Screen Off Recorder vs BlackOut
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Screen Off Recorder
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Screen Off Recorder is a native iOS camera app built for outdoor POV and long takes. Mount your iPhone and keep recording through hikes, runs, ski days, and road trips—or set it on a desk tripod for classes and meetings. It supports front+back dual camera, Apple Watch remote control, and album timestamps. THE CORE IDEA While recording, tap Screen Off: a near-black full-screen overlay lowers brightness to save power, stay cool, and prevent accidental taps. Recording continues as long as the app stays in the foreground. Tap to wake the controls, then Stop & Save to Photos or discard the clip. A SIMPLER CAMERA SCREEN (1.7) • Turn dual cam on or off with one tap at the top right; long-press it for quick layout, aspect, and border options • The Adjust panel at the top right holds every shooting setting: quality, frame rate, stabilization, and default lens in single cam; layout, aspect, border, and frame rate in dual cam—with a live preview above • The album button at the bottom left includes tools to timestamp videos from Photos; while recording, it becomes the Screen Off button • Faster, more reliable switching between single and dual cam DUAL CAMERA • Record front and back cameras at once into a single video in Photos—capture the view and your reaction together • Picture-in-picture: drag the inset, resize with the corner handle or a pinch; aspects 16:9 / 1:1 / 4:5 / 5:4 / 9:16; position and size are remembered • Long-edge split: top/bottom in portrait, left/right in landscape • Border styles: None, Thin white, Thick white, Black, Soft white • Tap the inset or the bottom-right button to swap views; Apple Watch preview follows the current primary view • Requires iPhone XS/XR or later (A12+), or iPad with A12X or later. Stabilization and lens switching are unavailable in dual-cam mode DYNAMIC TIMESTAMP • Open the album button at the bottom left, pick a video, and burn in a clock that advances with the capture time • Six positions with live preview; multiple styles (classic, outline, yellow, cyan, red, and more) • Saves a new video and keeps the original; HDR / Dolby Vision sources export as SDR LONG TAKES, LESS WORRY • Dark Screen Off overlay; the recording indicator stays visible • Auto Save & Continue (off by default): every 5/10/15/30/60 minutes, save the current clip to Photos and immediately continue • Stop & Save ends the session after saving the current clip; Discard drops only the unsaved segment APPLE WATCH REMOTE • Start/stop and save, preview the shot, enter Screen Off, and adjust settings from your wrist • Live preview mirrors your iPhone framing (unavailable while recording); follows the primary view in dual cam • The Watch app installs with the iPhone app HOW IT WORKS • Native Swift + AVFoundation—not a WebView shell • Single cam: frame rates, 1080p/4K, Ultra Wide / Wide / Telephoto (device-dependent), zoom, tap to focus, motion stabilization (best at 1080p + Ultra Wide) • Tap Screen Off while recording, or let it turn on ~3 seconds after you start • Orientation follows how you hold the phone PRIVACY & DATA • No account required • No upload to our servers—videos are saved to your on-device Photos library • iCloud Photos sync, if enabled, is managed by Apple IMPORTANT NOTES • Screen Off is an in-app blackout—not recording after the side-button hardware lock. Keep the app in the foreground. • Dual cam uses more power and generates more heat than single cam; watch battery and temperature on long takes. • Timestamps are on-device post-processing, not burned in live while recording. • Auto-save creates separate clips with a brief gap between them. • Watch preview and instant remote control require the iPhone app in the foreground. • Green/orange privacy indicators while recording are normal on iOS. • Record only where you have permission and follow local laws. Screen Off Recorder—you just go. The camera keeps rolling.
BlackOut
This app allows discreet photo and video recording from a dark, private capture screen. Media is stored locally until you choose to export or share, with optional premium features for video recording available as a one-time purchase.
- Silent photo capture
- Discreet video recording
- Local media storage
- Premium video features (one-time purchase)
- Custom cover screens
- Biometric gallery protection
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A quieter screen. More ways to capture. BlackOut is a camera for iPhone and iPad with a dark capture screen and a private in-app gallery. Take photos, record video, capture a burst, or slow down the action—then choose what you keep, share, or export. BROWSE WHILE RECORDING Read, search, and visit websites without leaving your recording. Enable Browser While Recording in Settings, choose Video or Slow Motion, and use the browser menu to start recording or stop and save. Your webpage stays open when the video is saved to BlackOut's gallery. Choose DuckDuckGo or Google, save bookmarks, and turn on browser auto-dimming if you prefer. Browsing uses a temporary session; bookmarks stay on your device. Websites and search providers handle browsing requests under their own privacy policies. Web audio and video pause during recording. FOUR WAYS TO CAPTURE • Photo: take individual photos with a simple tap. • Video: record with a black screen or your own cover image, with an optional live preview. • Burst: choose the number of photos and the pause between them. • Slow Motion: record at a supported high frame rate and save slow-motion video. A GALLERY THAT FEELS RIGHT • Browse a clean grid and pinch to adjust thumbnail size. • Filter All, Photos, or Videos and sort your library. • Pinch, pan, and double-tap to explore a photo. • Swipe across items in Select mode to select or deselect a range. • Share, save to Photos, or delete multiple items together. • See useful details such as dimensions, duration, and file size. YOUR MEDIA, YOUR CHOICE Captures stay in BlackOut's private gallery and do not appear in Photos unless you export them. Add Face ID or Touch ID protection on supported devices. No BlackOut account is required. SET UP YOUR WAY Open directly in the camera, with a separate opt-in setting to begin recording automatically. Use a Lock Screen or Home Screen widget for quick access. Customize the cover image, preview, recording feedback, volume-button controls, swipe lock, and what happens after recording stops. Choose from the cameras, lenses, standard resolutions, and frame rates your device supports. Set an optional auto-stop timer or keep No limit for recording without an app-imposed duration cap. FREE PHOTOS. ONE-TIME PREMIUM. Basic photo capture and the gallery are free. One lifetime in-app purchase unlocks video, burst, slow motion, the recording browser, and advanced capture and privacy controls. No subscription. Existing Premium owners keep access; Restore Purchase is available in the app. Recording requires BlackOut to be active in the foreground. Widgets open the app; recording begins after any required device unlock. Apple's camera and microphone privacy indicators remain visible. Features depend on your device and selected camera. Slow-motion clips have no audio. Storage, battery, temperature, and system interruptions can limit recording. Respect others' privacy and follow local recording laws. Support: contact@blackoutcamera.app
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: BlackOut at Free against Screen Off Recorder's $1.99. BlackOut also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 weeks). Screen Off Recorder's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and device support (4 vs 2). On 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
BlackOut is free to download; Screen Off Recorder costs $1.99 up front. BlackOut sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Screen Off Recorder asks for nothing beyond the download.
Screen Off Recorder ships an update every 2 weeks, BlackOut every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Screen Off Recorder | BlackOut |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | — | 1.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 50.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 1 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 8 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Wujie Yibang (fuzhou) Software Technology Co., Ltd | Kei Konuma |
In-app purchases
Screen Off Recorder
No in-app purchases
BlackOut
- BlackOut Premium$9.99








