Classifying an Observation

The Classify screen appears after every capture or import. Here you assign taxonomy tags and optionally record a GPS position.

Preview Thumbnail

The image you captured or imported is shown as an 84×84 dp thumbnail on the left. For GPS-only observations, a map-pin placeholder is shown.

Entering a Species

A Type a species name… field is shown above the Browse / Find tabs. Typing never contacts the internet — nothing is searched automatically as you type.

You then have two ways to add the species:

1. Add directly (no search, works offline)

As soon as you type a name, an Add "…" directly (no search) row appears below the field. Tap it — or simply press Return on the keyboard — to add the typed name as-is. The species is placed under Incertae sedis ("of uncertain placement") in your taxonomy tree; you can later move it to the correct branch from the Taxonomy screen (see Moving a Category).

2. Search online (GBIF), optional

If you want the full scientific hierarchy filled in for you, tap the globe icon on the right of the field. Only then does the app query the [GBIF](https://www.gbif.org) biodiversity database and show matching species with their taxonomy breadcrumb. Tap any result to:

• Automatically create any missing taxonomy nodes (Kingdom → Phylum → Class → Order → Family → Genus → Species) in your local taxonomy tree.
• Add the full taxonomy path as a tag on the observation.

> An internet connection is required only for the GBIF globe-icon look-up. Everything else — including direct add — works fully offline.

Adding Tags Manually

Tags represent the taxonomy paths that describe your observation. A single item can have multiple tags (e.g. if you are unsure about the exact classification).

Browse Tree mode (default)

• The taxonomy tree is shown as a node list.
• Tap a node's › (chevron) to drill into its children.
• Tap the ← Back button to navigate back up.
• Tap the + button to the left of any node name to add that full taxonomy path as a tag.

Find mode

Tap "Find" in the toggle at the top to switch to search mode:

• Type a name in the search field to filter the taxonomy list.
• Tap the + button next to any result to add it as a tag.

Removing a tag

Tap the ✕ on any tag chip at the top of the screen to remove it.

GPS Position

When the Classify screen opens, the app automatically acquires your current GPS position. Two editable coordinate fields appear showing the position in the format selected in Settings (GPS or Swiss LV95).

• Edit manually: Tap either field and type a value to override the GPS position. In LV95 mode the fields are labelled E and N; in GPS mode they are Latitude and Longitude.
• Re-fetch: Tap the crosshair icon (to the left of the toggle) to replace the current values with a fresh GPS reading.
• Disable: Tap the toggle to turn GPS off entirely and save the observation without coordinates.

> GPS is always recorded automatically. The editable fields let you correct the position when needed (e.g. if you are indoors or want to enter an exact reference point).

Saving

• Tap Save (top-right) to save the observation. The app returns to the Gallery and the new item appears under its category.
• Tap Cancel (top-left) to discard and return to the Gallery without saving.