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How to Upload ID Photos to Minga

This article will help you upload ID photos to Minga by preparing your photo files and using ID Manager to complete the upload

You can upload ID photos to Minga by opening ID Manager, selecting Upload Photos, and using either Direct Upload (when files are named by ID number) or the Template Method (when file names do not match ID numbers). This guide will walk you through downloading and preparing photos, unzipping folders, uploading photos with both methods, and enabling teacher photo uploads. By the end, you’ll be able to confirm uploads and troubleshoot common issues.
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Permission level Required: Owner | Manager | District Manager| ID Manager

In this article:

How to use ID Manager to Upload ID photos

You can upload ID photos by using ID Manager and choosing the upload method that matches how your photo files are named.

How do I prepare my photo files so Minga matches photos to the correct people?

You can prepare photo files by naming each image file exactly as the person’s ID number (with no extra text) so Minga can match photos automatically.

Step-by-step guide to preparing photo files for upload

  1. Download your photo files from your photo portal or storage drive
    ○ Store the files in a folder you can find easily, such as your desktop.

  2. Rename each file to match the ID number exactly
    ○ Use the ID number only, with no extra characters or words.
    ○ Use standard image formats such as .JPG or .PNG.

  3. Confirm file names match the ID numbers exactly
    ○ A correct naming pattern looks like 123456.jpg if the ID number is 123456.
    ○ A file name like 123456_JaneSmith.jpg does not match the “ID number only” rule and requires the Template Method.

How do I unzip a folder of photos before uploading to Minga?

You can unzip your photo folder by extracting the compressed (zipped) file so you can upload the individual image files.

Step-by-step guide to unzipping your photo folder

Unzip on Windows

  1. Open the zipped folder
    ○ Double-click the zipped folder to view its contents.

  2. Extract a single file or folder
    ○ Drag the file or folder out of the zipped folder into a normal folder location.

  3. Extract the full contents
    ○ Right-click the zipped folder and select Extract All.
    ○ Follow the prompts to choose a destination folder.

Unzip on Mac

  1. Locate the zipped file
    ○ Find the downloaded zip file in Downloads or the location you saved it.

  2. Expand the zip file
    ○ Double-click the zipped file to create an unzipped folder with your images.

  3. Confirm the unzipped folder contains image files
    ○ Open the folder and verify you can see individual .JPG or .PNG images.

How do I upload ID photos using direct upload in Minga?

You can upload ID photos using direct upload by selecting Upload Photos in ID Manager, adding your image files, and clicking Upload when files are named exactly by ID number.

Step-by-step guide to uploading photos using direct upload

  1. Open ID Manager and click Upload Photos.

  2. Select Direct Upload.

  3. Add files by drag-and-drop or Browse Files.

  4. Click Upload.

  5. Review the progress window and notifications.

  6. Open ID Manager
    ○ Navigate to your ID dashboard in Minga.

  7. Click Upload Photos
    ○ The upload workflow opens in a new panel or page.

  8. Select Direct Upload
    ○ Use this method when every file name matches the ID number exactly.

  9. Add your photo files
    ○ Drag and drop files into the upload window, or click Browse Files to select them.

  10. Click Upload
    ○ The upload begins and a progress window appears.

  11. Review the completion status
    ○ A completion message appears when the upload finishes.
    ○ If errors occur, a pop-up notification appears with an option to download a report.

  12. Verify photos on the ID dashboard
    ○ Return to the Dashboard tab in ID Manager to confirm IDs display the new photos.

Note: Minga matches photos to people using the ID number in the file name when you use Direct Upload.

How do I upload ID photos when the file names are not the ID numbers?

You can upload ID photos using the template method by downloading the upload template in ID Manager, mapping each file name to the correct ID number, and uploading the completed template with the photo files.

Step-by-step guide to uploading photos using the template method

  1. Open ID Manager
    ○ Navigate to your ID dashboard in Minga.

  2. Click Upload Photos
    ○ The upload workflow opens.

  3. Select Template Method
    ○ Use this method when file names include extra text or do not match ID numbers.

  4. Download the template
    ○ Click the Download option for the template provided in the upload workflow.

  5. Fill out the template using the required format
    ○ Enter the correct ID number for each person.
    ○ Enter the exact photo file name that belongs to that ID number.

  6. Upload the completed template and photo files
    ○ Add the template file first, then add the photo files referenced by the template.

  7. Click Upload
    ○ A progress window appears while Minga processes the upload.

  8. Confirm the upload result in notifications
    ○ Review the success notification at the end of the process.
    ○ Check the Notifications bell in the top right corner if you navigated away during the upload.

How to Upload a Temporary Photo in Minga

You can upload a temporary photo for Students, Teachers, and Staff who missed picture day or who are recent additions to your school.

Step-by-step guide to uploading a temporary photo

  1. Navigate to the ID Dashboard.
    ○ Click ID on the main menu navigation to bring up the ID Dashboard.

  2. Find the user you want to update.
    ○ Search for the user using the search field.
    ○ Filter the list using Role or Grade if you need to narrow results.

  3. OR, select the No Photo button at the top of the dashboard.
    ○ Tap the button to see who has No Photo in Minga.

  4. Hover over the No Photo Available icon and click or tap the three dots.

    ○ Select Upload Photo.
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  5. Select the Camera icon to upload or drag and drop a photo (web version).
    ○ Select a photo to upload from your files or drag and drop a file directly

    ○ On the mobile app, select the Camera icon to open your device camera.
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  6. Capture and confirm the photo
    ○ Take the photo.
    ○ Tap Use Photo to confirm the image you captured.
    ○ Photos captured this way are NOT saved to the device's camera roll.
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  7. Select the photo option and tap Save
    ○ Confirm the correct photo selection is chosen on the screen.
    ○ Tap Save to apply the temporary photo to the user.
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  8. Confirm the user status shows Temp Photo on the ID Dashboard.
    ○ Return to the user record and verify the status changes to Temp Photo.

Pro Tip: Mobile is the fastest option when you need to capture a photo on the spot, since the camera opens directly from ID Manager.

How to Update or Change an ID photo in Minga

You can upload a different photo from an existing image by following the same steps to open the student photo update screen and selecting a saved photo instead of taking a new one.

Step-by-step guide to updating or changing an ID photo

  1. Open the ID Dashboard and find the user.
    ○ Use search or filters like Role and Grade to locate the student record.

  2. Tap or click the existing ID photo to change or download the photo.
    ○ You can change the photo to a new one or you can download the existing ID photo.

  3. Select a saved photo instead of taking a new photo.
    ○ Choose the saved photo from your device when prompted.

  4. Select Save.
    ○ Save the changes made so that they are reflected on the user's digital ID.

How to Upload Teacher and Staff Photos

Teachers and Staff members may not be included in your student photo files, or they may have missed picture day. For this reason, you can allow Teachers/ Staff to upload their own ID photo to Minga. You can also enable this option for Students, but this is not recommended for most schools.

Step-by-step guide to allowing teachers to upload or change ID photos

  1. Navigate to the ID dashboard
    ○ Open ID Manager and go to the main ID dashboard view.
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  2. Click Settings
    ○ The settings panel opens with configuration toggles.
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  3. Toggle Allow Teachers / Staff to upload their ID pictures
    ○ Turn the toggle on to allow uploads and changes.
    ○ Turn the toggle off to restrict uploads and changes.

Important: Turning this on allows teachers and staff to upload or change photos from the ID dashboard or My Tools at any time.

Additional features or Settings

You can find students who still need an official photo by filtering the ID Manager Dashboard for Temp Photo and No Photo. This comes in handy for determining which students need to take part in ID photo retakes.

Pro Tip: You can use your exported Temp Photo list to invite students to retake day by creating an event in your Community & Communication module and uploading the exported list to invite those students.

Troubleshooting

  1. Issue: Photos upload, but they do not match to the correct people
    ​Solution: You can fix matching issues by renaming each image file to the exact ID number (no extra text) and re-running Direct Upload, or by using Template Method to map file names to ID numbers.

  2. Issue: Upload completes with errors and shows a report download option
    ​Solution: You can resolve upload errors by downloading the report from the pop-up notification, correcting the listed file or template issues, and uploading again using the same method.


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  3. Issue: Upload finishes, but you do not see updated photos
    ​ Solution: You can confirm updates by returning to the Dashboard tab in ID Manager and refreshing the page to reload the latest ID photo data.

  4. Issue: The photos folder cannot be selected for upload
    ​Solution: You can upload successfully by unzipping the photo download first and selecting the individual .JPG or .PNG files from the unzipped folder.

  5. Issue: Teachers cannot upload or change photos
    ​Solution: You can enable teacher and staff uploads by turning on Allow Teachers / Staff to upload their ID pictures in Settings on the ID dashboard.

  6. Issue: How do I know whether to use direct upload or the template method?

    Solution: You can choose the best upload method by checking whether your photo file names match ID numbers exactly.

Upload method

When to use it

What you upload

Direct Upload

File names match the ID number exactly, with no extra text

Image files only (.JPG or .PNG)

Template Method

File names do not match the ID number exactly

A completed template file plus the image files

FAQs

What file types can I upload for ID photos?

You can upload ID photos as .JPG or .PNG files, since the source content states that photos can be PNG or JPG files.

What naming format works for automatic matching in direct upload?

The naming format that works for automatic matching is a file name that matches the ID number exactly with no extra text, because Minga uses the file name to match the photo to the correct person during Direct Upload.

Where do I check if an upload succeeded?

You can check if an upload succeeded by reviewing the completion notification and checking the Notifications bell in the top right corner, which can show upload success while you work in other areas.

Who can upload ID photos in Minga?

Owners, Managers, District Managers, and users made ID Managers can upload ID photos in Minga, based on the permission level listed in the source content.

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