Witness turns your iPhone into a chain-of-custody recorder for any situation you don't feel safe in, including encounters with law enforcement, but also confrontations, harassment, workplace incidents, and anywhere you need a record without drawing attention. Footage uploads automatically as you record, so it survives even if your phone doesn't.
HOW IT WORKS
Start recording and the screen goes black. No live preview, no distraction, nothing for anyone to see or grab. Video uploads to your own cloud storage in small chunks, roughly every 15 seconds, so footage is already off the device before the situation even ends.
SAFE EVEN IF YOUR PHONE ISN'T
Footage streams out continuously, so deleting or confiscating your phone can't delete what's already been recorded. Each chunk is hashed and time stamped for a verifiable chain of custody, the kind of documentation that holds up as evidence.
YOUR STORAGE, YOUR CHOICE
Witness uploads directly to an account you control. Choose Google Drive, Dropbox, Nextcloud, or any WebDAV server, including one you self-host. Nothing passes through a third party server, and you can revoke access at any time.
EMERGENCY CONTACT
Add someone you trust as an emergency contact. They get automatic access to your footage as it uploads, so there's a second set of eyes even if you can't reach them yourself.
ONE PRESS START
Bind the iPhone Action Button, use the Lock Screen widget, or say "Hey Siri, start recording" to begin without unlocking or opening the app. No fumbling for a button when things are already tense.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
Built in guidance on your right to record in public, with region aware notes for where you are. Not a substitute for legal advice, but a starting point.
Witness is built for anyone who wants a clear, durable record of what happened, whether that's a police stop, a traffic stop, a confrontation on the street, or any encounter that feels unsafe. Nothing more.
Witness Pro Monthly is an auto-renewable subscription that unlocks 4K recording, up to 60 fps, and Apple Log color capture, for $1.99/month. Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription anytime in your App Store account settings.
Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Privacy Policy: https://olmaster13-spec.github.io/witnessrecord-privacy/privacy.html
This is genuinely one of the most thoughtful personal safety apps I’ve come across. It can record using both the front and rear cameras while keeping the screen dark, so you can document a situation discreetly without making it obvious that you’re recording.What really sets it apart is that it doesn’t rely on your phone surviving the encounter. While recording, it uploads the video to Google Drive in short intervals, roughly every 15 seconds. That means if your phone is taken, damaged, thrown away, or the recording is interrupted, the footage that has already uploaded is still safe. You can also have recordings sent to an emergency contact, adding another layer of protection beyond simply storing them on your own account.I can see this being incredibly valuable during an unwanted search, when being followed or harassed, or in any situation where you feel unsafe and want a record of what is happening without drawing additional attention to yourself.The fact that all of this is available for free, with no hidden fees, makes it even more impressive. So far the app has run flawlessly for me. The developers clearly put a lot of thought into what someone would actually need in a stressful situation: discreet recording, redundancy, and getting the evidence somewhere safe as quickly as possible.This is the kind of app I hope I never truly need, but I’m very glad to have it on my phone. Absolutely deserves five stars.
Question
KoE28273647391&
The app is great and it's completely free, on top of that it has the ability to upload 15sec chunks to your cloud storage (hopefully more cloud options will be made available in the future). Question: how long does it take once the chunks are uploaded to the storage for them to be compiled into a stitched recording per camera? I have access to the individual chunks on Google, but the app has yet to compile the chunks into the front and rear camera videos and it's been saying "Uploading to Google Drive as [my email] for 2 days now. Wish there was at least another progress bar on when those stitched videos would be complete.
Great app for documenting police brutality situations
Igniacio
Honestly I can’t believe something like this didn’t exist before. It just makes you feel safer when you get pulled over or when you find yourself in a possibly abusive situation (especially with police and ICE these days).
Fixes a crash that could close the app while it was uploading. If it
happened to you, nothing was lost, pieces stay on your phone until your
storage confirms them, and the queue resumes where it stopped.
Recording now follows how you are holding the phone. Filming with it held
horizontally produced footage lying on its side; it comes out the right
way up now, on both cameras.
Uploads say more when something is wrong. If your cloud storage refuses
the folder, the app tells you what the server said instead of retrying
quietly forever, and a piece that has not been tried yet no longer
describes itself as retrying.
Long recordings stay lighter. Keeping track of the upload queue used to
get slower the more you recorded; it no longer does.
Also: the front camera comes back on its own once the Witness Pro capture
settings allow both cameras again, and setting up WebDAV explains that
Nextcloud needs an app password rather than your account password.
Version 1.1.4 (19)
The developer, Olmo Parenti, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Linked to You
The following data may be collected and linked to your identity:
Location
Contact Info
User Content
Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More
Accessibility
The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More
Information
Seller
Olmo Parenti
Size
4.4 MB
Category
Photo & Video
Compatibility
Requires iOS 17.0 or later.
iPhone Requires iOS 17.0 or later.
Mac Requires macOS 14.0 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later.
