A camera for the dark. Capture photos and video on iPhone and iPad with less screen glow.
Blackout Camera is built for dark environments — night-sky sessions, observatories, wildlife hides, and other places where a bright camera preview gets in the way. Take photos and record video for free. Blackout Pro adds recording with a black preview, manual controls, and creative tools including Time-lapse and Astro. There is also a red interface for framing and adjusting a shot with less screen glow. See Plans & ads for what each plan includes.
The big idea: Press Screen Off to hide the camera preview and lower display brightness while the app stays open. With Pro or an existing Basic subscription, video can keep recording behind the black preview. To bring the controls back, press and hold anywhere for about a second. Apple’s camera and microphone privacy indicators remain visible.
Tap Screen Off to replace the camera preview with black and reduce screen brightness to its minimum. On OLED displays, black pixels emit no light. Optional app indicators and Apple’s system privacy indicators can still be visible; this does not switch off or lock the device.
The camera remains ready, and an active video recording continues while the app stays in the foreground. An optional dim red “REC” indicator confirms recording, and a faint “Hold to wake” hint helps you return to the controls. You can hide these two app indicators in Settings. Apple’s camera and microphone privacy indicators remain visible.
Press and hold anywhere for about a second. A quick tap won't do it — that's on purpose, so a stray touch can't light up your screen mid-shot.
For Pro and existing Basic subscribers, the default is to black out the preview when recording starts. Change this in Settings → Screen Off → “Black screen when recording starts.”
Tap the moon icon to tint the interface red and dim the display. This gives you a less bright interface for framing and adjusting a shot around a telescope or other photographers. Choose a brightness that suits the setting.
With Blackout Pro, tap the sliders icon to open the manual panel:
Tap AUTO on any control to hand it back to the camera.
These gestures work for everyone, free:
You can turn the brightness control and press-and-hold lock on or off in Settings → Focus & Exposure. On devices with a supported hardware Camera Control, you can map it to zoom and available adjustments; manual controls require Pro.
Photo capture and video up to 1080p at 30 fps are free. In Settings → Photo, you can mirror front-camera selfies; Pro adds higher-resolution stills, up to 48 MP, and Apple ProRAW on supported cameras. Pro also adds video up to 4K at 60 fps, additional stabilization options, ProRes, Apple Log, and HDR. Each capability depends on your device, selected lens and recording configuration. Check the active capture format shown in the app. Choose Apple Photos, the In-App Library, the Private Folder on Pro, or a combination in Settings → Saving & Privacy → Save to. Apple Photos saving uses “Add Only” access and does not grant access to your existing library.
Open Settings → Audio to choose how video sound is recorded — all free:
Tap the thumbnail in the bottom-left corner to open the Library — captures saved to the In-App Library, grouped by day with a photo/video filter. Tap an item for a full-screen viewer with pinch-to-zoom, video playback, sharing and file information. Swipe up for the info panel, or down to close. The Library manages the app’s own copies, separately from Apple Photos. Photos-only captures are in Apple Photos; Private Folder captures require opening that folder. Removing a Library item does not remove another copy from Apple Photos or the Private Folder.
Open Settings → Saving & Privacy and tick a combination of destinations under Save to. The app attempts each selected destination and reports a saving problem if one fails. At least one destination must stay on:
Saving to multiple destinations can use additional storage. In version 1.5.8, both the In-App Library and Private Folder are eligible for device backup, including captures already stored by earlier versions. A completed backup depends on your Apple settings, available space and backup status; it is not guaranteed. Deleting the app removes its local copies. Export important files before deleting it, and check your backup separately.
Blackout Pro includes a Private Folder inside the app. On a device with a passcode configured, opening it requires Face ID, Touch ID, or your device passcode. iOS performs authentication. The folder locks when you close it or the app enters the background.
It leads the Library screen as a labelled card, and it is also reachable from Settings → Saving & Privacy. You can move existing captures in or out of it from the Library — moving in takes the file with it rather than leaving a copy behind in the unlocked Library.
Add the Blackout Camera widget to your Home Screen, or a supported control to Control Center or the Lock Screen, to open the app and start recording. By default it uses your current camera settings; set separate quality options in Settings → Quick Record. Required permissions must be granted and paid features require an active entitlement. Keep the app open while recording; the shortcut does not enable background recording.
With Save location data on (Settings → Metadata), your photos and videos are geotagged like the built-in Camera. A small GPS indicator near the top of the camera shows when a location fix is ready, and the in-app Library's info panel shows the coordinates and place for each capture. Location is only added when you allow it, and only to your own captures.
Blackout Camera is free to download. The free tier includes photos and video up to 1080p at 30 fps, supported by ads. Blackout Pro adds black-screen recording and advanced tools. Existing Basic subscribers retain black-screen recording and an ad-free app; Basic is not offered as a new plan.
Blackout Pro is an optional auto-renewable monthly or annual subscription. The app shows localized prices, billing periods and any introductory offer available to you before purchase. The yearly plan is billed annually; a monthly equivalent is shown for comparison. Use Settings → Membership to compare Free and Pro features, check your plan, restore purchases or open Apple’s subscription management. Cancel at least 24 hours before the current period ends to avoid the next renewal. Cancelling keeps access until the current paid period ends.
Version 1.5.8 no longer maintains, spends, displays or synchronizes token balances. Older installed versions may still synchronize a legacy balance through private iCloud storage. There is no live iCloud synchronization of the in-app media library. Apple Photos syncing and device backups are separate Apple services controlled by your settings; see the Privacy Policy.
Yes, with Pro or an existing Basic subscription. The black preview is a display change and an active video recording continues while the app remains in the foreground. Calls, system interruptions, low storage or leaving the app can interrupt capture. Check the saved clip afterward.
Press and hold anywhere on the black screen for about a second. A single tap is ignored on purpose so you can't wake it by accident.
No — locking the phone or pressing the side button suspends the app and stops the camera. Use the in-app Screen Off button instead, which keeps the camera running while the display is black. The app also keeps your phone from auto-locking while it's open.
The camera is needed to take photos and record video; the microphone adds sound to videos. The app processes captured media on your device and does not upload it to MW Supply Limited. You control save destinations and sharing; Apple Photos and device backups follow your Apple settings. See the Privacy Policy.
If you record during a phone call, iOS gives the call exclusive use of the microphone, so the video records without audio. The app shows a dim red “No audio” warning while this happens, and the clip stays silent for its whole length even if the call ends partway through. End the call before recording to capture sound.
Choose Apple Photos, the In-App Library, the Private Folder on Pro, or a combination in Settings → Saving & Privacy → Save to. Apple Photos is the default and uses “Add Only” access. At least one destination must stay selected. If saving fails, follow the app’s message and check the destination before deleting or moving any remaining copy. Deleting the app removes local Library and Private Folder files; export important files first. These folders are eligible for device backup in 1.5.8, but a backup must actually complete to protect a copy.
When an optional LUT is applied after recording, the In-App Library or Private Folder shows the retained original while processing finishes. You can open and play it; editing and export actions that need the finished result explain when to wait. When processing succeeds, the finished version updates the entry. If processing is interrupted, the app retains the original and explains the result. Apple Photos delivery can finish later; check the app’s save confirmation and your selected destinations.
On a device with a passcode configured, the Private Folder is protected by Face ID, Touch ID or the device passcode. Without a device passcode it cannot be locked, and the app warns you. Saving only to the Private Folder does not add that capture to Apple Photos or the unlocked Library. If you select another destination too, or move a file that already has other copies, those copies remain outside the lock. Deleting a private item removes its local private copy. Existing private files remain accessible, including export and moving them out, if Pro ends; only new private saves require Pro.
The app lowers display brightness in black-screen or red night-vision mode and restores the previous brightness when you leave those modes or the app backgrounds. Press and hold the black preview for about a second to wake it. If the display still seems too dark, check red night-vision mode and adjust brightness in Control Center.
Open Settings → Membership in the app to see your plan, renewal date, and price, switch between monthly and annual, restore a purchase on a new device, or open Apple's subscription management. You can also manage or cancel any time in iOS Settings → [your name] → Subscriptions. Subscriptions renew automatically until cancelled; cancelling stops the next renewal and you keep access until the current period ends.
Open Settings → Membership. When Apple reports a failed renewal with access on hold, Blackout shows payment guidance instead of asking you to buy another subscription. Tap Update Payment Method to open Apple’s payment settings, or go to iOS Settings → [your name] → Payment & Shipping. Payment details stay with Apple. There is no billing grace period: paid features stop when the paid period expires, and access returns once payment succeeds and Apple verifies your subscription.
Manage or Cancel Subscription opens Apple’s subscription management separately. Use Restore Purchases when a purchase on your Apple Account is missing from the app; restoring does not repair a declined payment. Allow time for Apple’s subscription status to refresh after a successful payment.
Tokens were a legacy currency for black-screen recording and premium video options. Earning and sales ended in 1.5.5; versions 1.5.5–1.5.7 retained spending and synchronization of existing balances. Version 1.5.8 removes the token balance, spending and synchronization. An earlier token purchase does not become a subscription. Pro now provides these paid features; existing Basic subscribers keep their plan’s rights. For an earlier purchase, contact support or request a refund through Apple. Eligibility is determined by Apple and applicable consumer law.
Please email mwsupplylimited@gmail.com with your iOS version, device, and steps to reproduce. We read every message.
For support: mwsupplylimited@gmail.com
See the Blackout Camera Privacy Policy.