Comparison

CovertCam vs Video Buffer Pre

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

CovertCam

Capture photos and videos discreetly with a black screen interface. Ideal for concerts and festivals, this app offers a hidden preview and various shooting modes. Customize settings and save preferences for quick access.

Highlights
  • Black screen interface
  • Discrete preview window
  • Live photos
  • Burst mode
  • Customizable settings
  • Single tap photo capture
  • Swipe gestures for modes
Features
Read full description

The original black screen camera app. No nonsense app with no silly gimmicks. Take a photo or video with a touch of the blacked out screen. Made for concert and festival goers Features include: - Discrete preview window that can be hidden - Live photos available - Burst mode All settings can be uniquely set to your preferences and saved. CovertCam v4.0.2 features: - Single tap anywhere on screen for photo - Swipe right to toggle video mode, then double tap anywhere on screen for video (double tap again to stop) - Swipe left to toggle front/rear cameras - Swipe right to toggle photo/video mode - Press and hold (3+ seconds) for settings/removing settings menu - Burst mode - Takes a photo every x seconds Coming soon: - Integration with Apple Watch PLEASE NOTE: In order to take video you need to be in 'video mode' - Swipe right and you toggle between photo and video mode. An indication that you are in 'video mode' will be that the view finder will slightly enlarge. Once in 'video mode' you can double tap to start the video. It is currently not possible to auto-disable the shutter sound of the camera when taking a photo. It is against the iOS Developer Program License Agreement. It is against iOS Developer Program License Agreement to not have indications on the screen when taking a photo and/or video.

About

Video Buffer Pre

Capture moments that have already happened with a pre-recording buffer. Save device storage and avoid tedious editing by recording only the highlights. Ideal for sports, events, or unexpected occurrences.

Highlights
  • Buffered video recording
  • Up to 100 seconds buffer time
  • DualCam Mode
  • 4K video quality
  • Apple Watch remote support
  • Slow-motion support
Features
Read full description

Record the action that happened before the shutter! Save your device storage and skip the tedious post-game editing! Never miss a moment again! Yes, it really records in 4K: up to 4K at 120 fps on recent iPhones (e.g. iPhone 17) and 4K at 60 fps on older models (e.g. iPhone 12), with your Apple Watch as a remote. We're all used to pressing the record button and capturing life as it happens. But what if you could record things that already happened, pressing the button to catch the last few seconds? That's what makes Video Buffer so unique — you set the buffer time and hit the record when something interesting happens. You haven't missed a thing and saved your time and device storage! Video Buffer can be vital in all kinds of ways: Sports coaches and parents can use the app to record in-game highlight moments as they happen. Physical Education teachers could use buffered video footage to analyze performance and settle disputes between players. Sports officials and referees can review their decisions using a Buffer Camera as a video assistant. Drivers can use Video Buffer as a Dashcam, recording unexpected events on the road without overloading device memory storage. Skateboarders can capture only good lands and save time scrolling through many similar frames on the camera roll. Parents can catch their kids playing, making it easy to record that funny interaction that might otherwise be lost. Nature lovers can save time and storage while filming astonishing lightning flashes or waiting for the animal to appear or strike a funny pose. Video Buffer features include: - buffered video recording that ensures you'll never miss a moment - long buffer time, up to 100 seconds - 3 recording buttons, each with adjustable buffer time - DualCam Mode - record front and back camera footage simultaneously - option to capture only the buffer - the recording will end & save automatically - 4K video quality: up to 4K 120 fps on recent iPhones, 4K 60 fps on older models such as iPhone 12 - custom video resolution and FPS (30-240) - portrait or landscape orientation - saving to iCloud or device folders with a custom prefix for the filenames - Apple Watch support — a remote on your wrist to make it easier than ever to hit that record button - Slow-motion support - gives sports and fitness trainers the best look at swing, ball movement, or technique. Note: Works only with some back cameras - set 240 FPS in Settings. If you've ever missed something because you couldn't hit a record in time, Video Buffer is the answer! Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula

Screenshots

CovertCam4 screens
Video Buffer Pre4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Video Buffer Pre at Free against CovertCam's $0.99. Video Buffer Pre also leads on rating (4.5 vs 3.4) and review sentiment (61% vs 30%). CovertCam's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 14.0). On ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Video Buffer Pre is free to download; CovertCam costs $0.99 up front. Video Buffer Pre sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. CovertCam asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Video Buffer Pre holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 98 and 44 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 30% of CovertCam's written reviews are positive against 61% of Video Buffer Pre's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CovertCam ships an update every 2 months, Video Buffer Pre every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
CovertCam versus Video Buffer Pre: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCovertCamVideo Buffer Pre
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating3.4 (98 ratings)4.5 (44 ratings) — better
Positive reviews29.8% of reviews60.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings98 — better44
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS11.0 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB27 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAdrian Moorhousemichal bojanowicz

Customer experience

CovertCam

All ratings98 ratings
Positive56.1%
Neutral10.2%
Negative33.7%
Written reviews104 reviews
Positive29.8%
Neutral6.7%
Negative63.5%

Video Buffer Pre

All ratings44 ratings
Positive86.4%
Neutral6.8%
Negative6.8%
Written reviews28 reviews
Positive60.7%
Neutral14.3%
Negative25.0%

Bugs and requests

CovertCam

Reported bugs

14 issues
  • Video recording does not work - two-finger tap unresponsive
  • Double-tap triggers live photo instead of video
  • App crashes on launch or during use
  • Permission denied errors preventing camera/microphone access
  • App doesn't appear in iOS settings for permission management
Show 9 more
  • Settings page cuts off right side content
  • Preview window disappears and cannot be restored without restart
  • Incompatibility with iPhone XS, iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPhone XR
  • Incompatibility with iOS 12 and newer versions
  • Recorded files not saved to device
  • App freezes with 'Tap To Restart' message
  • UI misalignment on certain device models
  • Cannot record while using other apps
  • Fake home screen background displays instead of black screen

Requested features

11 requests
  • Remove or minimize the red/green recording indicator light
  • Add option to toggle recording light on/off
  • Implement customizable background images instead of black screen
  • Add ability to hide or disable recording indicator after 3-5 seconds
  • Support for 4K video recording
Show 6 more
  • Proper landscape video orientation without manual rotation in editing
  • Apple Watch integration for remote recording
  • Ability to view and manage recorded files within app
  • Mute shutter sound option
  • Support for multitasking with music apps
  • Adjustable preview window with live preview during sizing

Video Buffer Pre

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

CovertCam

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Video Buffer Pre

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly$4.997 Days
  • Monthly$5.991 Month
  • Yearly$29.991 Year

Questions

Is CovertCam free?
CovertCam costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Video Buffer Pre free?
Video Buffer Pre is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, CovertCam or Video Buffer Pre?
Video Buffer Pre is rated higher. CovertCam averages 3.4 out of 5 from 98 ratings, while Video Buffer Pre averages 4.5 from 44 ratings.
Do CovertCam or Video Buffer Pre have ads?
Neither CovertCam nor Video Buffer Pre shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CovertCam or Video Buffer Pre?
CovertCam ships an update every 2 months, and Video Buffer Pre every 6 weeks. Most recently, CovertCam was updated on September 26, 2026 and Video Buffer Pre on September 23, 2026.

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