Any tips re hardware or software for searching and viewing iNat plus images in file/folder manager?

I am interested in the quickest way to view and search the iNat site, while also viewing images from disc, while in the field, as I am trying to get obs from identical viewpoints to previous obs, including some v. low res images from 1998. I can best find these file images through the file/folder filing system as I filed them 20 years ago in folders named for each location. So I need to use a File Manager of some kind simultaneously with a web browser.

I bought a 9.5" Galaxy S2 tablet as I was told it offered better options for file managing apps and had a good resolution. I use Split Screen on the tablet to view iNat and the filing system simultaneously, to choose a site photo from 20 years ago, review my recent obs in that location, then try to take a photo of the same view.

But the split screen is smaller so photos hard to see as thumbnails. Once I pinch-zoom them I can see them, but I have to zoom each thumbnail to see if its the one I want…Any tips re hardware or software for the purpose I’ve described would be welcome.

There will probably not be an “out of the box” solution for what you are doing…

are you using the iNat site via a webbrowser on you mobile device? why not the iNat app?
How about uploading your old observations to iNaturalist?

maybe use a file explorer or gallery app where you can change the size of you thumbnails?

Thanks Paul. I am not using the mobile app, because I dont know how to see Projects and do searches etc in it. I am using Chrome.

I have uploaded some of my old old to iNat but many have no identifiable species, being limited to 138kb per file, and wide landscape shots.

Yes, i think a different file viewing obs is what I need. I have tried two or three.

On the mobile app, use the menu button on top-left (might be different on a tablet, this is on my phone) to go to “explore”. Here you can:

  • zoom into a section of the map, and select “search map area”.
  • search for specific taxa using the magnifying glass
  • set filters for only your observations, for specific projects, etc. using the menu at top right

Should be much easier than using the browser on a tablet I expect.

What I might try is to just switch back and forth between the windows rather than trying for split screen. Don’t know exactly how it works on tablets, but on my Samsung phone you just need to press the button at far bottom-left to quickly switch between your apps. So you could just switch between your file manager and the iNat/browser app as needed. But it depends on exactly what you’re trying to do.

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Thanks reuvenm, I will give all that a try,

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