How to verify a photo with a SnapID code or QR
Someone has sent you a photo with a SnapID Mark stamp: a time, an address, a small map, a code starting with SNP- and a QR. Maybe it is a contractor proving a repair was done, a cleaner confirming a visit or a colleague clocking in at a site. This guide shows you how to check that photo yourself in about a minute, without installing anything.
If you are new to the app itself, start with our introduction to SnapID Mark.
What you need
- The photo, or at least the SnapID code printed on its stamp.
- A phone camera or any QR scanner, or a web browser.
- Optional: the photo file itself, if you want to check it has not been altered.
You do not need a SnapID account or the app.
Method 1: scan the QR code
This is the fastest route and shows the most detail.
- Point your phone camera or any QR scanner at the QR on the photo’s stamp. It works on a screen or on a printout.
- Tap the link that appears. The verification page opens in your browser on verify.snapidmark.com.
- Read the details (explained below).
If the QR will not scan, zoom in on the photo for a sharper image, or use the code instead.
Method 2: enter the SnapID code
- Find the code on the stamp. New codes look like
SNP-K7QX2-ANNV9-AHDVM-Z3TWA: 20 characters after the prefix, using capital letters and digits only. They never contain I, O, 0 or 1, so you will not confuse similar characters. - Open verify.snapidmark.com or the verify link the sender shared, and type the code. Case, the
SNP-prefix, dashes and spaces do not matter. - If you have the SnapID Mark app, you can instead enter the code in the Verify box under Gallery.
Photos taken before 10 October 2026 use a shorter SNP-XXXX-XX code. Those can still be checked the same way.
Codes are created on the photographer’s phone at the moment of capture and signed with a device key. That is why a code can be verified even if the photo has not been uploaded yet.
What the verification page shows
Photos are private by default, so the page shows verification details rather than the image itself:
- Capture time. The trusted time the photo was taken. For a new code whose photo has not uploaded yet, only the date and hour:minute appear.
- Area. A location rounded to about 1 km, never the exact spot. When you type a code, the area appears only once the photo has uploaded; scanning the QR shows everything.
- Owner. The workspace name (unless the company hides it) or “Personal photo”, plus the photographer’s account name or “SnapID account”.
- Attendance. “Clock in” or “Clock out” if it is an attendance photo.
- Integrity checks. “Time verified”, “Location verified” (or “unknown” if not uploaded yet), and any warnings.
If the photographer or a workspace Admin has created a share link, opening that link shows the stamped photo itself along with all the verification details. Share links last for a chosen period (for example 1 hour, 1 day, 7 days or 30 days); once a link expires or is revoked, the page falls back to showing details only.
Understanding integrity warnings
A warning does not mean a photo is fake. It tells you something you should take into account. The warnings you may see are:
- Device clock was off from network time. The phone clock was more than 2 minutes off. The stamp still uses network time, so the capture time remains trustworthy.
- Device time, not verified. No trusted network time was available at capture.
- Capture time is in the future. The capture time is later than when the server received the photo.
- Location may be simulated. A mock-location app was detected.
- Low GPS accuracy. Accuracy was worse than 100 m.
- Outside the site area. A workspace photo was taken outside the site’s geofence.
- App could not be verified. The photo could not be confirmed as coming from the official app.
- Rooted / jailbroken device. System protections on the phone were unlocked.
- SnapID expired before upload. Applies only to old short codes uploaded long after they were issued.
For workspace photos, Owners and Admins review warnings in the web dashboard and can mark them as handled. If a warning matters to you, ask the sender or their company for context.
Comparing your file with SHA-256
The code proves when and where a photo was taken. The file comparison answers a different question: is the file I received the same one that was stamped?
- On the verification page, choose the photo file you received.
- Your browser computes the file’s SHA-256 fingerprint locally. The file is not uploaded anywhere.
- The fingerprint is compared with the stored original and stamped photos.
You will see one of three results:
- Match. The file is exactly the stored photo, byte for byte.
- No match. The file differs from the stored photo. This happens when a photo is edited, but also when messaging apps or email recompress images. Ask the photographer for the original file and compare again.
- Comparison not available. The photo was never uploaded, so there is nothing to compare against. The code itself can still be verified.
Other statuses you might see
- Still uploading. Details are shown; try the file comparison again later.
- Deleted. The photo was removed from the workspace. The page shows the deletion date.
- Not found. Double-check the code for typos.
- Code not valid. The code’s time is in the future, or it was created after the device key was revoked (for example after the photographer signed out or reinstalled the app).
- Rate limit. Too many codes were checked in a short time. Wait a minute and try again.
Tips for senders
If you are the one sending photos, you can make verification smoother:
- Keep automatic time and precise location on, and do not install mock-location apps.
- Go online regularly so photos upload promptly; that unlocks the area and the file comparison.
- Send the original file (for example as a document attachment) when the recipient wants to compare fingerprints.
Summary
Verifying a SnapID Mark photo takes three steps: scan the QR or enter the code, read the time, area and integrity checks, and optionally compare the file with SHA-256 in your browser. No account is required. To start stamping your own verifiable photos, get SnapID Mark free on Android and iOS. Teams using it for attendance can follow our geofence clock-in guide (Vietnamese).
FAQ
Do I need an account or the app to verify a SnapID photo?
No. Scan the QR on the stamp with any phone camera or open verify.snapidmark.com and enter the SnapID code. No account is needed. If you do have the app, you can also enter the code in the Verify box under Gallery.
Why does the SHA-256 comparison say no match?
The file you have is not byte-for-byte identical to the stored photo. Messaging apps and email often recompress images, which changes the fingerprint even without edits, so ask the photographer for the original file before drawing conclusions.
Does a warning mean the photo is fake?
Not necessarily. A warning such as low GPS accuracy or a late upload flags something worth knowing. Read it together with the other details and, for workspace photos, check whether an Admin has reviewed it.
Stamp trusted time, GPS, address, weather, a SnapID code and a QR onto every field photo. Photo clock-in with geofences, works offline, publicly verifiable.