Secret spy video recorder. No camera shutter sound. No preview. One touch recording. HD video. Turn screen off and continue recording. Make and receive phone calls during recording. Many features. Rated 5-stars by CNET. Secret Video Recorder is the ONLY hidden camera app in the market that does background recording so you can use your phone as normal and NO ONE can tell you are recording video.
Features:
One touch operation for recording start and stop
Full HD video (1920x1080) recording
Custom icon for launcher so the app is completely discreet
Disable Notification icon so there is no screen indication that video is recording
Auto split video files so you can record up to all available space on SD card
Choose internal or external SD card for storing videos
Supports front and back camera
Very few permissions needed so privacy is assured
Advanced shutter mute options
Additional Features:
On supported devices, start recording by long press of the search button
Talk on the phone while video recording continues in background
Turn screen off and continue recording (on supported devices only). Saves battery and allows long recordings
Videos show in Gallery (not a typo, some users complain that videos show in Gallery and others complain they don’t)
I cannot find my videos
I cannot find my videos on the computer
Answer:
If there is no error message when you start video recording, chances are the videos recorded fine and stored on your phone.
First let us make sure that your videos are recorded correctly. Follow the steps:
Go to SVR Preferences and uncheck the option for Hide Videos.
Note the folder name in Video Folder.
Now run SVR to record a video.
Go to the Gallery app. The video should now show in the Gallery. If not, restart your phone. The video should now show in Gallery.
To manually view the files, you will need a file manager app. The one that we recommend is Android File Manager. It is free and can be downloaded from Google Play store here.
Navigate to the Video Folder noted from step 2. You should see your videos.
Now let us hide the videos. Follow the steps:
Go to SVR Preferences and check the option for Hide Videos.
Now run SVR to record a video.
Go to the Gallery app. The newly recorded video should not show in Gallery. Note that the old files will remain in Gallery and will need to be manually deleted with a long press.
To locate the file manually, let us use the Android File Manager app. Launch Android File Manager and select Menu -> More -> About/Settings -> Android File Manager Preferences and check the Select View Hidden Files option. This will allow you to view hidden files in this app.
Now navigate to the Video Folder and you should see the file. Click on any file to play the video.
Downloading videos on the computer. Follow these steps:
Connect the phone to your computer and mount the SD card. Or your phone may default to media mode so you can directly view the files on your computer.
Navigate to the Video Folder and copy the video files.
If the video files do not show in Windows Explorer, press the Alt key once and go to Tools -> Folder Options -> View Tab and check the radio button for Show hidden files, folders and drives.
If you are still unable to view the files, try to restart your phone and try another computer.
Question:
How to save to external SD card?
How to save to SD card?
Videos are saved to phone memory, but I want to store videos to the removable card
Answer:
Android KitKat (Version 4.4.2) and newer
Android KitKat only allows recording to the Android/Data folder on the external SD card. This folder is also automatically deleted when the app is uninstalled. (You can thank Google for this ridiculous implementation!). Please note if you choose to record to the external SD card, please download/backup your recorded videos before uninstalling the app.
All Other Android Versions
Android is really bad about supporting external SD cards and does not provide API methods to save things to the external SD card. So phone manufacturers add the SD card option themselves. As a result the path is different on each phone. Samsung changes the path to the external SD card even between different models of its own phones!
Anyway, follow the following steps to store videos to the SD card.
Download a free app Android File Manager. It can be downloaded from Google Play store here.
Launch the app. On top, there is a bar with buttons. Slide the buttons until you see, EXTERNAL SD CARD. Click it.
On the topmost bar, you should see the path to the external SD card. For example, on my Galaxy SII it is /storage/sdcard1. Note this path on a piece of paper. Remember this path is case sensitive. So /storage/sdcard1 and /storage/Sdcard1 are not the same paths.
Go to SVR Preferences and go the Video Folder option. Type the path noted from step 3. And add “/svr”. So in the example above, the path to type would be /storage/sdcard1/svr.
Record video with SVR and make ensure that files are saved to the external SD card.
Question:
The phone makes shutter sound when recording starts
The phone makes a click sound when recording starts
I tried all mute methods (1-5) in SVR Preferences and none work.
How to mute the sound when recording starts
After update, phone makes sound when starting the video recording
Answer:
Some phones have the shutter sound locked in firmware as required by law. So it may not work, but on most phones one of the five methods we provide work should work. Let us try the following steps.
Go to Android –> Settings –> Sound and uncheck the option for Audible Selection (Play sound when making screen selection). This will disable sounds when touching the screen.
Go to SVR Preferences and try each Mute Method from 1 to 5. After each change, test with the SVR app to make sure that mute works. When you find the one that works, stop. This is the mute method you should leave your phone at.
In the rare case that none of the mute methods work, chances are your phone is firmware locked for the shutter sound. In that case, if you phone is rooted, you should be able to delete the shutter sound file from your phone. Just google how to disable camera shutter sound for your phone model.
If your phone is not rooted, sorry, but there are no other options at this time. But we will continue to work and add more ways. So stay tuned.
Question:
Can you add zoom settings to the app?
Answer:
Sure we can add it but decided not to. Since the video preview is not visible, how will you know how much to zoom? An alternative is to record the video in HD and crop the video to desired zoom on a computer. If you still think it should be there, email us with how you would like us to implement it.
Question:
Some of my videos are corrupt?
My videos don’t play
Videos play with green lines
Answer:
Please try the following steps:
Make sure it isn't the the screen turning off that is causing the corruption. Please make a recording without turning off the screen. Some phones not support recording with the screen turned off.
Try a different video resolution. Please choose a different setting in Video Quality in SVR Preferences.
Uninstall and reinstall the app to reset everything to default.
Try with both the front and the back camera.
Try to download the recorded videos to a computer and play the file with VLC Player.
If still not fixed, please send us an email with your phone model and please include the details of what you tried.
Question:
Is it possible to recover videos that have abruptly stopped recording if the phone dies from low battery?
Video file is corrupt after phone ran out battery
Answer:
In SVR Preferences, there is an option to check for battery level and stop the recording automatically. If you check this option, the recording will automatically stop when the battery reaches 5% level. So this problem can be avoided.
If you do get a corrupt recording, there is no guarantee but you may be able to recover the part of the file that was recorded. Download VLC Player from here and try. It is open source and provides a set of very powerful tools for mp4 diagnostics.
Question:
When a file reaches 1799 MB (1.8 GB) it stops recording and starts a new file.
Video files are split, not continuous.
Answer:
Android (and all 32 bit systems) have a file size limit of 2 GB. The app breaks the video file automatically to prevent file corruption. You can stitch the files up into one larger video on your Windows PC (64-bit) using any of the free software available on the internet.
Question:
Audio level is low.
Cannot hear sound in video
Answer:
Please choose a different source for audio under Audio Source in SVR Preferences.
Question:
Can I record the video without audio.
How do I disable audio from being recorded in my video.
I use my phone as a Car Dash Cam to record the rare traffic accidents. However my voice activation apps do not work while SVR is running.
Answer:
Please choose No Audio option under Audio Source in SVR Preferences.
Question:
Video does not focus correctly
Video is out of focus
Videos are blurred
Answer:
Please choose a different value for Focus Mode in SVR Preferences.
Question:
The video aspect ratio is wrong
My videos are stretched or too thin
Answer:
Please check the option for Video Aspect Ratio Fix in SVR Preferences. If that does not fix the problem, see if you can reproduce the problem for a lower resolution and send us an email with your model number.
Question:
Video is recorded only at 15 fps
Recorded video does not have frame rate of 30
Answer:
The frame rate on cell phone cameras depends on the amount of light and is determined automatically by the camera. SVR app does not control the frame rate for video recordings. Try a different camera app in the same environment (with same lighting) and chances are you will get video recorded with the same frame rate.
Question:
How do I change settings?
How do I change video preferences?
Answer:
When Secret Video Recorder is installed, it put two icons in your launcher (or app drawer). One is SVR (used to record video) and the other is SVR Preferences (to change settings).
Question:
Can I automate the start of SVR app for video recording?
Can I schedule the start of SVR app?
Do you support automation using Tasker or AutomateIt?
Answer:
Yes, Tasker and AutomateIt work with SVR. For whatever rule you want, you can set the action to launch SVR app.
Question:
App force closes when starting
Answer:
Please uninstall and reinstall the app. If it still does not fix the problem, send us an email with your phone model number.
Question:
App runs but records in low resolution.
Videos do not record in HD
Answer:
Please send us an email with the list of resolutions available, the resolution you selected and the resolution of the recorded video. Please also indicate if the problem is with the front or the back camera.
Question:
License check runs everytime
App shows Authentication Failed
Answer:
This is not normal. Please uninstall and reinstall the app. If you are using 2-step verification, please ensure it is set up correctly. If this is not resolved, send us an email from your Google account used to purchase the app.
Question:
I forgot my password, how can I recover it?
I don't remember my password
Answer:
We cannot recover your password. You can reset your password by uninstalling and reinstalling the app. Your videos will NOT be deleted when you reinstall this app.
Question:
How do I stop the video recording?
How do I stop SVR? I have to restart my phone to stop it.
Answer:
There are two ways:
Click on the SVR icon in the notification/status bar
Tap the SVR icon in your launcher (the same icon you used to start the recording)
Question:
While using SVR app, the phone is really slow
My phone freezes when I start SVR. After the app finishes, the phone is fine again.
Answer:
SVR is a video recorder. And video recording is processor intensive task. Some older phones do not have the processor capability to handle both video recording and other tasks. Newer phones handle SVR like a champ! Sorry, when you upgrade your phone, this issue will be gone.
You can use DropBox for auto upload of recorded videos. DropSync app, free and pro, works great for folder synchronization and allows the option to delete files after upload. This allows you to use the SVR app as CCTV for continuous recording without running out of space. Google Drive can be configured similarly. DriveSync app, free and pro, works just like DropSync for Google Drive.
Question:
Is there an iOS version for my iPhone?
Do you make your app for Windows Phone?
Is your app available on Blackberry?
Answer:
No, no and no. Currently we are happy being Android only. But if Google continues to treat developers like second-rate citizens, we will consider porting over to Windows and Blackberry. Sorry we will still not support iOS, because Apple already treats developers like herd animals.
Previous Versions
We are constantly adding features in our updates. But we are human and sometimes we mess up. But Google has decided that you only get the latest version and cannot rollback to a previous version. Who are we to disagree with Google. But that is no reason for you to suffer. You can download previous versions of the app from the links at the bottom of the page.
