Creating and organizing albums
An album is where one job lives — photos, videos, files, the whole stack for a site visit, remodel, estimate, or personal set. Your library sits under Records. New albums stay private until you share them.
The fast path
Most of the time you only need a title.
- Open Records.
- Tap New album.
- Give it a title you’ll recognize later — street address, client name, or job type.
- Tap Create Album.
That’s enough for field work. The album opens and you can start adding photos right away.
Say you just finished a kitchen remodel. Create 123 Oak St — Kitchen remodel, drop in before/during/after shots, and you’ll have one place to open when the homeowner asks for updates.
Job / site location
Optional. Use it when the album is tied to a real place — jobsite, rental unit, inspection, venue.
On New album, open Job / site location, type the street address (suggestions can fill city, state, and postal code), and optionally show the map to nudge the pin.
Skip location for drafts or anything without a fixed address. Putting the address in the title still helps you find it later.
More options
Everything else lives under More options on the create screen. Leave that closed unless you need it.
Album type
Optional pattern for the same views over time — remodel stages, a vehicle walkaround, progress check-ins. On a busy day you can skip this and rely on a clear title.
| Type | Good for |
|---|---|
| Remodel / build / jobsite | Same rooms or elevations each stage |
| Vehicle | Walkaround angles over time |
| Progress / personal | Optional check-ins with the same framing |
| Custom | Type your own label |
Picking a type may suggest a name and a few labels. It does not change privacy or sharing. Clear it with ✕ if you change your mind before create.
Encrypt this album
Optional. Photos are encrypted on this device with AES-256 before upload. Other albums stay unchanged.
You can turn encryption on when creating the album, or later from the album’s lock settings. Two modes:
| Maximum privacy | Recoverable encryption | |
|---|---|---|
| On-device crypto | AES-256 before upload | AES-256 before upload |
| Can FWDLink recover it? | No | Yes, with account verification (escrow key) |
| If you lose the passphrase / PIN | Photos are gone | Recover with email (and phone OTP when enabled) |
While encrypted:
- You must unlock the album before uploading more photos.
- You can still create a password-protected or Private share link.
- Monetization (paid unlock, memberships, tips, sales) and open public distribution are not available for this album.
- Use your vault PIN as the passphrase, or set a separate one.
To reverse later: unlock the album → Remove encryption… → confirm. Photos are decrypted on this device and stored like a normal album afterward.
For the lock layer itself, see How Album lock works. For what you can share from a locked album, see Sharing from the vault.
Client
Optional. Link a customer when the album is for a job or estimate.
Open More options → Client, search an existing contact or type a new name, and optionally add phone, email, customer type, and billing address.
Skip for personal albums. You can usually add a contact later from the album or CRM.
Labels
Optional short tags for filtering later — construction, insurance claim, travel, and so on.
Open More options → Labels, pick presets and/or add a short custom label.
Prefer a clear title first. Add tags only if you filter by job type often.
After you create
Open the album, then use Upload, Add, or the camera. Wait for uploads to finish before you leave the screen.
A few habits that pay off:
- Keep related media in the same album when you plan to share one link.
- Mix photos and documents when the job needs both.
- Storage limits live in Plans and storage overview.
- When you’re ready to send work out, see Sharing an album.
Name and organize
| Prefer | Avoid |
|---|---|
| Martinez — roof repair Apr 2026 | Album 3 |
| 123 Oak St — kitchen | Misc photos |
| Unit 4B — move-out | Untitled |
One album per job, site, or deliverable. Rename when scope changes; split oversized mixed albums. Archive or delete empties so the list stays scannable.
Troubleshooting
I don’t see New album
Sign in and open Records in a workspace you can edit.
Upload fails
Check connection and plan storage in account settings.
I can’t find an album
Search part of the title or a label; confirm you’re in the same workspace.
Need more help?
Help Center · Contact support.