In the upper-right corner of the main screen, you’ll see 3 buttons:

• Upload
  • Looks like an “up arrow”.
• Layers
  • This is the one we want!
• Settings
  • Looks like “3 horizontal lines”.

(Note: This tutorial was created using StreetComplete v60.1 on Android.)

Tutorial: Adding Fire Hydrants

1. Click on the “Layers” button.

2. Choose “Things”.

• The icon will now turn into a green-and-white bullseye-looking symbol.
  • (You can now see objects like benches / fire hydrants on the map.)

3. Pinch+Zoom in really far:

• You’ll see a crosshair appear on your screen.
  • (That’s the exact spot the object will be placed.)

Now:

• Scroll on the map to move it to the exact location.

4. At the bottom-right of the screen:

• Click the big red + button.

5. At the bottom of your screen:

• Click on the “? Select” dropdown.
  • (You’ll now get a list of objects to choose from.)

This is where you can quickly choose from the 10 most popular objects:

• Bench
• Fire Hydrant
  • Choose this one!
• Trash Can
• Bicycle Parking
• Recycling Bin
• […]

6. Then:

• Verify you moved the cursor to the right location.
• Double-check you chose the correct object.
• Click on the checkmark.

Congrats. You added it to the map! :)

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Tips

Tip #1: See A Bench? Take A Break!

If I’m mapping benches, I:

• Sit right down.
• Wait for the GPS to stabilize.
• Do Steps 3->6.
  • Moving “the crosshair” directly over my “location dot”.

And while I’m taking a quick rest, I complete a few more quests around me too! :)

Tip #2: Other Small Things?

In Step 5, you can also add many other things by just:

• Typing into the search box.

So if you’re in a park, you may want to add:

• Drinking Water
  • This will trigger the “water fountain” quests.
• Picnic Table

or some of the playground equipment:

• Play Structure
  • This is the big thing with steps/slides/walls/bridges for kids to play on.
• Swing
• Seesaw

Or here are a few other objects you might come across while exploring:

• Flagpole
• Public Bookcase
  • These are those “free little libraries” that might randomly appear on your walks!

Extra Info

Side Note #1: If you like fire hydrants, then check out the map at:

• OSMHydrants.org

StreetComplete is great for filling in all those blank gaps in your neighborhood! :)

Side Note #2: If you love adding in all these little things, you may also be interested in this great talk:

• State of the Map US 2022: “Micromapping Phoenix City Parks” by Sean Whitcomb

@mycota did a fantastic job making parks look so much better! :)

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Technical Note: These are the 2 main OSM tags discussed:

StreetComplete Name	Tag	Link
Fire Hydrant	emergency=fire_hydrant	OSM Wiki
Bench	amenity=bench	OSM Wiki

and then these bonus ones:

StreetComplete Name	Tag	Link
Drinking Water	amenity=drinking_water	OSM Wiki
Picnic Table	leisure=picnic_table	OSM Wiki
	playground=*	OSM Wiki
Trash Can	amenity=waste_basket	OSM Wiki
Public Bookcase	amenity=public_bookcase	OSM Wiki
Flagpole	man_made=flagpole	OSM Wiki