QArchiv 1.703: Android app turns smartphones into court-admissible documentation cameras

An IT expert from Hameln offers QArchiv as a privacy-friendly alternative to dedicated evidence cameras costing 800–1,000 euros – offline, no subscription, no cloud requirement.

Many industries still rely on expensive specialty hardware to produce legally sound documentation photos. QArchiv instead uses what's already in your pocket: an off-the-shelf Android smartphone. The app automatically records system time, GPS location, and optionally a code, barcode, or voice note directly in the photo's tamper-evident EXIF metadata block – additionally secured with a SHA-256 hash.

With version 1.703, QArchiv introduces a freely selectable folder mode for automatic FTP uploads and, by moving to API level 36, already meets the Google Play requirements that only become mandatory in November 2026.

What's new in 1.703

The new "Upload images only (without folders)" checkbox in the FTP settings lets users choose between flat uploads into the main directory and the previous behavior of sorting into code-named subfolders. All upload preferences are now persisted via SharedPreferences – even across app restarts.

"With the new folder control, users decide for themselves how their images are organized. At the same time, QArchiv is already ready for Android 16 requirements that Google won't make mandatory for several more months." — Ingolf Puhl, developer of QArchiv

Use cases

• Claims adjusters & assessors Damage documentation with time, location, and voice notes as a verifiable PDF
• Contractors & technicians Before/after documentation with a company logo on the report
• Fire & rescue services Incident documentation with GPS and a forensic PDF report
• Real estate agents & property managers Condition documentation as binding proof
• Municipalities & nonprofits Damage and inventory recording directly on site

Technical background

QArchiv is built on Kotlin, CameraX, and Google ML Kit for offline barcode recognition (including QR, Data Matrix, EAN, UPC), backed by a Room database. Each photo's SHA-256 hash is computed over the image data, code, and GPS position and stored in the EXIF "Software" field – reproducible and therefore verifiable in court. PDF reports are generated with iTextPDF, and file upload happens either via FTP/FTPS/FTPES to your own server or through the TrueQ cloud integration.