Two kinds of update
A project's Updates section holds two kinds of update, for two different readers.
| Client Update | Status Update | |
|---|---|---|
| For | The customer | You and your team |
| Purpose | Tell the customer how the job is going | Record the state of the job in a consistent structure |
| Shared by | Message or email | Kept in the project |
Both can link photos and videos from the project, both appear in the project's Activity feed, and both can be written by hand or generated from your media.
Client updates
A client update is a progress report written for the customer. It includes:
- A title and a summary of the work done
- Highlights — what was accomplished
- Next Steps — what happens next
- A short update, sized for a text message
- A full update, written to be sent as an email
- The photos and videos that show the work
Send a client update to a customer
Open the update and use the menu at the top right:
- Short Update shares the short version — for Messages, WhatsApp, and similar.
- Full Update shares the full version — for email.
Both include links to the photos and videos attached to the update, so the customer can see the work without you attaching files one by one. Those links are WorkCam Share Links, which require Photo Sync and at least one photo or video on the update.
Status updates
A status update is an internal record of where a job stands, in the same shape every time so updates are easy to compare across days and across team members. Every field except the title is optional:
- Title and Summary
- Category — the trade or type of work
- Observations — what was seen on site
- Materials — what was used or is needed
- Caution Items — hazards, risks, or anything to watch
- Suggested Next Steps
- Internal Note — for the team only
- Customer Note — a customer-friendly line you can reuse when you write to them
Status updates suit handoffs between crews, end-of-day reports, and site inspections — anything where the next person needs the same information in the same place.
Write an update by hand
- Open a project.
- Tap the add-update button and choose Client Update or Status Update.
- Fill in the fields and attach photos or videos from the project.
Writing an update by hand works on any device.
Generate an update from your photos and videos
WorkCam can draft a client update or a status update for you by looking at the photos and videos you choose.
- Tap Generate Update on a project, or select photos and videos anywhere in WorkCam and choose Generate Update from the menu in the bottom action bar.
- Choose the Type — Client Update or Status Update.
- Choose Instructions — Short, Detailed, or Custom to write your own.
- Optionally add Notes with anything the photos cannot show, such as "Mention that leak testing was completed."
- Tap Generate.
WorkCam analyzes the selected media, combines it with your notes and the project's context, and fills in a draft. Review it, edit anything you like, and save it to the project.
If you generate without choosing a project, you are asked for one before saving — the draft is based only on the media and notes you provided.
Always review a generated draft
Generated drafts are marked "This draft was generated with AI and can make mistakes. Check important info." Read a draft before you save it or send it to a customer — the model describes what it can see in your photos, and it cannot know anything you did not show it or tell it.
What you need to generate updates
Generating an update uses Apple Intelligence, which runs on your device. You need:
- iOS 26 or later
- An iPhone or iPad that supports Apple Intelligence
- Apple Intelligence turned on in Settings → Apple Intelligence & Siri
- A device language that Apple Intelligence supports
On a device that does not meet these, projects do not offer Generate Update, and generating from selected media explains what is missing. You can still write, edit, view, and share updates by hand — including updates a teammate generated on their own device.
Your photos stay on your device
Analysis and drafting happen entirely on your iPhone or iPad. Your photos, videos, and notes are not sent to WorkCam or to any AI service to produce a draft.
Troubleshooting
"Apple Intelligence Required" or "Apple Intelligence is not enabled"
Turn on Apple Intelligence in Settings → Apple Intelligence & Siri. If the option is not there, your device or iOS version does not support it — see What you need to generate updates.
"The Apple Intelligence language model is still preparing"
After Apple Intelligence is first turned on, iOS downloads its model in the background. Keep the device on Wi-Fi and power for a while, then try again.
"Apple Intelligence is busy right now"
Another app is using the on-device model. Wait a moment and tap Generate again.
"Apple Intelligence would not write this draft"
Apple's model declined the request, usually because of something in the instructions or notes. Reword your custom instructions or notes and try again.
Share options are missing from a client update
Sharing sends links to the update's photos, so it needs at least one photo or video attached and Photo Sync turned on.