By Will Lowrey
Director of Product Management
Have an Android Device? Get the CX for Android App Now
Recently, I have been testing out the new build of the CX Android application, which is perfect for online photos. My poor family and friends have put up with my constant photo-taking and video interviews. They have been my unwilling test subjects for the newest feature in our Android app. I am happy to say that CX for Android now provides the option to automatically upload your photos and videos directly to your CX account.
When I first loaded my test build, I just wanted to see how fast my photos would show up. None of this was scientific, but perception matters, right? So I took a picture on my phone (Samsung Impact), took the two steps over to my desk and hit refresh on the CX website. In that short time, my photo was there! From there, I just geeked out a bit and started taking photos of everything. Without fail, my photos and videos were available on CX.
Once I was done geeking out, I got down to business and started using the new capabilities to simplify my work. Just this morning, as I was preparing for a 6 a.m. flight, I found another great use of Media Sync. I was packing my bags and had a reference manual that is about 200 pages long. For this trip, I only need 4 pages from it and I really didn’t want to lug it around. I quickly opened up my camera app, captured the few pages and got on my way. Nothing else required — I have the photos on my phone, but more importantly, I have them available on my CX account.
Enough about my use of it — let’s talk about what it does.
What Is Media Sync for Android?
Media Sync is a new feature built into our latest release of the CX for Android app. You can find it in Google Play here, or you can download it from our website. If you already have our CX for Android app all you need to do is run an update to get the latest release.
What Does AutoSync Do?
Once you have turned it on, Media Sync will automatically upload any photos or videos that you take on your phone and upload a copy to your CX account. The files are uploaded into a folder named “Android Stream”. None of the files on your phone will be removed or deleted. *Technical sidenote: Media Sync will move files from your DCIM folder, and it will also mount your SD card and pull the data from the camera section of your SD Card. All of it will show up within your Android Stream folder.
Can I Get All My Current Photos and Videos Uploaded, Too?
Most definitely. When you configure Media Sync, you have the option of moving all of your existing media files up to CX, also.
Won’t This Eat Up My Data Plan?
We understand the concern with data plan usage, so we have built some settings to ease your concern. By default, Media Sync is set to only be used when you are on a WiFi connection, which won’t use your data plan. You can choose to use your data plan, but we will only sync up files smaller than 20MB.
Where Are My Photos and Videos?
When you turn on Media Sync and your first file is uploaded, we create a folder named Android Stream in your CX account. All the files are loaded into that folder.
What Can I Do with My Photos Now?
Now that they are on CX, you can use them and move them however you want. Here are a few suggestions — we would love to hear how you use it too:
• Use the desktop sync tool, and set up a sync point for your Android Stream folder. Media Sync + Desktop Sync means that your photos and videos will automatically be on your computer(s) too.
• Share your photos on Facebook, Twitter or anywhere else with a CX link — making it possible to share the full quality image and video with whomever you want.
• Use your camera as a document scanner and capture all those receipts with ease.
I can’t wait to hear how you use it. So, give it a try and let me know what you think.
