You can enable the tagging of your current location into the metadata of the photos you take using the default Android Camera application. Having this information stored inside your photos will let you be able to recall the location into an Android map or displayed in your Browser as a googlemap.
To enable GPS-tagging your images: access the Settings menu in the Camera application by either swiping from edge or click the hardware Menu button, followed by Settings, and then click the toggle to enable Store Location.
This feature will remain enabled until you turn it off. Each time you start the Camera app, the phone’s GPS will enable and locate your current position to store within the metadata of the pictures you take.
View the location information of your photos
In Gallery, long-press on a photo’s thumbnail in the icon view and select Show on Maps. If you are viewing the photo full screen, you can click the hardware Menu button, followed by More and then Show on Maps. Show on Maps will be greyed out and unselectable for photos that do not contain location information.
You can then choose to open your Browser with the location in http://maps.google.com or to display the location in the Android Map app or in another location-aware app. I recommend choosing the Android Map app as it allows you to apply layers (satellite, traffic), and get directions / navigate to that location.
Share photos with location information
From within Gallery, selecting to Share a photo provides several options:
Picasa
Photos with geolocation data uploaded to Google’s Picasa web service (which is Google’s competition to Flickr) will display with a googlemap of the location.
Flickr
The best way to upload to Flickr from an Android phone is to enable your Flickr mobile upload email address. Share via E-mail from within Gallery and enter the email address provided by Flickr. You can add a name, description, and tags associated with this image by following the instructions. You can adjust the privacy settings of each image by following these instructions.
You can access your online photostream from your phone and use other Flickr features, including the ability to see pictures that have been taken near your current location, by visiting m.flickr.com.
I tested several of the free Flickr apps, and none seem to support preserving your photo’s geolocation information when uploading to Flickr. I’m hopeful that the upgraded Gallery app in the upcoming Android 2.1 software release will add this functionality.
Email, Messaging, Facebook
Geolocation information is preserved in photos that you share via email and messaging too!
Unfortunately, Facebook doesn’t support the display of geolocation information in photos in their standard photo applications.
Privacy Concerns
Please keep in mind that photos you share with geolocation information will reveal the locations in which you took those photos, including possibly your home or workplace. Consider whether the photos you are sharing are going to be publicly viewable and think about whether you want that type of personal information about you available to anyone on the internet.
Resources
- General introduction to GPS photo tagging
- EXIF (photo metadata) information from Wikipedia
- Website that diplays JPG photo EXIF data (including geolocation)
- Firefox Plugin that allows viewing of EXIF data (including geolocation)
- GalleryMap is an Android app that allows you to view all of your geotagged images within the Android map applet at the same time.
QR barcode to GalleryMap app
Nice geo-tag tips Tony. THanks. Let me share an android tip with your readers…
You can set any android phone to only accept 3G data connections, and avoid Edge data connections. Open the dialer and enter *#*#4636#*#*. Then select Phone Information, and finally select WCDMA only. This will cause your android phone (including Nexus One) to only connect to 3G. If you dont have 3G wherever you are at, you will have no data connection, since the phone will no longer connect to Edge. I am using this in Mesa, AZ and it works great so far! No more flipping between Edge and 3G.
I am a programmer and a big fan of the Nexus One. I am writing extensively about it at my personal website: http://www.greymarch.com
I can’t get my location to record in texts. Nor can I receive photos via text that will let me see the location in maps. I have a G1. I tried sending to a droid.
is there an app out there that stores geolocation and orientation, i.e azimuth, elevation, magnetic heading? if so then a database of 3D images could be created.
Is the data stored in the photos anywhere or is it on the phone in some sort of database? I’m trying to export the photos w/detailed gps information so I can place them on a Layer in Layar http://www.layar.com/ . Any help is greatly appreicated. @got80s on twitter if you find this before the end of June 2010
Hi Brad, the data is stored in the EXIF data of the photo. It’s a standard format, so if Layer supports reading geo-data from EXIF, then it should have no problem identifying the location embedded in your Android photos.
More info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exchangeable_image_file_format#Geolocation
Added links:
Online EXIF data-reader website: http://regex.info/exif.cgi
Firefox plugin: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3905/