require review. Approved information stays public while changes are pending. If returned, read the reason, edit and resubmit. The owner can combine permissions for photos and locations, profiles, reports and appeals, and operational status. Ordinary reviewers cannot review their own profiles. Only the owner can explicitly confirm a review of their own profile changes; the decision is recorded in the audit log.
Safety and prohibited content
Do not post illegal material, pornography, child exploitation, hate, violent threats, harassment, fraud, spam or content infringing copyright, likeness or privacy. Do not expose sensitive private addresses or another person’s live location, or encourage trespass or dangerous photography. Places must be accurate and include your first work for joint review. These rules also cover avatars, backgrounds and biographies.
Authentic photography and rights
Submit real photographs you took and have the right to publish, with content that matches the photography location. Normal colour editing, cropping, denoising and HDR processing are allowed. Do not present AI-generated images, generative subject replacements or invented scenes as photographs taken at that location. Reports are allegations to investigate; missing EXIF alone does not establish copying or AI generation.
Reports, blocking and enforcement
Report copyright, suspected AI generation, privacy or other concerns using the content’s ellipsis menu. Open Reports and appeals from Messages or Settings to view cases and add text explanations and source links. Administrators can request evidence, prioritise urgent privacy risks, hide violating content or suspend accounts and provide decision reasons without exposing identities or private evidence. Each party may appeal once per case. Existing measures remain during review. Another eligible administrator reviews where available; otherwise the original administrator re-examines it. Suspended accounts can still appeal. Reporter evidence is not shared with publishers. Contact support@shotmap.app to arrange original-file review or provide significant new evidence. Limits mutual content display while signed in. Public web pages and third-party copies remain accessible. Unblock in Settings. Ordinary administrators cannot resolve reports about their own content. Only the platform owner may directly close a report about their own location or work with a required reason shared with both parties and an audit record. Evidence and existing restrictions remain; the reporter retains the normal appeal right.
Locations, weather and limits
Spot coordinates become public after approval. Check safety and permission. Verify maps, landmarks, translations, weather and sun/moon times against actual conditions. AMap compliance approval remains pending; services depend on permissions and network availability. 1–9 photos per work, up to 5MB each. Originals within the limit are not compressed. Resizing an upload copy requires consent and leaves the photo-library original unchanged. Originals are limited to 100MB and 20 works per UTC day. There is no cumulative account storage limit. New uploads may pause when server space is low, with an explanation. Camera position and subject position are separate. Search for the subject or tap its exact point and enter a name. A manually selected subject point is saved with the spot. Map-provider coordinates are used only with that provider and cached for up to 30 days; they may need refreshing. Older spots without a saved subject point depend on a successful provider lookup. If it fails, no subject pin is invented; the creator can edit and select the position again.
Where do the login photos come from?
Each time the login page opens, it randomly selects a photo from approved, publicly visible user works and credits the uploader. The background uses a display copy, does not provide the original or add a work view, and never reads unpublished submissions. A built-in image appears if no eligible photo is available or loading fails. Withdrawn, hidden or restricted photos are excluded from new background requests.
User directory
Only the owner can view the complete directory of avatars, usernames, short IDs and registration times in the management center, and assign or revoke multiple permissions for users who have passed initial profile review. Other administrators cannot access the full directory. Registration times are recorded by the server and are not public on profiles. Older accounts without an original record show “Not recorded”.
Deletion and contact
Account deletion requires fresh authentication with the account’s sign-in provider: Apple accounts also require Apple authorization revocation; Google accounts require choosing the same Google account again. Deleting a ShotMap account does not delete your Apple or Google account. Owners must transfer ownership first. Deletion removes your account, works and profile; shared places with others’ works retain necessary location facts without your attribution. The latest seven Mac backups rotate out; remaining copies and lawful retention are explained when handling deletion requests. Deletions must be replayed before a backup is restored publicly. Questions, appeals and data requests: support@shotmap.app. Delete your account in Settings after verifying again with your connected sign-in method. Apple-linked accounts also require Apple verification and authorization revocation. Owners must transfer ownership first. Read the deletion summary before confirming.
Spot contributions
Tips from other photographers, published after the spot creator approves them. Before approval, a spot contribution is visible only to its author and the spot creator. After approval, its text, author name and submission date are public. Submission, approval, return, withdrawal and removal records are stored for review and disputes; return reasons are private. Account deletion removes that account’s contributions and associated records.
Phone notifications and review reminders
On iPhone, opt into phone notifications in Settings and control task/interaction and release notices separately. Apple receives a device notification token and generic notification text; notifications do not include precise locations, photos or report evidence. ShotMap stores the token, language, app build and preferences to notify devices associated with your account. Signing out or disabling notifications unregisters the device. Tokens not registered for 90 days are deleted. Delivery records are retained for seven days and removed on account deletion. Android push is deferred; in-app messages remain available. Reviews outstanding for over five days appear in the platform owner’s queue. Owner takeover decisions are audited.
Automatic translation
Published spot names, subjects, photo notes and biographies can be automatically translated by Microsoft Translator through ShotMap servers. City and country labels use bundled multilingual names first. Translations may contain errors; refer to the original. Nicknames, user IDs and original content stay unchanged. Original text appears when translation is unavailable. Details: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/translator/ The server sends only the above published text and target language to Microsoft, excluding passwords, email addresses, local drafts, unreviewed content and photo files. Translation caches expire within seven days; removed content is no longer served.