How to send original car damage photos without losing useful information

Start from the file you mean to send

Locate the original photo rather than taking a screenshot of it inside a gallery. Check the filename, file type and dimensions where your device exposes them. Keep a separate copy if you need to mark, crop or convert the image for convenience.

For a cloud library, make sure you have the actual downloadable file rather than only an on-screen preview. Google Photos provides a download route for files not already on an Android device. The version available depends on what was uploaded and retained; downloading cannot restore detail already removed from a copy.

Use the recipient's accepted file route

Ask whether the company wants attachments, its upload form or a private download link. Follow file-type and size requirements, but do not silently replace the only original with a smaller version. If a portal requires JPEG and your original is HEIC, retain the HEIC and identify the JPEG as a converted copy.

On iPhone, Apple's sharing options include Current to avoid file-format conversion. Its current guide describes All Photos Data for original data through AirDrop. Those controls do not mean every destination or messaging service preserves identical bytes, so check the actual transfer.

Send a small relevant set with an index

Include the overview that locates the mark and the detail that shows it. In your message, identify which is collection and which is return, and refer to filenames or report evidence numbers. Keep the rest of the originals available if requested.

For example: ‘Collection overview, left rear door; collection detail below handle; return view of the same area.’ That description is easier to use than twenty attachments with no explanation.

• Correct vehicle and event selected.
• Original retained separately.
• Context and detail both included.
• Converted or marked copies labelled.
• Recipient's attachment or upload requirements followed.

Check photo quality after the transfer

Open the uploaded file or sent attachment where possible. Does it show the same dimensions and useful detail? Can the recipient download it rather than only see a preview? File size alone does not prove identity, but an unexpectedly tiny image is a reason to investigate.

If a link is used, confirm the intended recipient can access it and note any expiry. Keep your own evidence after the link expires. A sent message or successful preview is not always confirmation that every attachment arrived.

Keep the transfer record as well as the photos

Save the message, upload confirmation or acknowledgement. BVRLA evidence guidance is one reason to retain original files and relevant correspondence together rather than relying solely on a chat thread.

PickupLens's report can help a reviewer navigate the images, but the reduced previews in a report serve a different purpose from the original files. Send the format requested while retaining both.