There are many situations where you might want to quickly record a video on your phone without it actually looking like you’re recording a video on your phone, whether you Looking to stay safe in a vulnerable position, protesting in a country that doesn’t necessarily want to see anyone protest, or hold law enforcement to account.
This puts Apple and Google in a bit of a bind, because hidden video recording on a smartphone isn’t something they want to encourage. Yes it is They can be useful and save lives – but they are They can also easily be misused for all sorts of sinister purposes. With that in mind, there aren’t any apps or tricks that you can use to record video completely secretly.
However, there are tricks for quickly recording clips while your phone is locked, dimming the screen while recording a video, and more. It is worth knowing what these options are on your phone, if you ever need to rely on one of them.
Iphone
If you need to quickly access the video recording function on iPhone when the screen is locked, press the power button, long press the camera button (bottom right), then press and hold the shutter button: photo mode suddenly becomes video mode, and recording begins.
You will need to hold down your finger to continue recording. Once done, only the clip that was just recorded will be accessed without unlocking the entire device – to prevent anyone from accessing that newer video as well, you can lock the phone again with another tap of the power button.
More functions can be added with file I’ve been stopped Siri shortcut (work Robert Peterson). Once installed, say “I’ve been pulled over” close to Siri, and it starts recording video from the front camera. The screen is dimmed at the same time and Do Not Disturb is turned on, to prevent any unwanted attention from being drawn to your smartphone.
While the shortcut is running while your phone is locked, you’ll need to unlock it to start recording and choose the recipients you want to send it to when you’re done. You can also set videos to be uploaded automatically through your favorite cloud storage app (if that’s iCloud, you can make sure that auto upload is enabled by opening Settings, then your Apple ID name, then iCloud).
There is a trick to access to enable video recording while the screen is off, although you must start recording while the screen is on and unlocked. From Settings, choose Accessibility And access shortcutthen enable Voice Over (screen reader tool). From the Camera app, start capturing the video, triple tap the Power button to enable VoiceOver, and triple tap the screen with three fingers. The screen turns off, but the recording continues. Reverse the process by using the triple taps to return to normal.
As you’d expect, Apple doesn’t give third-party apps the ability to record video in the background or while your phone is turned off. The closest app we found is SP . camera: It will cost you a few bucks, but it tries to hide the fact that video recording is happening by shrinking the camera view and placing other screen furniture around it.
while, mobile justice From the ACLU Designed to record interactions with law enforcement: Videos are automatically shared with the trusted contacts you select, and automatically uploaded to ACLU’s servers as well, so they’re safe and sound if your phone should be seized for any reason the reasons.
Android
In terms of software features, Android phones vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, so you may need to do a little research on your particular model. You also have different versions of Android to deal with – so you may have to wait for the update – but you should be able to find something that works for your phone.
On Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy phones, the quickest way to record video from the lock screen is to double-tap the power button to bring up the main camera app, then press and hold the shutter button: even if you’re in the photo at first, the press and hold action starts Record a video.
Since you turned on the camera from the lock screen, the only video available without some kind of authentication will be the one you just recorded; To hide this as well, lock the phone again with another press of the Power button. If your photo software is set to automatically upload video, you’re done: in the Google Photos app for Android, for example, tap your avatar (top right), Photo settingsAnd Backup and sync.
However, these default methods require the Camera app to be open. If you have a Pixel phone, there is an alternative method available via the Security app: Tap the gear icon (top left), then Emergency SOS, and you can set up what happens on your phone when you quickly press the power button five times. Among the options is an option to record a video in the background, which can then optionally be shared with a specific contact.
Third-party apps are also available to cover similar functionality, although they don’t quite match up with security. with the appropriate name background video recorderYour screen should be unlocked and the app should be open when you start recording, but then you can use other apps and even lock your phone while the recording is still in the background – the recording can then be stopped (and the video is automatically shared) without unlocking your phone.
NinjaCam It works in the same vein, letting you record a video in the background while other apps are active or the screen is off. As with Background Video Recorder Pro, the app must be open when the recording actually begins. You get some extra options with this app, including a PIN lock for the app itself to put an extra barrier between your videos and anyone who might want to watch them.
The is mobile justice The app from ACLU is also available on Android too Iphone. You can use it to record situations where you feel your safety is in danger, and because clips are automatically shared with trusted contacts and with the ACLU, your video is output even if your phone isn’t. The app is packed with useful information as well, including details about your rights if you are stopped by the police or if you are protesting.
