Agents can submit edits of portals to be evaluated via Niantic Wayfarer. They can also submit portal removals to Niantic.
To access this functionality, tap the portal to bring up its information card, then tap the name, description, level, or photo of the portal. Then tap the “three dot menu” button at the upper-right to bring up the contribution screen. Agents have a limited number of contributions they can submit, but are given more over time as they’re used.
Edit Title
- Tap “Edit Title.”
- Enter a new title.
- Tap “OK.”
- Wait for an email from Niantic. No AP is awarded for title edits.
Add Photo
- Tap “Add Photo.”
- Tap “Take Photo” to snap a new photo, or “Existing Photo” to select a photo you took previously.
- Take or select the photo you wish to submit.
- Tap “Submit.”
- Wait for an email from Niantic. If they accept the photo, you get 500 AP.
Scan Portal
Portal scanning involves sending streams of images of the portal, along with supporting metadata (time and location, phone movement, device specifications) to Niantic. This data is used to generate dynamic 3D maps of portals. The interface to perform portal scanning is found under the portal editing menu. To have access to portal scanning, you must be level 8 or recursed, have a device which supports ARCore, and have portal scanning enabled in your settings.
- Make sure you’re within range of the portal.
- Tap “Scan Portal.”
- Click “Next” after you understand the information in the “Scanning Tips” dialog.
- Your device’s camera will enable. Point your camera at the portal.
- Tap the record button.
- Walk slowly around the portal as much as you are able, keeping the portal within the frame corner marks shown on the screen.
- Continue until the red meter surrounding the stop button fills. If you must cancel the scan prematurely, tap the stop button.
- You will be shown a preview of your scan and informed how large its upload size is. To cancel the scan, tap “Cancel.” Otherwise, tap “Upload Now” or “Upload Later.”
- If you choose to upload now, the scan will begin uploading in the background.
- If you choose to upload the scan later, you may do so by visiting the “Portal Scanning” section in the settings menu and tapping the “Upload Scans” button.
Edit Location
- Tap “Edit Location.”
- Drag the map until the purple marker is at the portal’s correct location.
- Tap “Submit.”
- Wait for an email from Niantic. No AP is awarded for location edits.
Add / Edit Description
- Tap “Add / Edit Description.”
- Enter a new description.
- Tap “OK.”
- Wait for an email from Niantic. No AP is awarded for adding or editing descriptions.
Report Invalid Portal
- Tap “Report Invalid Portal.”
- Select the box that best describes why the portal is invalid:
- No pedestrian access
- Obstructs or interferes with emergency services
- Private residential property
- School (up to K-12)
- Permanently removed from this location
- Duplicate of another portal
- Tap “SEND.”
- Wait for an email from Niantic. No AP is awarded for removing invalid portals.
Some notes about reporting invalid portals:
- The criteria for getting a portal removed are more strict than the criteria for rejecting it as a nomination. After all, it has the weight of a Wayfarer acceptance behind it. The fact that you think it should not have passed Wayfarer may not be sufficient reason for it to be removed.
- Don’t report a portal as invalid simply because an enemy agent favors it. Trying to get valid portals removed is not cool.
- If a portal exists but has a bad name, description, photo, or location, don’t report it as invalid. Edit the portal instead.
- Niantic has clarified that existing portals on military bases are acceptable (as long as they don’t interfere with base operations), even if the general public is not permitted access to them, though new ones are to be rejected. However, some military bases have started demanding that Niantic remove portals on their grounds, due to concerns that agents will attempt to gain unauthorized access to the base. Don’t be the idiot that gets hauled off to prison (or SHOT) because you tried to get into a military base without authorization!