Frequently Asked Questions

PIXEO is a photography location discovery platform built by photographers, for photographers. It is a curated collection of photo spots from around the world, each submitted and vetted by real people. Whether you are planning a trip, scouting a new city, or just looking for your next shot, PIXEO helps you find locations worth visiting and see exactly what they look like through the eyes of other photographers.

Yes. PIXEO is available for free on both iOS and Android. Download it at app.pixeoapp.com.

No. You can browse locations, explore the map, and read photography guides without an account. To upload photos, save favourites, or access Pro features you will need to create a free account.

Click the Sign Up button in the top right corner of any page. You can register with your email address, Google, or Apple account.

PIXEO Pro unlocks the full PIXEO toolkit across both the app and the web. See everything that is included on our Pro page.

You can subscribe to Pro from within the PIXEO app. Open the app, tap the Account icon, and select Upgrade to Pro. Subscription options are $1.99/month or $9.99/year.

Open the app and tap the Account icon in the bottom right. Select Manage Subscription, then Cancel Membership. Contact us if you run into any issues.

The Pro Badge appears on your profile and next to your photos across the platform. It identifies you as a Pro member and supporter of PIXEO.

The PIXEO map shows vetted photo locations from around the world. Search by name or browse by moving around the map. Zoom in to see individual spots, zoom out to see clusters. Click any location to see photos, details, and photographer tools.

Each location page includes photos submitted by the community, a description, geographic tags, a map embed, photographer tools for Pro users, and the location’s Hero Shot.

The Hero Shot is the top photo at any given location, determined by community likes. Every location on PIXEO is essentially a photo contest. Submit your best shot and if it earns the most likes from the community, it becomes the Hero Shot. Over time we plan to recognize and reward photographers who hold the most Hero Shots across the platform.

Geographic tags categorize locations by region, country, and province or state. They help you filter and discover locations in specific areas.

You need a free account to upload. Once logged in, click the Upload button in the navigation. You will be asked to provide a photo, a title, a description, and the geographic coordinates for the location.

Every submission is reviewed manually by the PIXEO team to ensure quality and accuracy. This typically takes no more than 24 to 48 hours.

We review every submission and most make it through. Here is what will get yours turned away:

1. Nothing that moves: Geotagged pictures of dogs, cats, people, or other animals will generally not be accepted. The exception would be a zoo, because if the lion gets away we have got bigger problems.
2. Too tight: Photos shot close up or macro that do not give a view of the surrounding location may not be accepted. Pull back a little and show us where we are.
3. Excessive text or watermarks: We allow watermarks, but if they are too large, inappropriate, or distracting they may be a reason for rejection. We recommend placing watermarks on the left side. Any other text added to the image may also get it turned away.
4. Out of focus or bad exposure: We are not super critical of image quality, but the image should at least be in focus and properly exposed. It also has to be at least marginally interesting. You would not believe how many photos we get of people’s feet. Or their living room. Or their backyard fence. We appreciate the enthusiasm but those are not making the cut.
5. Inappropriate content: PIXEO will not accept any images that display pornographic, racist, misogynistic, or bigoted content. You know what this means.
6. Bad geodata: If the geotag is way off we may not be able to verify the location and may not accept the image. If the pin is in the ocean and the photo is of a mountain, we have a problem.
7. Heavy manipulation or AI-generated content: Lightroom edits are totally fine. If it looks like a painting or was conjured by a computer, it is not for us.
8. Trespassing or private property: If you use PIXEO you take responsibility for your adventures. But we may reject photos that are clearly on private land or that might lead a future photographer into dangerous or protected areas. Because we care.
9. Too close to another location: If a location already exists nearby, your photo will be added to it rather than creating a new one. We make judgment calls on this constantly and yes, we debate it internally more than we would like to admit. If you feel strongly that your spot is genuinely distinct, tell us in the description and we will take a look.
10. Lisette doesn’t like it: Sorry, it happens sometimes.

Almost certainly not, and that is totally fine. We have a format and want consistency across the collection. Your description will likely be rewritten before the location goes live. More detail is always better though, so include everything you know and we will shape it from there.

If you shoot on an iPhone, PIXEO will read the GPS data from your photo automatically. If you are editing on a computer you can add GPS data in Lightroom, Photos for Mac, or using a free online tool like GeoImgr. You can also place the pin manually on the map during upload.

Photography Guides are editorial articles written by the PIXEO team covering the best photo spots in cities, regions, and destinations around the world. They are a great starting point when planning a trip somewhere new.

No. You retain full copyright over everything you upload. Per our Terms and Conditions, we may display your images on the PIXEO website, in the app, and on our social channels to promote the platform, always with proper attribution. If you would like an image removed, contact us and we will take care of it right away.

No. Your photos remain yours. We are not selling your images or your personal data. We have enough trouble keeping the lights on as it is.