Signed by the phone
Every piece is signed with a key kept inside the phone's security chip. The key cannot be copied out of it.
What happens in the first minute
- 0:00
You hold the volume button
It works on a locked phone. You don't have to unlock it, look for the app or even look at the screen.
- 0:00.5
The first piece is already gone
The video is encrypted on the phone and uploaded in half-second pieces. Taking the phone or breaking it won't bring them back, and the phone itself cannot delete them.
- 0:01 – 1:00
You have a minute to cancel
A false alarm? Enter your cancel PIN and nobody gets an alarm: your witnesses only see that a recording was started and cancelled. You choose the length of this window, from 30 to 120 seconds.
- 1:00
Your witnesses get the alarm
They see where you are and can watch the recording. The phone also sends a text message with your location to the numbers you chose, even without internet.
If you are forced to turn it off
Only your PIN cancels the alarm. Any other PIN shows the same message, “Recording cancelled”, and sends the alarm at once.
| You enter | The screen shows | What really happens |
|---|---|---|
| Your PIN | Recording cancelled | No alarm. Witnesses see only “started and cancelled” and the place. |
| Any other PIN | Recording cancelled | The alarm goes out immediately. The recording continues. |
| Nothing | The countdown | The alarm goes out when the time runs out. |
We cannot watch your recordings. We don't know who your witnesses are.
Recourse is built so that we have nothing useful to hand over, even if someone forces us to.
What the server cannot do
- Watch a recording. The video is encrypted on your phone, and only the people you chose can open it.
- Find out who your witnesses are. That list is kept only on your phones.
- Find out who an alarm is for. Alarms are sealed envelopes in one common feed that every phone downloads; only the right phone can open its own.
- Link a witness to you by network address. Witnesses reach the server through a relay that hides where the request came from.
What the server does have
- Your email address: you need an account to upload recordings.
- Encrypted files and the time they arrived.
Witnesses are people you choose in advance
- You invite them with a link or with a QR code in person. Nobody can become your witness without your invitation.
- You both compare a six-digit code, so a stranger cannot slip in instead of your friend.
- A witness needs only the app: no account, phone number or email.
- You can remove a witness quietly. Nobody is notified.
Made to be used as evidence
A video helps only if you can show that it is genuine.
Linked in a chain
Each piece refers to the one before it. A missing or altered piece breaks the chain, and that is visible.
Time-stamped independently
Public timestamping services and the Bitcoin blockchain confirm that the recording existed no later than that moment and has not changed since.
Recourse does not give legal advice. Whether a recording is accepted is decided by the court, and the laws on recording people differ from country to country.
Where things stand: this is an alpha
Works now
- Android 8 and newer.
- Recording, the cancel window with a PIN, witnesses, alarms, text messages.
- 14 languages.
In progress
- The iPhone version.
- Instant alarms when the witness's phone has put the app to sleep. For now such an alarm can take up to 15 minutes; a text message arrives at once.
- An independent operator for the relay. During the alpha we run it ourselves.
Not a replacement for emergency services
Recourse does not call the police or an ambulance. If you are in danger, call your local emergency number.
Download Recourse
While Recourse is in alpha, the Android app is distributed as an APK file from this site. Later the app itself offers updates.
Download- Size
- MB
- SHA-256
- Open the downloaded file and allow installing apps from this source.
- Go through the setup: permissions, your cancel PIN, your witnesses.
- Make a test recording and cancel it with your PIN. It takes a minute.
- Invited as a witness? Install the same app and open the invitation link.
Questions
What if there is no internet?
The recording stays on the phone and is uploaded as soon as the connection is back. The text message with your location travels over the mobile network, so it goes out even without internet.
Can I delete my own recording?
No, and that is deliberate: then whoever holds your phone cannot delete it either. A witness can remove a recording once they know you are safe.
Does it cost anything?
Not during the alpha.
Is it legal to record?
The laws on recording people differ between countries and situations. Check the rules where you live.