What to Avoid When Scanning: Common Mistakes

Avoid standing in the center of a room and spinning. Don't stay in one spot and rotate like a panorama. The app needs you to move through the space to calculate depth and geometry. Walk along the walls, and move forward and backward if you need more coverage.

Avoid walking sideways. Always walk forward and point the camera in the direction you're moving.

Avoid rapid or jerky movements. Skip sudden pans, quick tilts, and running through spaces. Hold the phone steady with both hands and walk at a calm, normal pace.

Avoid moving doors on camera. Don't push a door open or closed while it's in the frame. If a door is closed, point the phone away from it, open the door, then point the camera back before you step through. Ideally, open doors before you start scanning.

Avoid jumping between floors. Scan one floor completely before moving to the next. Don't scan part of the ground floor, go upstairs, and then return to the ground floor later. If the walking path makes more sense that way, it's okay to move between floors. Just keep the scan continuous and follow a logical route.

Avoid blocking the lens. Keep your fingers and any accessories clear of the camera view.

Avoid getting too close or staying too far away. Stay no closer than 5 feet (1.5 meters) and no farther than 11 feet (3 meters) from walls and objects.

Avoid scanning the ceiling. Standard ceilings don't need extra coverage, and you should only scan ceilings that are less than 7 feet. If the property has vaulted or cathedral ceilings, tilt the camera up briefly, for a maximum of 5 seconds.

Best scanning practices: the full list of recommended scanning habits.

Quick guide for scanning: a short checklist for preparing and scanning a property.