PonLog

Turn your records into assets

1. App Overview

PonLog is an app that records locations (spots) you visit during outings, making it easy to find photos later. With GPS logger functionality and GPX export, you can also add location information to photos in Lightroom Classic.

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Spot Recording

Record spots with one tap

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Photo Search

Auto-extract photos by time

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GPS Logger

Background GPS recording

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GPX Export

Add location in Lightroom

2. Screen Guide

Record Tab

The main screen for recording spots.

Explore Tab

Search and browse past records in various ways.

Logger Tab

Start/stop GPS logger and configure settings. Shows elapsed time and record count while recording.

Settings Tab

Manage masters, photo settings, data, and other settings.

3. Recording Spots

  1. Select or Create a Trip

    Tap "Select or Create Trip" button to choose an existing trip or create a new one.

  2. Select a Group

    Select the category (group) for your spot. Tap the group selector to open a modal with search and create functionality.

  3. Select a Spot

    Tap the spot you want to record. Frequently used spots appear at the top.

  4. Tap the Record Button

    Tap the large record button to save the current time. If GPS is enabled, location is also recorded (10 second timeout).

  5. Close the Trip (Optional)

    Tap the "Close" button when ending your outing to record the end time. You can reopen a closed trip.

Tip

Use the "All" button to view spots from all groups. Frequently used spots are automatically shown at the top. The 🚩 icon in the timeline indicates GPS recording status.

4. Reliving Memories

Trip Detail Screen

View trip details across three tabs.

Photo Search Timing

Search Target Time Range
Trip Record period +/- 30 min
Spot Record time +/- 10 min

Share Feature

Use the share button on the trip detail screen to share a summary image of your records (perfect for social media).

Photo Search (GPS)

Use recorded GPS coordinates to search your photo library for photos taken in matching areas. You can even find photos taken before you started using PonLog.

Search Target Types:

Search Radius: Default 500m (configurable in settings). Photos taken within this distance from GPS points will match.

Search Statistics: After searching, GPS point count, scanned photo count, and matched photo count are displayed.

Tip

Using Group or Spot search, you can find photos taken at the same locations before you started using PonLog. For example, searching the "Cafe" group will show past photos taken at that cafe.

5. GPS Logger

The GPS Logger records GPS locations periodically in the background, independent of trips.

How to Use

  1. Open the Logger Tab

    Select "Logger" from the bottom navigation.

  2. Tap the Start Button

    A confirmation dialog shows settings and battery usage warning. Select "Start" to begin recording.

  3. View Elapsed Time and Count

    Recording continues even in the background. Elapsed time and record count are displayed in real-time.

  4. Tap Stop to End

    Tap the "Stop" button to end recording. A confirmation dialog shows recording time and count.

Settings

Setting Description
Recording Interval Choose from 1/2/3/5/10 minutes (default: 2 min)
Auto-stop ON/OFF (default: ON)
Stop Time Choose from 1/2/3/8/12/24/48/72 hours (default: 3 hours)
Note

Settings cannot be changed while recording. Stop the logger first to change settings.

Location Permission Settings (Important)

For the GPS Logger to work properly in the background, we recommend setting location permission to "Always Allow".

For iPhone

  1. Open the Settings app
  2. Tap Privacy & Security β†’ Location Services
  3. Find and tap PonLog in the app list
  4. Select Always

*With "While Using the App", recording works while the app is open but may stop when the app is closed.

For Android

  1. Open the Settings app
  2. Tap Apps (or Apps & notifications)
  3. Find and tap PonLog in the app list
  4. Tap Permissions
  5. Tap Location
  6. Select Allow all the time

*Menu names may vary depending on your Android version. Look for "Location" permission settings and enable "Allow all the time" or "Allow background location access".

Tip

Setting location to "Always Allow" may increase battery consumption. When not using the GPS Logger, consider changing the permission back to "While using the app" if desired.

6. GPX Export & Lightroom Integration

Export GPS data recorded in PonLog as a GPX file, then use it in Lightroom Classic to add location information to photos in bulk.

GPX Export Steps

  1. Select "GPX Export" in Settings

    Tap "GPX Export" in the Data section.

  2. Select Trip or Date Range

    Use the "Trip" tab to select a specific trip, or the "Date/Time" tab to specify a period.

  3. Tap "Export GPX File"

    A share sheet appears where you can save to AirDrop, email, or cloud storage.

Using with Lightroom Classic

  1. Open the Map module
  2. Drag and drop the GPX file or import from menu
  3. Select photos and use "Auto Tag" to add location info
Tip

Combine GPS Logger data with spot records for more accurate track output.

7. Backup and Restore

Backup

Export all data as a ZIP file.

Backup includes:

Filename: ponlog_backup_YYYYMMDD_HHmmss.zip

Restore

Restore data from a backup ZIP file.

Warning

Restoring will delete all current data. It is recommended to backup before restoring.

CSV Export

Export data per trip in CSV format. Includes spot name, time, and GPS coordinates. Can be viewed and edited in Excel.

8. Settings

Master Management

Setting Description
Group Management Add, edit, delete, and reorder groups (drag & drop)
Spot Management Add, edit, and delete spots (grouped by group)
Trip Management Edit, close, reopen, and delete trips

Photo Settings

Setting Description
Photo Scan Limit Max photos to scan during search (10,000/50,000/Unlimited)

Data

Setting Description
GPS Recording ON/OFF GPS recording with spot records
GPX Export Export GPS data as GPX file
CSV Export Export activity records as CSV file
Backup Backup all data in ZIP format
Restore Restore data from ZIP file

Other

Setting Description
Language Select display language (System/Japanese/English)
Tutorial Reset tutorial guides
Manual Open manual in browser
Version Info Display app version

9. FAQ

Q: What's the difference between Groups and Spots?

A: Groups are categories for spots (e.g., Cafes, Parks, Shrines, Theme Parks), while Spots are specific locations (e.g., Starbucks Shibuya, Central Park, Space Mountain). You can record spots from multiple groups in a single trip.

Q: What happens when I close a trip?

A: The end time is recorded, and the range for photo search and GPX export is finalized. You can reopen a closed trip and edit the times.

Q: What's the difference between GPS Logger and Spot recording?

A: GPS Logger automatically records location at intervals (1-10 minutes), while Spot recording saves the location at the moment you tap. You can use both together for more accurate GPX track output.

Q: Photos aren't showing up

A: Check photo library access permissions. In the Settings app, change PonLog's permission to "All Photos".

Q: GPS Logger doesn't work in background

A: On Android, set location permission to "Always allow". On iOS, either "Always allow" or "While using app" will work.

Q: Where is the backup saved?

A: A share sheet appears where you can save to any location (Files, cloud, AirDrop, etc.).

Q: How do I completely delete my data?

A: Delete and reinstall the app to completely remove all data.

10. Support

For questions, feature requests, or bug reports, please contact us.

Tsuyopon Channel

Tsuyoshi Nakamura

camera@tsuyopon-n.photo