CommonsFinder is an iOS app to explore and upload media to Wikimedia Commons. It is currently in beta and can be installed via TestFlight: https://testflight.apple.com/join/15KtE2Mn (or scan the QR-Code)
The project is currently work-in-progress, but several core features already work. You can:
- upload single images
- editing captions, categories and depictions
- save image-drafts for later uploading
- search images and categories (including wikidata items that are depicted in images)
- view images and their metadata, including categories and depicted wikidata items
- explore images and locations on a map
- view a list of uploads of a user
- view a list of images per category + depicted item
- history of previously viewed images
- works well with increased font sizes and other accessibility system features
- dark and light color schemes
Below are some demo videos the development state of ~ 2025-06-05:
2025-06-05-CommonsFinder-drafting.webm
2025-06-05-CommonsFinder-search.webm
2025-06-05-CommonsFinder-category-exploration.webm
2025-06-05-CommonsFinder-map.webm
I plan an implement more functionality in the next months and improve on the current ones. The priority is on these topics next:
- fullscreen (and zoomable) view for images
- bookmark images and categories/items
- improve map: better live-location experience, direct opening of single items on the map
- improve search: search for categories, currently only images can be searched
- when uploading, suggest nearby location categories/items to add
- make upload more robust in some areas (eg. check if filename already exists)
- editing of uploaded files (eg. changing the caption or adding categories)
- improve author and attribution editing and viewing
Those above have priority, but there are many more things planned. Here is a rough overview of what I would like the app to be able to do at some point:
- multi-image/batch uploads
- dedicated panorama viewer for wide-aspect/panorama images
- supporting sending wiki-love
- visible qualifiers for depict items etc.
- privacy features: eg. support face and number plate detection, to allow the user to blur face and number plates without using an external image editor
- investigate how to allow users to contribute to recurring events and contests like "wiki loves earth" without manually editing wikitext (if thats possible)
- explore if OAuth is feasible. It would be great, because log-in would be easier when the user already has the credentials stored in the keychain for the wikimedia domains. Technically, it should be possible but there is conflicting information regarding security, eg. if it's ok to use inside an app or if it should only be used in hosted applications. This topic needs more investigation and communication with other people from the Wikimedia Foundation
- audio file support, video support, 3d-files?
At some point I'd also love to see an iPadOS and MacOS adaptation. This should not be too difficult, since the UI-code is mainly SwiftUI and should be relatively straight-forward to port and adapt to other Apple platforms in the future.
The idea for "CommonsFinder" came from combining the viewfinder in cameras with the word "commons". Since the aspect of taking photos mobile and on-the-go and contributing them to wiki commons is one goal of this app, using a camera's viewfinder as part of the app name seemed fitting. The word "finder" is also used in combination like pathfinder and Mac users may be familiar with the file manager "Finder", so the name hopefully evokes a theme of both photo-taking ("viewfinder"), exploring ("pathfinder"), finding ("find") and also managing and organizing files (file manager "Finder"); and all that in relation to "commons", both regarding the project Wikimedia Commons, but also in a more general and broader meaning of the word.
The best way to curently help, is by using the TestFlight releases and especially reporting crashes (should they occur) as well as other experience breaking issues: https://testflight.apple.com/join/15KtE2Mn
MRs authored by LLM agent tools may be closed without further comment if they are non-trivial, especially if they are implementing features or bugs that have not been discussed and reported before.
The app is currently developed in my free time and don't currently recieve any funding for the development of this app. So if you like the app and want to actively support my ongoing work in a financial way, I do also accept and appreciate any donations :) !
Donations are currently possible via Github-sponsors.