Preparing to Scan

Preparing Your Device & Space for Scanning

Before starting any scan, a few quick steps will help ensure your device is ready and your space is set up for the best possible results, regardless of which capture mode you're using.

Prepare Your Device

Scanning is resource-intensive. Taking a minute to configure your device beforehand helps prevent interruptions and ensures you have enough power and storage to complete your capture.

1Check Your Battery

Scanning uses a significant amount of battery, especially on larger projects or multi-room captures. Make sure your device is well charged before you begin.

  • Charge to at least 80% before starting a scan session
  • Use a battery pack for extended sessions. Plug in a portable charger if you're scanning a large space or expect to be scanning for more than 20–30 minutes
Tip: Battery usage varies by device model and project size. Starting fully charged is always the safest option, particularly for scanning more than 5,000 sq ft.

2Enable Do Not Disturb

An incoming call or notification can interrupt your scan mid-session and degrade the quality of your capture. Turn on Do Not Disturb before you open Polycam.

  • On iPhone: swipe down from the top-right to open Control Center, then tap the Focus / Do Not Disturb icon
  • Or go to Settings → Focus → Do Not Disturb and enable it
Important: Even a brief notification pop-up can cause tracking loss. Enable Do Not Disturb every time before starting a scan.

3Check Available Storage

Scan data is stored locally on your device by default. Running out of storage mid-scan can cause processing to fail or data to be lost.

  • Have at least 5 GB of free space available on your device before scanning
  • To check: go to Settings → General → iPhone Storage and review the available space shown at the top
  • Delete unused apps, files, or raw data from previous captures to free up space if needed before starting
Local Storage: For Space and Floorplan mode, all processing types except Cloud processing store captures locally on your device. Make sure you have enough space before beginning, especially for larger or multi-level scans. Once processing is complete, you can upload captures to Polycam's cloud for backup.

4Airplane Mode (If Needed)

In some locations with poor or no cellular service, the app may have trouble launching or become unresponsive while trying to connect to the network.

  • If you experience issues opening Polycam in areas without service, try enabling Airplane Mode before opening the app
  • Swipe down from the top-right corner to open Control Center, then tap the Airplane Mode icon
Note: Airplane Mode is only needed if you're having trouble launching the app in low-connectivity areas. For most scans with good signal or Wi-Fi, you can leave this off and benefit from cloud syncing during processing.

Prepare Your Space

Once your device is ready, take a moment to set up the space you're scanning. A well-prepared environment leads to more accurate models, better floorplans, and fewer tracking issues.

5Open All Doors

For Space and Floorplan mode, open every door that leads to an area you plan to scan before starting and keep them open for the duration of the scan.

  • Do not open or close doors while a scan is in progress. Moving a door during an active scan can degrade capture quality and affect how the door is represented in the floorplan.
  • The system needs to observe a door in its fixed, open position to accurately determine its swing direction in the generated floorplan.
Do not move doors mid-scan. If a door is accidentally moved while scanning, it may cause artifacts or inaccurate geometry in your 3D model and floorplan. Set all doors to their final position before you begin.

6Turn On the Lights

Good, even lighting helps the camera capture texture and detail, which improves reconstruction quality and reduces the chance of tracking issues or blur.

  • Turn on all lights in the rooms you plan to scan, even during the daytime
  • Avoid strong directional sunlight or golden-hour light coming through windows, which can cause glare and uneven exposure
  • For darker corners or under-stair areas, use the built-in flashlight toggle within the Polycam app to illuminate hard-to-reach spots while scanning
Best lighting conditions: Evenly lit rooms with all overhead lights on produce the most consistent and detailed captures. Avoid scanning in rooms lit only by a single directional source or in direct sunlight.

7Clear Your Path

You'll need to walk around the entire space to capture it fully. Before scanning, make sure you can move freely through all areas.

  • Remove items from the floor and from corners of walls so the system can accurately detect floor plan boundaries
  • Move large furniture or objects that are blocking doorways or tight corridors you intend to scan
  • Cover large mirrors and glass surfaces if possible, as these can interfere with the LiDAR sensor and cause tracking issues or artifacts. If this is not possible, attempt not to scan directly at the reflective fixture

Prepare Your Object

If you're using Object Mode, preparation focuses on your subject and the area around it rather than a full room. A well-set-up object capture leads to more accurate geometry and fewer reconstruction issues.

1Position Your Object

Place your object in a space where you can walk completely around it and capture it from all angles, including from above and below where possible.

  • Clear at least 3–4 feet of space around the object so you can move freely at multiple heights
  • Place it on a stable surface that won't move or shift during your capture session
  • Use a contrasting background that is visually distinct from your object to help the app separate the subject from its surroundings

The underside of an object is one of the most commonly missed areas. Before you start, think about how you'll capture the base. Elevating the object on a small box or stand makes it much easier to get a full ring of upward-angled shots around the bottom.

2Check Your Lighting

Even, diffuse lighting produces the best results for object captures. Harsh shadows and bright reflections interfere with the reconstruction process.

  • Use soft, even lighting from multiple directions to eliminate harsh shadows
  • Avoid direct sunlight or single point light sources aimed at the object
  • Overcast outdoor conditions or an evenly lit indoor space both work well

3Prepare Reflective or Transparent Surfaces

Reflective, transparent, or featureless surfaces are difficult for photogrammetry to reconstruct accurately. Take a moment to address these before starting.

  • Featureless surfaces such as plain plastic, bare metal, or blank packaging can be lightly coated with chalk spray before capturing. This gives the software more texture to work with and significantly improves reconstruction quality. The coating wipes off easily afterwards
  • Reflective or transparent surfaces can be covered with paper and a scribble pattern, or use matte spray on transparent objects
  • Alternatively, consider using Gaussian Splats in Object Mode, which handles reflective and transparent materials with less preparation needed