Background The use of traditional media, such as paper, when conducting a large scale data collection faces problems such as high errors in data input. The aim of this study is to investigate the feasibility of using a smartphone instead of paper in order to conduct a survey on Smoke-Free Areas in the province of Yogyarta, as well as the extent in which an ordinary smartphone user is capable of collecting the aforementioned data with little or no train. This survey was conducted using an available open source license software. Method An open-source smartphone app and data-collection server from Open Data Kit was used to conduct the survey. The form was generated using XLSForm and deployed in the smartphone using ODK collect in order to use it as an off-line survey. The data-collection server was deployed by the IT department using a virtual machine in a standard office PC. Results In doing the survey, the smartphone, it being a common carry-on item, seems to attract fewer attention compared to when using paper. Uploading the survey results within a local server in the office proceeded with no data loss. The application is capable to operate in both a limited or full internet access. Conclusion Smartphone technology benefits in easing the process of conducting a large scale area survey and uploading the results, as well as reducing input error. The most significant advantage is timeliness. Further research needs to explore an alternative open-source system package that a common smartphone user could prepare without needing support from the IT department.