🎬 Record your regular household activity guidelines

What This Is

Record first-person videos of yourself doing household tasks to help train AI to understand hand movements at home.

Project timeline

This project runs for the next 3 months (through June–July), and there's no cap on how many tasks you can complete — the more you do, the more you earn, and the more tasks will be made available to you. Get started by reviewing the guidelines below, pick up your first task, and start earning right away.

Incentives

Receive a $10 bonus for your first accepted hour of recorded content.

Steps

Device & Application Requirements

• A mobile phone or webcam is required to complete this task.

• Tasks must be completed through the Toloka mobile application.

• Video recording must happen live while you are completing the task. Pre-recorded videos are not accepted.

OS / Family

Approved Models

iOS

• iPhone 11

• iPhone 11 Pro / 11 Pro Max

• iPhone 12 / 12 Mini / 12 Pro / 12 Pro Max

• iPhone 13 / 13 Mini / 13 Pro / 13 Pro Max

• iPhone 14 / 14 Plus / 14 Pro / 14 Pro Max

• iPhone 15 / 15 Plus / 15 Pro / 15 Pro Max

• iPhone 16 lineup (not 16e)

• iPhone 17 lineup (not 17e)

Android — Google Pixel

• Pixel 6
• Pixel 6 Pro
• Pixel 7
• Pixel 7 Pro
• Pixel 8
• Pixel 8 Pro
• Pixel 9 / 9 Pro
   

Android — Samsung Galaxy S

• S21 / S21+ / S21 Ultra
• S22 / S22+ / S22 Ultra
• S23 / S23+ / S23 Ultra
• S24 / S24+ / S24 Ultra
• S25 / S25+ / S25 Ultra
• S26 / S26+ / S26 Ultra

No other mobile phones can be used for data collection, unless an external camera meeting the
specifications below is wired to the phone for data capture.

Download the Toloka App

To participate in this project, you must complete tasks using the appropriate Toloka mobile application.

• Android: Google Play
• iOS: App Store

New Recording App

After successfully completing several trial tasks, you will receive an email invitation to switch to our new recording application.

Organization Code: 33XPEMV5

• iOS: Minute Data (App Store)
• Android: Minute Data (Google Play)

Please follow the app setup instructions provided in the invitation email.

Mobile App Usage Instructions

Video Walkthrough

1. Log In to the App

2. Select the project “Earn money recording videos”.

3. Review Project Instructions and video examples

4. Review the Quality Criteria

5. Start Recording

Grant camera and microphone permissions if prompted, and mount the phone on your head in horizontal (landscape) position.

6. Choose the Correct Task Category

7. Submit the Recording

Preview the uploaded video and rerecord if needed or submit.

Additional Notes

• Always update the application to the latest version before recording.
• Ensure camera and microphone permissions are enabled.
• Follow all project-specific instructions carefully to avoid task rejection.
• Use the examples in the guidelines section as a reference for acceptable recordings.

Application Update Requirement

• Before starting, make sure your Toloka app is updated to the latest version.

• You will be required to grant access to your camera and microphone.

👉See Video instructions on how to do the task.

• Mount your phone in a first-person, top-down view (like your own eyes), using a headband, hat clip, strap, or fixed mount (e.g., desk lamp). The camera must point downward at your hands.  → Chest-mounted cameras are not acceptable, even if the resulting footage appears to look downward.
  👉 See DIY Head Camera Options guide for setup examples.

• Lock screen to landscape (horizontal) mode.

• Use the 0.5x / wide-angle camera before starting the recording. This is a mandatory project requirement and helps ensure both hands remain visible throughout the task.

• Start recording

• Do your household task naturally for at least 10 minutes. Stick to one task category for the entire recording. Do not stop recording — one continuous take, no editing.

• Review your recording, select the appropriate task category, and submit the task.
   

Video Requirements

• Wide-angle lens (Required): You must use the 0.5x / wide / ultrawide camera for recording. Videos recorded with the standard 1x camera may be rejected if both hands and the workspace are not clearly visible throughout the task.

• High resolution: Video is recorded in 1080p or better.

• Video length: Variable video lengths are accepted. Videos must be at least 2 minutes long and no longer than 3 hours.

Lighting - to be added as a requirement

• Well lit: Lighting is bright enough throughout the recording

• Consistent lighting: No rapid transitions between dark and bright areas

Quality Requirements (All Must Be Met)

Quality Requirement	✅Accept	❌Reject
Horizontal orientation: Video must be in landscape mode — wider than tall.	✅ Phone locked to landscape; frame is wider than tall throughout.	❌Recorded in portrait (taller than wide).
Footage Stability: Video must be steady and watchable — securely mounted, no persistent shaking.	✅Steady footage; hands and objects stay clear.	❌Constant shaking, trembling, or bouncing that makes it hard to see what the hands are doing.
Hand Visibility: Both hands are visible together for at least 90% of the recording. Move your head to follow your hands — don't just glance with your eyes.	✅Both hands in frame 90% of the time.	❌Only 1 hand is in the frame mosy of the time.
Valid Physical Task Record real productive household work with clear hand-object interaction. One category, full 10+ minutes.	✅Productive task with visible hand-object manipulation	❌Idle time, eating, grooming, phone or computer use, watching TV, or staged/fake task performance.
Natural Environment Recording must take place in a residential setting, either indoors or outdoors (e.g., kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, living room, yard, garden, driveway, patio, etc.).	✅Natural home setting with normal lighting, surfaces, and clutter. No evidence it's non-residential.	❌Non-residential location unrelated to household activities (e.g., public street, commercial space, workplace)
Camera Angle (Top-Down View) The camera must point down toward your hands and workspace, like seeing through your own eyes. ❌ Most rejections happen due to wrong angles. The camera must be on your head — never across from you or held by someone else.	✅Camera looks down; hands and work surface are centered and clearly visible.	❌Camera shows hands front-facing angle (not top-down). ❌ Camera shows hands from a side/third-person angle.
No Personal Information (PII) No faces, ID cards, readable names/addresses, or personal details anywhere in the video.	✅ No faces (including reflections/photos), no ID or bank cards, no legible names/addresses.	❌Any visible face, ID or card, readable personal details on documents, or full names, addresses, or account numbers.

Review Process

• Videos are reviewed by our QA team.
• Review time is up to 2 business days.
• Low-quality videos or videos recorded using an unapproved smartphone setup will be rejected.

🎥 Diversity Requirement 

We aim to collect a diverse set of videos to better represent real-life environments and activities.

📌 What to vary

Please avoid repeating the same setup across submissions. Instead, try to vary:

• Indoor and outdoor environments: kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, living room, yard, garden, garage, patio, etc.

• Objects: different tools, dishes, materials, etc.

• Tasks: different types of activities within or across categories

• Surfaces & layouts: different tables, counters, cabinets

• Lighting conditions: natural light, artificial light, different times of day

✅ Accepted

• Different environments and objects across videos

• Natural variation in how tasks are performed

❌ Rejected / Avoid

• Multiple videos with identical setup, objects, and positioning
   

Sequence of Action Requirement 

Each video must show a clear, logical sequence of actions, not random or repetitive movement.

What this means

Your task should have a beginning, middle, and end, showing real progress. The task must involve genuine, active hand-object interaction toward a real household purpose. Single-focus tasks are acceptable as long as the task is clearly productive and not just filling time — folding a full pile of laundry, washing a stack of dishes, or sweeping a floor from start to finish all qualify.

Important: You may continue the same category of activity throughout the video, provided the activity remains natural and productive. For example, a 10-minute ironing video is acceptable if you naturally move from one shirt to another. The same applies to dishwashing, repair work, clothes organizing, plant care, and similar household activities. Avoid artificially repeating the same motion or slowing down an activity to extend the recording.

Good Example

Setting a table:

1. Place plates

2. Add cutlery

3. Arrange napkins

4. Adjust final layout

The task clearly progresses from start to finish.

Bad Examples

• Artificially repeating the same motion with no real purpose or progress.

• Random actions with no clear goal

• Starting mid-task with no context

Accepted Task Categories

Kitchen Organization

Organizing pantry shelves, arranging kitchen utensils, sorting groceries, labeling containers, unpacking food items, organizing refrigerator shelves, restocking kitchen supplies, etc.

Home Organization

Organizing closet, organizing drawers, unpacking groceries, packing boxes, organizing shoes, organizing tools, etc.

Repair & Assembly

Assembling shelves, tightening screws, changing light bulbs, hanging pictures, replacing batteries, disassembling devices, assembling outdoor furniture, repairing fence panels, sanding wood, installing hooks or brackets, etc.

Desk & Office Tasks

Filing documents, packaging items for shipping, opening mail, stapling papers, binding documents, sorting paperwork.

⚠️ Make sure no PII is visible (names, addresses, IDs, account numbers, signatures, etc.)

Craft Hobby Fine Manipulation 

Sewing fabric, sorting beads, wrapping gifts, stringing beads, threading, assembling decorations, etc.

Personal Care (Bathroom)

Organizing bathroom cabinet, folding towels, cleaning grooming tools, restocking supplies, preparing bath products, etc.

Dining Table Tasks

Setting table, clearing table, folding napkins, arranging flowers, placing dishes, preparing outdoor dining setups, arranging picnic items, etc.

Plant Care Activities

Watering plants, repotting plants, pruning plants, planting seeds, planting flowers, harvesting vegetables, tying plants, filling seed trays, transplanting seedlings, etc.

Cleaning

Vacuuming, sweeping, mopping, cleaning windows, cleaning bathroom sink, cleaning toilet, cleaning bathtub/shower, washing a car/bike, vacuuming car interior, etc.

Laundry Garment Care

Folding clothes, hanging clothes, loading washing machine, unloading washing machine, ironing clothes, sorting laundry, etc.

Miscellaneous Object Interaction

Setting up electronics, polishing shoes, sorting coins, untangling cords, labeling containers, etc.

Animal Care Activities

Preparing animal feed, refilling water containers, brushing animals, collecting eggs, preparing bedding, etc.

Yard & Landscaping Operations

Mowing lawn, raking leaves, edging grass lines, spreading mulch, trimming hedges/bushes

Tasks Not Allowed

• Cooking activities such as cleaning fruits or vegetables, preparing ingredients, cooking food, or serving meals.
• Petting animals.
• Recording while seated.

• Long, highly repetitive motions with little variation (for example, polishing or sharpening the same object for an extended period).

Example: Cleaning

📹 Video Example: 

✅ Orientation: Landscape (horizontal)

✅ Angle: Camera looks down into sink; workspace centered

✅ Task: Active scrubbing and cleaning (high-value physical data)

Questions?

Have questions? Check the FAQ

If you have any additional questions or run into issues, let us know through this short survey. We're happy to help you get set up and recording.