A LITTLE HELP

Your camcorder manual.

Need a hand? Email support@blockchainia.us. Include your iPhone model, iOS version, Home Movies version, and the steps that led to the problem. A recording profile name and any exact error message help, too.

Please do not send private footage unless you choose to share it for troubleshooting. Home Movies does not automatically send your movie library to us.

Make your first tape

Tap Add Tape in My Library, give the tape a title, and choose a recording profile.
Select its case and tap Open Tape. Open Record, allow Camera access, and allow Microphone access if you want sound.
Press Record, then Stop when you finish a clip. Add more footage to the same tape later.
Open Watch to play it back. Each tape holds 30 minutes; recording from an earlier tape position can overwrite existing footage.

Recording profiles, picture looks, and sound

The recording profile determines the video shape and resolution. Home Movie and Pristine Cassette use a VHS-inspired 4:3 picture. DVD is clean standard definition, HD Camcorder is widescreen 720p, and HD Portrait is vertical 1080 × 1920. The format locks after recording begins; create another tape for a different format.

Open a tape’s Settings, then Effects. Visual looks are available for VHS and HD Portrait recordings. Audio settings are independent for each tape. Applying a picture look does not replace your audio settings. Save your own picture looks and audio presets to use on another tape.

Picture and microphone effects are captured during recording. Changing them later does not repaint or reprocess footage you already recorded.

Choose a box cover

In a tape’s Settings, find Shelf Label → Box Cover → Choose Frame. Drag the filmstrip to browse the recorded footage. While dragging, move your finger farther above the strip for finer control. Pan or zoom the crop and save your choice. Use Automatic Cover restores an automatically selected frame.

Watch on your TV

Open Watch and tap AirPlay or Cast. Select a compatible receiver. Home Movies prepares a finished video on your iPhone and reuses it when the tape has not changed. Allow preparation to finish, or use Cancel. Only one casting protocol can be used at a time; use Stop before switching.

Chromecast or Google TV

Keep the phone and receiver on the same Wi-Fi network. Allow Local Network access when asked. Guest Wi-Fi, client isolation, or a VPN can prevent discovery. If needed, check Settings → Privacy & Security → Local Network for Home Movies.

Keep Home Movies open while using Chromecast. Backgrounding the app attempts to pause the receiver. Returning to Watch lets you reconnect or resume. After a video ends, Start or Rewind restores a position paused; press Play to continue. The receiver may show its idle logo between commands.

AirPlay and returning sound to your iPhone

Choose a video-capable AirPlay receiver using Apple’s picker. AirPlay can continue while the phone is locked when Watch remains the active app screen.

Use Stop AirPlay to stop Home Movies playback. Apple may remember your audio destination. If the Mac or TV remains selected, use the system AirPlay picker to choose iPhone and confirm sound plays locally before recording again.

Leaving Watch stops Home Movies TV playback. Preparation and casting use local video files; your movies are not uploaded to a Blockchainia server.

Save, share, and keep a separate copy

Use Export to prepare a finished tape, then Save to Photos or Share an MP4. Saving requires Add to Photos permission. Export trims blank space at the beginning and end while keeping internal gaps and authored transitions.

Archives preserve earlier edits inside the app. They are not a separate backup against device loss or uninstalling Home Movies. Export important movies and keep copies in a destination you control. Copies in Photos may sync to iCloud according to your Apple settings.

Permissions and storage

Camera: required for recording. If denied, enable it in iPhone Settings.
Microphone: optional; without access, recordings are silent.
Photos: Home Movies requests permission to add finished exports, not to browse your photo library.
Local Network: needed to discover and play on Chromecast receivers.
Storage: recording, exports, and casting preparation need free space. HD Portrait uses more storage than VHS. If space is low, preserve important exports before deleting tapes or archives.

If recording or playback goes wrong

Stop and check any message on screen. Check free storage and try a short recording on a new tape. If HD Portrait recording stops or zoom becomes choppy, include the profile, zoom action, and whether the phone felt hot in your support email. Do not uninstall the app to troubleshoot unless your important videos are safely exported.

For privacy or deletion requests, email the same support address. See the Home Movies Privacy Policy for how recordings, support correspondence, and diagnostic copies are handled.