Taking photos
You only need the grotto phone. Take the photos, show the QR code, and the family does the rest.
Connect the grotto phone to the venue wifi if there is one. If not, make sure it has a strong 5G signal. Each photo is sent at full quality, so a weak or patchy mobile data connection can make photos slow to send.
Logging in
- Scan the "Staff login" QR sheet, or open the staff login link your manager gave you.
- Type the 4 digit staff PIN.
- Tap Camera. You stay logged in until midnight.
Five wrong PINs on one phone locks it out for 15 minutes, so check with your manager if you're not sure of the PIN.
Before the doors open
- Charge the grotto phone fully, and keep a charger or power bank nearby.
- Connect to wifi, or check the 5G signal where Santa sits.
- Open the camera and allow camera access if the phone asks.
- Take a test photo to check the frame and the lighting.
- Turn the phone's screen brightness up so families can scan the QR code easily.
For each family
- Tap Start a new family.
- Tap Take photo. The frame is added for you. Take as many as you like; the counter shows how many, and "Photo saved!" confirms each one has sent.
- Tap End. The phone shows a QR code and a 6 character photo code.
- Hold the phone steady and let the parent scan the QR code with their own phone camera. If it won't scan, they can type the code at the web address shown underneath.
- Once they've scanned it, tap Start new session for the next family.
Tip: don't tap Start new session until the family has scanned or written down their code, as the code disappears from the screen. While they're scanning, remind them to check their spam folder if the email doesn't show up.
Practice mode
Until your grotto's opening day, GrottoSnap is in practice mode. Photos are marked TESTING and can only be sent to your own team's email addresses, so you can practise as much as you like without anything reaching families.
Removing a photo from the big screen
If an unsuitable photo appears on the big screen or your website, log in and tap Remove photos. Tap the button under the photo once, then again to confirm. The photo is hidden but never deleted, so the family still gets it, and you can restore it from the same screen.
If something goes wrong
The photo is slow to send, or shows an error
This is almost always the connection. Check the phone is still on wifi, or move somewhere with a better signal, then take the photo again.
The camera doesn't start
The phone may have blocked camera access. Check the browser's camera permission in the phone's settings, then reload the page.
The parent can't scan the QR code
- Turn up the grotto phone's screen brightness.
- Ask them to hold their phone a little further back so the whole code is on their screen.
- Avoid glare from overhead lights by tilting the screen slightly.
- Or they can type the 6 character code at the web address shown under it.
The parent's page won't load
Their phone may have a weak signal. If the venue has guest wifi, ask them to connect to it and try again.
A family says their photos didn't arrive
Ask them to check spam, junk or promotions folders first, then check they typed their email address correctly. If it's still missing, pass it to your manager.
Want this on paper? Print the one page staff sheet.