Portal Scanning

Portal Scanning is a new feature released in Ingress Prime version 2.41. It allows Agents to submit 3D Scans of existing Portals for use in future AR projects by Niantic. Any uploaded Scans are immediately anonymized, and any identifying information in the Scan, such as faces and license plate numbers are blurred out.

It was originally available to L16 or   recursed Agents, but has since dropped to L8.

In-Game effects

An Agent is rewarded with:

• 500 AP for successfully uploading a Scan.
• 1 Scan that counts towards the Portal's Scout Controller ranking.
• 1 Scan count for the Scout-medal progress.

The Portal:

• Receives 1 point on the "Community Scan Uploaded" count.
  • When the count reaches 7 for the current septicycle (7 hours + 7 days long), the Portal is scheduled to receive a Rare Battle Beacon  after the current septicycle ends.
  • When the count reaches 13 for the current septicycle, the Portal immediately receives a Portal Fracker.
• After 10 total Scans of sufficient quality (and a manual request), becomes available for Overclock, a faster-paced version of Glyph hacking that combines AR and Glyphs.

Scanner Requirements

In addition to being Level 8​ or   recursed, Agents must also have a device that meets these requirements:

• An iPhone 6S or newer, running iOS 14+.
• An Android device, running Android 8.0+, supporting Google Play Services for AR (ARCore). The separate app must be installed as well.
  • There are additional system requirements; see Niantic's FAQ on this matter. Although Niantic says any "GPU that supports OpenGL ES 3.0" will run Ingress, scanning only works with devices with GPUs on the "officially supported" list.

Ideal Scanning

Agents are recommended, when scanning, to:

• Choose Portals that are safe and easy to walk completely around, like statues and sculptures.
• Scan from twenty to sixty seconds, keeping the Portal completely in the frame, being visible top to bottom.
• Maintain constant speed and distance from themselves and the Portal.
• Scan the entire 360-degrees of the Portal. If not possible, 180-degrees will also work.
• Scan at different weather conditions, and different times of the day (not at night, where it is dark, unless the area is well-illuminated).
• Remember to Request to Enable Overclocking after enough Scans are collected. (Poor-quality Scans reward AP, Scout Control points, and Battle Beacon/Fracker progress, but cannot be used to enable Overclocking.)

Agents are recommended to avoid:

• Standing still or making a circular hand-motion with the Scanner.
• Scanning in extreme darkness, as it does not provide enough useful information.
• Uploading blurry Scans. Wiping the lens, clicking on the Portal before scanning, or walking more slowly helps.
• Obstructions between themselves and the Portal. Sometimes, it is not possible, and identifying information is blurred or erased.

For different sizes of Portals, here are some tips to help an Agent upload fantastic Scans:

• For flat Portals like plaques, murals, and signage; an Agent should face the Portal and walk laterally from one side to the other. If the Portal is a memorial bench, it is recommended to scan the entire bench.
• For medium-sized Portals like statues, structures or sculptures, an Agent should walk entirely around the Portal if possible.
• For large Portals like fields and buildings, an Agent should laterally scan the sides of the building, and with each new Scan, an Agent should step back to overlap and connect Scans. For large parks and fields, Agents should capture free-standing elements, and connect them with another Scan that includes two or more elements.

Understanding the scanner interface

When the red "record" button is pressed, the scanning interface turns from a regular camera stream to one with an edge-detection filter. The edges are coloured according to the Faction of the Portal.

As the Scanner collects information, the edges slowly fade out and become replaced with real-world colour. This indicates that enough information has been collected for the 3D voxel to know its texture, shape, and position. Try to make the entire Portal have valid voxels.