Within Enigma
How Enigma Captures Location and Angle Metadata
Enigma's in-app camera records location, angle, and time to contextualize UFO videos.
On this page
- Frame by frame metadata collection
- Augmented reality Identify Lens
- Benefits for verifying sightings
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Introduction
| Enigma Labs’ mobile reporting system is built around a simple idea: a UFO video becomes more useful when the phone records not only the image, but also the circumstances of the recording. Rather than treating a sighting as a standalone clip, the Enigma app attempts to capture location, orientation and timing data alongside the footage itself. The company presents this as a way to reduce one of the oldest problems in UFO databases: videos that cannot be meaningfully analysed because investigators do not know exactly where the witness was, which direction they were facing, or how the camera moved during filming. [Enigma Labs]enigmalabs.ioEnigma Labs | Report a UFO sightingBrowse our map for sightings near you and across the globe. This dynamic format highlights most recent…</span></span></span> | Report a UFO sighting |
Within Enigma’s broader UFO reporting platform, camera metadata is not a side feature. It is a core mechanism intended to make reports easier to compare, verify and contextualise. The system combines frame-level recording data with an augmented-reality identification tool designed to rule out ordinary objects before a report is even submitted. [Enigma Labs]enigmalabs.ioEnigma Labs | Report a UFO sightingBrowse our map for sightings near you and across the globe. This dynamic format highlights most recent… | Report a UFO sighting [2Enigma Labs | Report a UFO sighting]enigmalabs.iothe new enigma camera optimizing metadata for uap sightingsEnigma Labs | Report a UFO sightingThe New Enigma Camera — Optimizing Metadata for UAP…25 Aug 2023 — The new Enigma Native Camera lets…
How Enigma Captures Location and Angle Metadata
| Most smartphone photos and videos already contain metadata such as the time, date and GPS coordinates of the recording. Enigma argues that this standard approach is insufficient for analysing unusual aerial sightings because conventional metadata is usually attached at the beginning of a recording session rather than continuously throughout the clip. [Enigma Labs]enigmalabs.ioEnigma Labs | Report a UFO sightingBrowse our map for sightings near you and across the globe. This dynamic format highlights most recent…</span></span></span> | Report a UFO sighting |
| According to Enigma, this creates a practical problem when a witness is moving. A person may walk, drive or rotate while recording an object in the sky. If the device only records its position at the start of filming, later frames may no longer reflect the actual viewing geometry. That can distort attempts to estimate an object’s path, speed or apparent movement. [Enigma Labs]enigmalabs.ioEnigma Labs | Report a UFO sightingBrowse our map for sightings near you and across the globe. This dynamic format highlights most recent…</span></span></span> | Report a UFO sighting |
To address that issue, Enigma developed an in-app camera that records metadata throughout the video. The company states that each frame can be associated with information including:
- Geographic position
- Date and time
- Device orientation and angle
- Motion-related sensor information from the phone
| The goal is to preserve a changing record of how the witness and device moved during the observation rather than treating the entire video as a single fixed observation point. [Enigma Labs]enigmalabs.ioEnigma Labs | Report a UFO sightingBrowse our map for sightings near you and across the globe. This dynamic format highlights most recent…</span></span></span> | Report a UFO sighting |
Frame-by-Frame Metadata Collection
| Enigma repeatedly describes its camera as capturing metadata “frame-by-frame”. In practical terms, this means that every stage of a recording can be tied to a specific set of sensor readings rather than relying on a single timestamp and location entry. [Enigma Labs]enigmalabs.ioEnigma Labs | Report a UFO sightingBrowse our map for sightings near you and across the globe. This dynamic format highlights most recent…</span></span></span> | Report a UFO sighting |
The company claims that this allows analysts to reconstruct aspects of a sighting more accurately. For example:
- A witness walking down a street can generate a changing location trail rather than a single GPS point.
- A witness turning their phone can generate a changing orientation record rather than one assumed viewing direction.
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Multiple recordings from different users can potentially be compared against one another using synchronised timing and positional information. [Enigma Labs]enigmalabs.ioEnigma Labs Report a UFO sightingBrowse our map for sightings near you and across the globe. This dynamic format highlights most recent…</span></span></span> Report a UFO sighting
| Enigma has specifically argued that this approach helps reduce errors when estimating the path or apparent speed of a reported object. If the witness is moving while filming, distinguishing camera motion from object motion becomes a critical challenge. Continuous metadata is intended to make that distinction easier. [Enigma Labs]enigmalabs.ioEnigma Labs | Report a UFO sightingBrowse our map for sightings near you and across the globe. This dynamic format highlights most recent…</span></span></span> | Report a UFO sighting |
Why Angle Data Matters in UFO Analysis
The angle of a recording is often more important than casual observers realise. A bright object filmed near the horizon can appear dramatically different from the same object viewed overhead. Likewise, aircraft lights, satellites and planets can seem to change behaviour depending on the observer’s position and movement.
By recording device orientation, Enigma attempts to preserve information about where the camera was pointed at any given moment. The company has described this orientation data as part of the evidence package attached to a sighting. [LinkedIn]linkedin.comLinked In Enigma Labs' PostLinkedInEnigma Labs' Post - Optimizing Metadata for UAP SightingsThe New Enigma Camera - Optimizing Metadata for UAP Sightings The Native…
This matters because later reviewers may want to compare a report against:
- Known aircraft flight paths
- Satellite tracks
- Astronomical objects
- Weather conditions
- Other witness recordings from the same period
| Without orientation information, a video often becomes little more than a bright point against a dark sky. With orientation and location data, analysts can at least attempt geometric reconstruction and comparison. [Enigma Labs]enigmalabs.ioEnigma Labs | Report a UFO sightingBrowse our map for sightings near you and across the globe. This dynamic format highlights most recent…</span></span></span> | Report a UFO sighting |
The New Yorker described the system as recording uncompressed video with embedded metadata including filming location and angle, specifically for later verification and description of reported phenomena. [The New Yorker]newyorker.comthe truth is out there on an appThe New YorkerThe Truth Is Out There, on an App22 Jan 2024 — An augmented-reality lens lets users point a phone upward, and then displays…
The Identify Lens and Real-Time Deconfliction
| Enigma’s metadata strategy is closely connected to its augmented-reality “Identify Lens”. The company describes the feature as a real-time tool for identifying known objects before they are mistakenly reported as UFOs. [Enigma Labs]enigmalabs.ioEnigma Labs | Report a UFO sightingBrowse our map for sightings near you and across the globe. This dynamic format highlights most recent…</span></span></span> | Report a UFO sighting |
How the AR Lens Works
The Identify Lens overlays information onto the phone’s camera view. According to Enigma, the system combines:
- Smartphone sensor data
- Position and orientation information from the device
- External tracking data for known objects
- Augmented-reality rendering software [enigmalabs.io]enigmalabs.ioannouncing the enigma ar lensEnigma Labs | Report a UFO sightingShazam for the Skies26 Jul 2023 — Announcing the Enigma Augmented Reality Lens, helping identify objec…
| The app then attempts to place labels or graphical markers over objects that already have known identities. Early versions focused heavily on satellites, with later plans including aircraft, planets, stars, helicopters, drones and rocket launches. [Enigma Labs]enigmalabs.ioEnigma Labs | Report a UFO sightingBrowse our map for sightings near you and across the globe. This dynamic format highlights most recent…</span></span></span> | Report a UFO sighting |
| A commonly cited example is the appearance of Starlink satellite trains. What might initially look unusual to a witness can often be recognised immediately through the AR overlay if the software matches the observed position with known satellite telemetry. [Enigma Labs]enigmalabs.ioEnigma Labs | Report a UFO sightingBrowse our map for sightings near you and across the globe. This dynamic format highlights most recent…</span></span></span> | Report a UFO sighting |
Why Enigma Calls It a Noise-Reduction Tool
| One of Enigma’s recurring arguments is that most submitted sightings eventually prove identifiable. Because of that, the company frames the AR lens as a filtering mechanism rather than a discovery mechanism. [Enigma Labs]enigmalabs.ioEnigma Labs | Report a UFO sightingBrowse our map for sightings near you and across the globe. This dynamic format highlights most recent…</span></span></span> | Report a UFO sighting |
The intended workflow is:
- The witness notices an unusual object.
- The Identify Lens checks whether it matches known objects.
- Ordinary explanations are surfaced in real time.
- Only sightings that remain unexplained are more likely to be submitted for deeper review.
| Enigma has explicitly described the feature as a way to reduce “noise” in its reporting database and improve the quality of incoming cases. [Enigma Labs]enigmalabs.ioEnigma Labs | Report a UFO sightingBrowse our map for sightings near you and across the globe. This dynamic format highlights most recent…</span></span></span> | Report a UFO sighting |
Benefits for Verifying Sightings
The practical value of metadata emerges after the recording has been uploaded.
| Enigma maintains a large database of historical and contemporary reports, and the company has stated that detailed metadata helps investigators compare separate submissions that may describe the same event. If multiple users record an object from different locations at approximately the same time, timestamped positional information can help determine whether they were observing a common target. [Enigma Labs]enigmalabs.ioEnigma Labs | Report a UFO sightingBrowse our map for sightings near you and across the globe. This dynamic format highlights most recent…</span></span></span> | Report a UFO sighting |
Metadata also supports several forms of verification that are difficult with ordinary social-media videos:
- Cross-checking reports against known flight and satellite activity
- Comparing independent witness recordings
- Reconstructing viewing geometry
- Estimating whether apparent motion came from the object or the camera
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Organising sightings by precise time and location rather than narrative description alone [Enigma Labs]enigmalabs.ioEnigma Labs Report a UFO sightingBrowse our map for sightings near you and across the globe. This dynamic format highlights most recent…</span></span></span> Report a UFO sighting
This reflects a broader shift in UFO databases from anecdotal archives towards structured observational records. The footage itself remains important, but Enigma’s design treats the surrounding sensor data as part of the evidence rather than as background information. [WIRED]wired.comSpotted a UFO? There's an App for ThatWIREDSpotted a UFO? There's an App for ThatJanuary 31, 2023 — 31 Jan 2023 — Enigma Labs launches a project to crowdsource and quantify da…
What Metadata Can and Cannot Prove
The presence of detailed metadata does not automatically validate a UFO claim. A video can contain accurate location and orientation information while still depicting a conventional aircraft, a satellite, a drone or a visual misinterpretation.
| Enigma itself presents the metadata system primarily as a tool for improving data quality rather than proving extraordinary conclusions. Better timestamps, geolocation records and orientation tracking make reports easier to analyse, but they do not eliminate the need for independent investigation and comparison with external datasets. [Enigma Labs]enigmalabs.ioEnigma Labs | Report a UFO sightingBrowse our map for sightings near you and across the globe. This dynamic format highlights most recent…</span></span></span> | Report a UFO sighting |
| There are also practical limitations. Smartphone sensors have accuracy constraints, GPS readings can drift, and environmental conditions can affect measurements. In addition, much of Enigma’s analytical workflow remains proprietary, meaning outside researchers cannot fully evaluate how metadata is processed after submission. [Enigma Labs]enigmalabs.ioEnigma Labs | Report a UFO sightingBrowse our map for sightings near you and across the globe. This dynamic format highlights most recent…</span></span></span> | Report a UFO sighting |
| Even so, the camera system represents a notable departure from traditional UFO reporting forms. Instead of asking witnesses to remember where they stood and which direction they looked, Enigma attempts to record those details directly from the device at the moment of observation. That shift—from recollected context to sensor-captured context—is the central reason the app’s camera metadata system occupies such an important place in Enigma’s approach to UFO sighting databases. [Enigma Labs]enigmalabs.ioEnigma Labs | Report a UFO sightingBrowse our map for sightings near you and across the globe. This dynamic format highlights most recent…</span></span></span> | Report a UFO sighting |
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Further Reading
Books and field guides related to How Enigma Captures Location and Angle Metadata. Use these as the next step if you want deeper reading beyond the article.
UFOs
Emphasises evidence quality and credible reporting, matching the page’s focus on improving sighting verification.
The UFO Experience
Hynek’s attention to witness data and observational detail fits metadata-rich UFO report analysis.
NightWatch
Helps observers understand sky position, viewing direction, and ordinary celestial objects that affect sighting interpretation.
Turn Left at Orion
Supports practical identification of celestial targets and observing context, relevant to camera angle and sky metadata.
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Endnotes
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Source: enigmalabs.io
Title: the new enigma camera optimizing metadata for uap sightings
Link: https://enigmalabs.io/blog/the-new-enigma-camera-optimizing-metadata-for-uap-sightingsSource snippet
Enigma Labs | Report a UFO sightingThe New Enigma Camera — Optimizing Metadata for UAP...25 Aug 2023 — The new Enigma Native Camera lets...
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Source: enigmalabs.io
Title: announcing the enigma ar lens
Link: https://enigmalabs.io/blog/announcing-the-enigma-ar-lensSource snippet
Enigma Labs | Report a UFO sightingShazam for the Skies26 Jul 2023 — Announcing the Enigma Augmented Reality Lens, helping identify objec...
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Source: linkedin.com
Title: Linked In Enigma Labs’ Post
Link: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/enigmalabsuap_the-new-enigma-camera-optimizing-metadata-activity-7100940949890994177-XpVdSource snippet
LinkedInEnigma Labs' Post - Optimizing Metadata for UAP SightingsThe New Enigma Camera - Optimizing Metadata for UAP Sightings The Native...
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Source: enigmalabs.io
Link: https://enigmalabs.io/Source snippet
Enigma Labs | Report a UFO sightingBrowse our map for sightings near you and across the globe. This dynamic format highlights most recent...
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Source: wired.com
Title: Spotted a UFO? There’s an App for That
Link: https://www.wired.com/story/spotted-a-ufo-theres-an-app-for-that/Source snippet
WIREDSpotted a UFO? There's an App for ThatJanuary 31, 2023 — 31 Jan 2023 — Enigma Labs launches a project to crowdsource and quantify da...
Published: January 31, 2023
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Source: enigmalabs.io
Link: https://enigmalabs.io/blog/25k-sightingsSource snippet
Enigma Labs | Report a UFO sighting25K Sightings & Counting31 Oct 2024 — To quantify the anomalous nature of sightings, Enigma applies a...
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Source: newyorker.com
Title: the truth is out there on an app
Link: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/01/29/the-truth-is-out-there-on-an-appSource snippet
The New YorkerThe Truth Is Out There, on an App22 Jan 2024 — An augmented-reality lens lets users point a phone upward, and then displays...
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Source: play.google.com
Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?hl=en_GB&id=com.enigma.mobileSource snippet
google.comEnigma: What's that in the Sky – Apps on...Seen something unusual in the sky? Share your UFO sighting story and read accounts...
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Source: enigmalabs.io
Link: https://enigmalabs.io/faqSource snippet
Frequently Asked QuestionsAnswers to common questions about Enigma Labs — how to submit UAP sightings, use the platform, and join the res...
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Source: reddit.com
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/comments/19cuje5/the_new_yorker_the_truth_is_out_there_on_an_app/Source snippet
The New Yorker: The Truth Is Out There, on an App: r/UFOsAn augmented-reality lens lets users point a phone upward, and then displays an...
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Source: substack.com
Title: identify known objects such as planets, stars, satellites and planes.Read more
Link: https://substack.com/home/post/p-151487185Source snippet
Enigma Labs - The Largest Queryable UAP Sightings...11 Nov 2024 — EL: The Enigma Identify Lens is an aspect of our Camera that...
Additional References
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Source: apps.apple.com
Title: App Store Enigma: What’s that in the Sky
Link: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/enigma-whats-that-in-the-sky/id1548371173Source snippet
App StoreEnigma: What's that in the Sky - App Store - AppleInstantly identify known objects such as satellites, planes, stars, planets an...
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Source: reddit.com
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/comments/14fbm6n/we_are_enigma_labs_we_have_created_an_app_for_uap/Source snippet
and the largest queryable UAP database in the world.Read more...
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Source: facebook.com
Link: https://www.facebook.com/NewsNationNow/posts/a-video-sharing-platform-run-by-enigma-labs-is-storing-images-of-unidentified-an/873015845105434/Source snippet
Anomalous Phenomena” as they are photographed, in real time...
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Source: mwm.ai
Title: Enigma: What’s that in the Sky
Link: https://mwm.ai/apps/enigma-what-s-that-in-the-sky/1548371173Source snippet
News AppIt allows users to explore over 200,000 recent and historical UFO, drone, and other aerial sightings on an interactive map, provi...
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Source: youtube.com
Title: Enigma UFO Tracker: Recent UAP Sightings & Congressional Hearings Explained
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVuO_yu1eWkSource snippet
Something in the Sky? Something in the Water hosts app launch...
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Source: play.google.com
Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.enigma.mobileSource snippet
google.comEnigma: What's that in the Sky - Apps on Google PlayFinally, the #1 mobile app for UFO sightings and alerts is now available on...
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Source: appranks.app
Title: Enigma: What’s that in the Sky
Link: https://appranks.app/app/enigma-whats-that-in-the-sky-1548371173Source snippet
Every day, thousands of people see something they can't explain in the skies. Seen...Read more...
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Source: youtube.com
Title: Something in the Sky? Something in the Water hosts app launch
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqXg8EbbXZUSource snippet
Governments Using AI To Decode Massive UFO Databases | WION Podcast...
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Source: apps.apple.com
Link: https://apps.apple.com/cg/app/enigma-whats-that-in-the-sky/id1548371173Source snippet
apple.comEnigma: What's that in the Sky - App Store - Apple18 May 2026 — Instantly identify known objects such as satellites, planes, sta...
Published: May 2026
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Source: apps.apple.com
Link: https://apps.apple.com/de/app/enigma-whats-that-in-the-sky/id1548371173Source snippet
apple.comEnigma: What's that in the Sky - App Store - AppleInstantly identify known objects such as satellites, planes, stars, planets an...
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