How to capture a whiteboard that's too wide for one photo.
Short answer
The simplest approach for a wide whiteboard: photograph it in overlapping sections, with at least 20-25% overlap between frames. When using BoardSnap, snap each section separately — BoardSnap AI reads each board independently and generates a summary and action items per board. For a true image stitch, iOS panorama mode or a third-party stitching app works for the image, but BoardSnap reads sections individually.
## Why boards are hard to stitch
Whiteboards, especially the long wall-mounted ones in conference rooms, often span 8-12 feet. An iPhone held at normal distance captures maybe 4-6 feet of board at a readable resolution. Content at the edges gets small fast.
## Option 1: Overlapping sections in BoardSnap
This is the most practical approach. Photograph the board in 2-3 sections, overlapping by about 25% so the AI has context for what's at each edge. BoardSnap reads each photo as a separate board. You can keep them in the same Project, and if you add context via the project chat, you can ask BoardSnap to synthesize across both boards.
## Option 2: Panorama mode
iOS panorama mode works reasonably well for wide boards in good lighting. Sweep left to right slowly and evenly. The resulting image is long and narrow — which is actually well-suited to a wide whiteboard. Import the panorama into your camera roll, then capture it in BoardSnap as a single image.
Limitation: Panorama mode can blur moving content (like your arm if you're still writing) and loses some sharpness at the seams. In good lighting with a static board, it's fine.
## Option 3: Step back
If the room allows it, step back further from the board. An iPhone at 3 meters captures significantly more board width than at 1.5 meters. You lose some resolution, but for boards with large writing this is the easiest fix. BoardSnap's AI is trained on a range of image resolutions and handles the tradeoff well.
## What to avoid
- Don't shoot from the side to get more board in frame — the perspective distortion at extreme angles exceeds what VisionKit can cleanly correct.
- Don't zoom in and pan — optical zoom is fine if you need resolution in a specific section, but it reduces field of view. Digital zoom reduces image quality.
## Workflow recommendation
For a critical wide board: shoot overlapping sections, keep them in one Project, use BoardSnap chat to ask cross-board questions. The AI can reason across your project context even if the visual captures are separate.
Frequently asked
Does BoardSnap stitch photos together automatically?
Not currently. BoardSnap reads each photo as a separate board. For multi-section boards, snap each section as a separate board in the same Project and use project chat to synthesize across them.
Does panorama mode work in BoardSnap?
You can shoot in panorama mode using the native iOS camera, then capture the resulting panorama image in BoardSnap. BoardSnap reads it as a single wide image.
See it work in ten seconds.
BoardSnap is free on the App Store. Snap a board — get a summary and action plan.