Master the Then and Now app with this comprehensive guide. Learn every feature from uploading historic photos to creating perfect alignments with AI-powered guidance.
Then and Now is a professional photo alignment tool that combines AI technology, GPS tracking, and offline capabilities to help you recreate historic photographs with perfect precision.
Start by uploading your historic photos from 1944 or any era
Navigate to Upload Historic Photos from the home screen
Select one or multiple photos from your device
Add titles, descriptions, and location names
Enable AI enhancement options (quality, colorization, alignment analysis)
Click GPS button to automatically tag current location or enter coordinates manually
AI will analyze photos and suggest optimal alignment points
Upload completes - photos are ready for use in the field
Use your camera to align modern views with historic photos
Click Start Capture from the home screen
Grant camera permissions when prompted
Click 'Load 1944 Photo' to select a historic image
The historic photo appears as a transparent overlay on your live camera view
Use the opacity slider to adjust transparency (0-100%)
AI Alignment mode provides real-time guidance with directional arrows
Green confidence indicator shows alignment quality (90%+ = perfect)
If nearby historic locations exist, you'll get automatic suggestions
Capture the photo when alignment is perfect
Get intelligent real-time feedback as you position your shot
Toggle AI Alignment on/off with the switch at the top
AI compares live camera feed with historic photo in real-time
Confidence score (0-100%) appears in the top right corner
When confidence is low (<40%): 'Rotate phone slowly' or 'Try repositioning'
Medium confidence (40-75%): Specific directions like 'Move left' or 'Tilt up'
High confidence (75-90%): 'Almost there - minor adjustments'
Perfect alignment (90%+): Green indicator and 'Perfect alignment! 🎯'
Capture button turns green and pulses when ready for perfect shot
AI uses TensorFlow.js and MobileNet for on-device processing
Automatic location tracking and nearby photo discovery
GPS automatically tracks your location during photo capture
Live coordinates display in the top left corner
App searches for historic photos within 1km radius
Get notifications when you're within 500m of a historic location
Click the map pin icon to see full list of nearby locations
Locations sorted by distance (closest first)
One-tap selection loads the historic photo instantly
GPS data is saved with every captured photo pair
Works in both online and offline modes
Work seamlessly without internet connection
App detects when you go offline automatically
Orange offline indicator appears at the top of the screen
Historic photos are cached locally for offline access
All photo captures are saved to local IndexedDB storage
Continue capturing photos without interruption
Pending uploads counter shows how many photos await sync
When connection returns, automatic sync begins immediately
Click 'Sync Now' button to manually trigger synchronization
All GPS data, alignment scores, and metadata preserved
Perfect for remote locations and field work
Browse and compare your before & after collections
Click View Pairs from the home screen
Browse all your captured photo pairs in a grid
Click any pair to open detailed comparison view
Three viewing modes available:
• Slider: Drag to reveal before/after
• Side-by-Side: Compare both photos at once
• Overlay: See photos blended together
View capture date, location, and alignment score
See GPS coordinates and location name if available
Download individual photos or the complete pair
Delete photos you no longer need
Filter and search by location or date
Share your discoveries and explore others' photo pairs
Share your best photo pairs to the public gallery with one click
All shared photos are automatically watermarked with copyright protection
Modern photos include '© [Your Name] • All Rights Reserved' notice
Browse community contributions sorted by recent, popular, or alignment score
Like photos from other users to show appreciation
Add comments to share insights about locations and changes
View the leaderboard to see top contributors and achievers
Explore 8 achievements: First Capture, Perfect Alignment, Explorer, Consistency, Social Star, and more
Use Map View to see all historic locations plotted on an interactive map
Click any map marker to view photo details or start capturing there
Create compelling video transitions from your photo pairs
Open any photo pair in detail view
Navigate to the 'Versions' tab
Click 'Generate Time-Lapse Video' button
Video processing takes 30-60 seconds (server-side)
Creates smooth fade transition: 4 seconds historic → 2 seconds crossfade → 4 seconds modern
Preview the video directly in the modal
Download the video for sharing on social media or YouTube
Videos are optimized for web with fast-start encoding
Uses colorized historic photo if available for best visual impact
Perfect for creating compelling visual stories of change over time
Professional archival and team collaboration
Configure Footage Locker in Settings → Footage Locker
Enter your API key and project name
Choose which metadata to include:
• GPS coordinates
• Timestamps
• Alignment scores
• Historic photo details
• User information
• Custom fields
All photo pairs automatically sync to Footage Locker when online
Offline captures sync when connection returns
Share projects with team members
Add comments and collaborate on collections
Industry-standard archival platform integration
Secure cloud storage and backup included
Personalize your experience and manage your data
Access Settings from the home screen (gear icon)
Configure Footage Locker API credentials
Customize which metadata fields to include with uploads
Add custom metadata fields for your project
View subscription status and remaining days
Manage account details and profile
Clear cached data if needed
Export all your data
Check app version and updates
Review privacy and terms of service
Get the most out of Then and Now
Now that you know how it works, start capturing history today!