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Quick reference

ArcGIS Field Maps allows you to access your maps, collect data, track your location, and annotate your maps, all in one app on your mobile device, even when disconnected. You can communicate your ideas and share information with others with maps enabled for editing or the included markup tool. Use Field Maps alone or in combination with other ArcGIS field apps for greater efficiency in your field activities. The maps and capabilities you can access in ArcGIS Field Maps depend on what licenses you have. See Requirements to learn more about what licenses and privileges are required for collecting data and location tracking.

When using ArcGIS Field Maps, you'll work with the following:

  • Maps list—Find and open the maps that matter to you, and toggle location tracking on and off.
  • Map and panel—Visualize and interact with your data, including initiating data collection.
  • Data collection form and location target—If you’re working with an editable map, you can use the form and location target when capturing a new asset or observation or performing an inspection and updating an existing asset or observation.

Maps list

Find the maps you want to work with through browsing and searching. The available maps include those you've made or that are shared with a group of which you are a member. If you don't have a data connection, only on-device maps are included.

Maps list
  1. Search—Enter text to find a map. You can tap Read-only or Editing to limit the list to maps with these capabilities. Your search term is used to filter the maps in the list.

    The search function searches the maps displayed in the categories shown, as well as all publicly accessible maps on your portal (ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise). Your search term is used to filter the maps on your screen as well as one or two additional categories—one titled with your organization's name and another titled ArcGIS Online. If you are using an Enterprise portal without the ability to search ArcGIS Online for content, you won't see the ArcGIS Online category.

  2. Profile—View your currently signed-in account and the data collection, location tracking, and general settings associated with it.
  3. Current section—Shows the open map. Tap the map card to return to the map. This section displays if you have an open map.
  4. Map card—Open the map or access map areas. If the map has the text Offline areas on the map card, it has offline map areas.
    • Maps without offline map areas can be opened and used without downloading the map to your device. You can add an offline map area if the map supports offline use.
    • Maps with offline map areas must be downloaded before they can be used. Tap the map to view, download, and manage the available offline map areas, or to add your own.

    A map area with a download icon Download can be downloaded to your device. A map area with an Overflow menu Overflow is already on your device and can be synced or removed. If it is a map area you defined on the device, you can also rename it.

  5. On device section—Shows mobile map packages (MMPKs) and maps with map areas downloaded to your device. If location tracking is enabled for your organization, the first map under On device is titled My tracks. You can toggle tracking on or off to set the tracking duration and tap the map card to view the map of tracks collected on your device. See Track mobile users to learn more about location tracking.
    Note:

    The On device section only displays if MMPKs or map areas are downloaded to your device, or if location tracking is enabled for your organization.

    The My tracks map card will move to the Current section when it's the currently open map.

  6. My maps section—Shows maps you own.
  7. Groups section—Shows groups of which you are a member that have shared maps. This only displays if you are a member of any such groups. Tap on a group card to view the maps in a group.
Note:

If you are using the app without signing in, your screen appears slightly different. You'll see the Sample Maps category, and the search function will search Sample Maps and ArcGIS Online. You can tap Profile Profile to sign in.

Map and panel

Open a map to interact with it. Find, view, and capture assets or observations, mark up the map, and share notes with others. Tap on an asset or observation to view the panel and use it to view information and start capturing assets or observations or performing inspections. Use the Maps list to open a map.

Note:

The capabilities available in a map depend on the licenses you have and how the map is configured.

Map and panel
  1. Back—Go back to the Maps list. If you opened the map from a group or list of map areas, the arrow takes you to the group or list of map areas in the Maps list.
  2. Sync—The Sync icon Sync (when there aren't pending edits) appears if you are working in an offline map area that’s part of a map that has been enabled for editing. Tap Sync Sync (when there aren't pending edits) to send your changes. When the sync icon has a dot Sync (when there are pending edits), you have pending edits. See Sync your work.

    Depending on the configuration of the map you are using, sync may get changes that were made since your download and copy them to your device. See Optimize download and sync.

  3. Layers—View the layers in the map, change their visibility, and see any errors.
  4. Search—Find addresses, places, assets, and observations. Search honors what is configured in the map. See Configure feature search in ArcGIS Online or Configure feature search in ArcGIS Enterprise. Finding addresses and places requires an internet connection. You can search for assets, observations, and coordinates without a connection.
  5. Overflow—Change the basemap, view and use bookmarks, view the legend, measure on the map, add markup to the map, or share a link to the map. If the map is enabled for editing, the option to Edit Multiple features appears.
    Note:

    When using markup, different tools are available. For more information, see Markup.

  6. GPS banner—See information about your GPS. Tap the banner to see additional details, including the accuracy, time the position was received, and location provider. If location tracking is enabled for your organization, you can toggle Track my location on and off and set the tracking duration.
  7. Map—View and interact with your assets and observations. Tap an asset or observation to view its form.

    You can pan, zoom in and out, and rotate the map. Long press to use a magnifier and drop a pin at a location of interest or search to get result pins on the map. Tap a pin to view its details.

    Tip:

    If you rotate the map, the rotation angle is shown by a compass Rotation compass in the upper right corner of the map. Tap that icon to remove the rotation and orient the map north.

  8. GPS button—Display where you are. It has three modes: your location displayed on the map (GPS), the map automatically centering on your location while oriented north (GPS autopan), and the map automatically centering on your location and oriented the direction you are facing (GPS compass mode). Tap it to switch between the centered modes. Pan the map to stop centering on your location. If your current location is unavailable, the icon is gray (GPS unavailable).
  9. Your location—Where you are. Recenter it on the screen by tapping the GPS button. This displays while your location is in the current extent and ArcGIS Field Maps can access your location.
  10. Features—View your assets as features on the map. Tap a feature on the map to see its details in the panel, including any attachments, related records, or media (including charts and images).
  11. Add—The Add icon Add appears on maps that are enabled for editing. Start capturing an asset or observation at your location. This shows the data collection form and tools. See Capture.
  12. Panel—Tap on an asset, observation, or markup to view additional information. Swipe the panel up to view more information at once. Here, the panel shows the form for the selected asset and the actions that can be taken with it. The panel can also show details of other items, such as search results and dropped pins, or it can show a list of results, such as the assets and observations selected on the map or search results. The panel is also used to display some specialized content, such as available basemaps or outstanding edits that can be synced.

    When the panel displays a list, tap an item of interest to view its form (for assets and observations) or details (for pins). When displaying a single item (not a list or specialized content), the panel provides access to actions. Depending on the amount of information displayed, actions are available either in-line or on a toolbar.

    Actions include Directions Directions, Compass Compass (to get distance and bearing to the location), and Add to My Places Add to my places.

    Forms include the details about the asset or observation and access to any attachments. In addition to photos and videos, you can view attached audio clips, PDFs, Microsoft Word documents, and Excel spreadsheets if you have apps for them on your device. From the form, you can save attachments to your device. Tap the asset or observation's symbol to zoom to it. Depending on the editing permissions, you may also see actions for Edit Edit, Copy Copy, Delete Delete, and Collect Here Collect here. If there are related assets, observations, or reports, you can jump to the Related Related items. See Capture and Inspect.

    Tip:

    A related asset, observation, or inspection (report) is accessed through the form of the asset or observation to which it is related. Use the Related section of the form to select a related asset, observation, or inspection. Depending on what is supported by your relationship, you can add new related items, view read-only forms, and start editing. See Capture an asset or observation related to another and Add a related report.

Data collection form and location target

If the currently open map has been enabled for editing, you can collect data using the data collection form. The data collection form opens when you start capturing a new asset or observation or inspect an existing one. When filling out a form, use the location target to update the asset or observation's location. To start filling out a form and providing location, use the map and read-only form.

Data collection form and location target
  1. Cancel—Stop capturing a new asset or observation, or discard edits made to an existing one during an inspection.
  2. Submit—Save the new asset or observation, or save the changes made to an existing one. If you're working online, others immediately see your edits. If you're working offline, your edits are available to others once you sync Sync (when there aren't pending edits) them.
  3. GPS banner—See information about your GPS. Tap the banner to see additional details, including the accuracy, time the position was received, and location provider. If location tracking is enabled for your organization, you can toggle Track my location on and off.
  4. GPS button—Recenter the location target on your location. This displays when the location target isn't centered on your location.
  5. Location target—Where an asset or observation (or a point in the location of a length or area) will be placed on the map. It is composed of a circle and crosshairs. It displays if your layer allows updates to the location. See Capture, including the Edit location section.

    If the GPS button doesn't display, the map is already centered over your location and the location target moves with you. If the GPS meets the required accuracy, the circle of the location target is blue, as is the text in the GPS banner. Otherwise, the circle and text are red. If the location target isn't centered over your location, the GPS button displays, the circle of the location target is gray, and the text in the GPS banner is gray.

    Note:

    The circle isn't an accuracy indicator. Use the GPS banner for accuracy information.

  6. Form—Fill out entries to provide information. You can expand the panel to see more of the form while filling out entries. See Fill out forms.
  7. Overflow—Edit the location, such as undoing changes, updating and deleting points, and streaming.
  8. Update Point (single places)—Move the asset or observation under the location target. This displays if your layer allows updates to the location.

    It is replaced by Add Point for lengths and areas, which adds a point to the asset or observation under the location target.

  9. Take Photo and AttachAdd photos and videos. This displays if your layer supports attachments.
  10. Form entry—An entry in the form where information can be provided.
Note:

When working with the map outside of data collection, a blue dot on the map shows your location. This is intentionally hidden during data collection when the map is centered over your location—the dot obscures the area around you, which is often your area of interest.