Five tips for a good scan
Even light, a steady phone and about 30 seconds of stillness make the biggest difference to a camera scan.
A camera scan reads a very faint signal: tiny changes in the color of your skin with each heartbeat. Our article on how a phone camera can read your pulse explains how. The clearer that signal, the better. These five habits help, and most take only a moment.
1. Light your face evenly
Soft light from the front works best. Daylight from a window you are facing is a good choice, and so is a lamp placed in front of you. Try to avoid light that falls on only one side of your face, harsh overhead light that casts shadows under your eyes, and spots where the light keeps changing, like next to a TV or under a tree with moving shade.
Make sure your face is uncovered, too. Hair over your forehead, a hat brim or a face mask can hide the skin the camera needs to see.
2. Don’t sit with bright light behind you
A bright window or lamp behind you turns your face into a silhouette. The camera adjusts to the bright background, and your face ends up darker and harder to read. If you are sitting with your back to a window, turn your chair around so the window is in front of you.
3. Hold the phone steady at eye level
Hold the phone straight in front of your face, at about eye level, so the front camera looks right at you. Holding it with both hands, or resting your elbows on a table, keeps it steady. You can also lean it against something stable. Then frame your face the way the app shows you.
4. Stay still and quiet for about 30 seconds
Once your face is framed, hold still for about 30 seconds. Sit down, relax your shoulders and breathe normally. Try not to talk, laugh or move your head, because every movement adds noise to the signal.
If you just climbed the stairs, finished a workout or had a big cup of coffee, rest for a few minutes first. Or scan anyway, and keep in mind that your results reflect that moment.
5. Check your internet connection
The analysis needs an internet connection, so use Wi-Fi or a good mobile signal. The camera video is processed on your phone and isn’t uploaded or stored. Signals derived from it, with your profile answers, go to our scan technology provider for the analysis. Your data is stored and processed outside the U.S., including in Mexico (see the Privacy Policy). Your results appear when the analysis finishes, which can take a little longer than the time you hold still. If something goes wrong and no result is saved, that scan doesn’t count.
A few more small things
- Wipe the front camera lens. A smudge can blur the picture.
- Silence notifications, so a call or a message doesn’t interrupt you halfway.
- When you want to compare results over time, scan at a similar time of day, in the same spot, after a few minutes of rest.
Even a perfect scan gives wellness estimates, not a diagnosis. The guide to wellness estimates explains how to read them.
This guide is general wellness information. It is not medical advice, and Doc24hrs results are wellness estimates, not a diagnosis. Talk to a healthcare professional about your health. In an emergency, call 911.
