Blackmagic camera app iphone - storage problem

Im using the new Blackmagic Camera APP on my iphone but im having a problem with their storage system.

The recording time is running low by insuficient space on the phone.

But, when I delete the vídeos from the APP LIBRARY, AAAAND I go to settings and I open storage option and go to the APP there and delete the vídeos there.... ANNNND I delete anything on my iphone photos library...

And I still having no space for Record.

Any one knows where goes the files or how to solve this?

What is your maximum storage capacity on the iPhone? I have 1 TB because I anticipated needing it. Then BMD comes along and basically says “silly boy, we have a cloud network you can use!” If you storage is very low even after deleting things, it seems there’s a minimum system issue. 128 GB will let you récord HD apparently but you need more to record 4K.

[Rohit Gupta]

Im using the new Blackmagic Camera APP on my iphone but im having a problem with their storage system.

The recording time is running low by insuficient space on the phone.

But, when I delete the vídeos from the APP LIBRARY, AAAAND I go to settings and I open storage option and go to the APP there and delete the vídeos there.... ANNNND I delete anything on my iphone photos library...

And I still having no space for Record.

Any one knows where goes the files or how to solve this?

Unfortunately this is an iOS issue. The free space is not available to any apps. Only way I know to free is to set the iOS native camera app to record ProRes, open it, and then click on "Free Resources" icon on the viewer. Keep doing it until you are happy with the amount of space which is free. Hope it works for you!

Hi Rohit,
thank you for this advice. This works. Couldn't you write this in the description in the Appstore, so that everybody may profit from it?
I had several interrupted recordings and searched about 2 hours to find this advice.
Thank you
Ahmed

Rohit Gupta

I'm sorry, your explanation makes no sense. Can you please restate and clarify?

You're saying:

1. set the native camera to record Prores. CHECK.
2. open the native camera app and select a button for free resources... but there is no such button, or please explain where the button is. What specifically am I looking for?

Lastly, You say this is an IOS issue... true enough, I had a similar problem with Filmic Pro... However as it is an issue that severely inhibits the usability of the app, I think you should make a stronger effort to get this fixed, or to establish a clear workaround for your users.

"...Unfortunately this is an iOS issue. The free space is not available to any apps. Only way I know to free is to set the iOS native camera app to record ProRes, open it, and then click on "Free Resources" icon on the viewer. Keep doing it until you are happy with the amount of space which is free. Hope it works for you!

Rohit Gupta

I'm sorry, your explanation makes no sense. Can you please restate and clarify?

You're saying:

1. set the native camera to record Prores. CHECK.
2. open the native camera app and select a button for free resources... but there is no such button, or please explain where the button is. What specifically am I looking for?

Lastly, You say this is an IOS issue... true enough, I had a similar problem with Filmic Pro... However as it is an issue that severely inhibits the usability of the app, I think you should make a stronger effort to get this fixed, or to establish a clear workaround for your users.[/quote]

Unfortunately this is an iOS issue. The free space is not available to any apps. Only way I know to free is to set the iOS native camera app to record ProRes, open it, and then click on "Free Resources" icon on the viewer. Keep doing it until you are happy with the amount of space which is free. Hope it works for you!

Thank you very much! This works really great. Do you understand why this is necessary?

Is Free Resources only available on the iPhone 15 iOS Camera app? I cannot find any icon related to free resources on my iPhone 14 Pro iOS Camera app even though I’m shooting ProRes modes Video or Cinematic. I’m on the latest version of iOS 14.4.1.

Do you understand why this is necessary?

Because overprotective mother Apple in her infinite wisdoms thinks she knows better how to protect their kids from the cruel world of the internet out there. Or just to protect a monopoly? Anyway, I'm not sure if that lawsuit happening now will really be good for the users, or just make iPhones as prone to real dangers as Androids.

That's why I don't connect my phone to my computer, but to my SSD. With the help of the Files app she finally provided after all those years, I can copy my clips from the BM folder pretty fast and easily. And then delete them. Like other files, they may reside in a recycle bin, but I don't care. That space will be reclaimed when needed.

For Apple, I’m reminded of the Bob Dylan tune: The Times, They Are A’Changing.

They always do.
Even Apple's laptops will soon not be alone anymore, once those with Snapdragons are mature and fully supported by DR.
But those may be rough times for Intel too.

I'm not familiar with Apple, having only bought this iPhone to use the camera app; but I can tell you that the app doesn't allow you to use only the Apple library - you still save to the internal BMD app at the same time - Cinema P3 Pro does allow you that freedom, so that's not an Apple thing. I can also tell you one sure way to wipe that data, is to delete the app and re-install it. I made that dreadful discovery when an update appeared here but was not showing up on the app store.

I can copy, rename, move, and delete the files in the CinemaP3 folder with the Files app just like on any computer. When I delete them, the space is freed up right away, which means they are marked for potential overwrite.
A computer is doing just the same, that's why you can get your files back as long as that space has not been written over.

Having just got back from India where I filmed around 5TB on my iPhoe 15 Pro Max using the BlackMagic Camera App I also at first experienced the memory problem of the System Data filling up and therefore getting less and less storage each day.

I overcame this fairly easily by creating a file which I called "BlackMagic Rushes" (but you can call it what you like) and directing the app to store the shot footage in this file. After a day all the system data disappeared and for the rest of the time the problem never happened again.

I do hope this helps as it is a simple way around what appears to be an Apple IOS problem.

I use the Blackmagic camera APP. Unfortunately, the iPhone 15 Pro Max does not release the space of the deleted ProRes log files. Rohit Gupta's procedure does not work for me. There is no "Free Resources" function for me.

I don't want to connect an additional SSD during recording. I want to copy the ProRes log files to my computer. But the iPhone does not release the space. Does anyone have a solution to this problem?

Best regards, Uli

This maybe the wrong place for this question, so forgive me. But is anyone achieving split audio tracks using radio mics such as Rode? We are finding this not possible with the BMD app, whereas it works fine with Cinema P3 Pro. If so how are you achieving it? Cheers.

This maybe the wrong place for this question, so forgive me. But is anyone achieving split audio tracks using radio mics such as Rode? We are finding this not possible with the BMD app, whereas it works fine with Cinema P3 Pro. If so how are you achieving it? Cheers.

What is a split audio track and was does it have to do with image storage space?

On every recorder that I’ve ever used I’m supposed to route the audio. That’s what I do with the three different recorders and a dedicated preamp that I've used with the Blackmagic Camera app. Does Røde’s recorder not let you route your audio? I don’t think much of Røde wireless to begin with, but if it doesn’t let you route your audio I’d suggest that you get another recorder.

What is a split audio track and was does it have to do with image storage space?

The Rode radio mics and others, popular with iPhones have two transmitters going to one receiver, attached with either lightning cable or USB-C. The Rode Pro outfit allows you to split the audio to L & R, for later post. Yes it works as designed with Cinema P3 Pro but not the Blackmagic Camera App, or at least we haven't been able to get it to work and so I am asking if any one has. Thank you, I was a location sound recordist once, have a very nice Sound Devices for the big setup and am familiar with how it works but clearly you don't have any experience of what I'm talking about, so perhaps someone else is able to help; and I did apologise , you're right I should of started another thread but the app things seem to be grouped together.

I ... have a very nice Sound Devices ... setup and am familiar with how it works but clearly you don't have any experience of what I'm talking about... you’re right I should of started another thread but the app things seem to be grouped together.

Unlike you, I don’t claim audio expertise, but I do know that routing is a recorder function. If you have a Sound Devices recorder or mixer you should know that one of its basic functions is to route audio to where you want it routed.

I can tell you that routing from a MixPre and a USBPre 2 are reflected in the Blackmagic Camera app. I’ve written about using a MixPre and a USBPre 2 with the phone and app in this post and following: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=191338&start=400#p1027220. You did test this with your SD gear, right? I can also tell you that routing selected in DPA’s MMA-A Digital Audio Interface, made for use with iPhones, is also reflected in the Blackmagic Camera app.

I’m surprised that you can’t get your Røde wireless unit to route audio to the Blackmagic app the way you want, because nobody else here or on the four Facebook Groups that cover iPhone video has said that it won't. Maybe you should re-read the manual or ask Røde.

There are two dedicated threads on this forum for the kind of issue that you raised. You’ve posted to them yourself. Those threads, unlike this one, are presumably followed by Blackmagic Design staff who are working on this 6 month old app.

As I say you don't understand what I'm talking about but thanks all the same. I said we it is not just me and yes we have read the manuals. Using the official apple TRRS to lightning cable adaptor on an iPhone 14 Pro Max, we get both transmitter signals mixed in mono, to the left channel. The sound is fine and records well. However the transmitters are not split to left and right and therefore cannot be separately controlled in the edit. This is not the case with Cinema P3 Pro, so it is not the phone or radio mics, nor is it our incompetence, since there is no setting in the Blackmagic camera app that we can find that changes it; mono, Stereo whatever. Perhaps the iPhone 15 Pro works fine with these mics, I don't know but I'd be interested to hear, here on the Blackmagic manufacturers website, if anyone has real experience of this, regardless of where I posted on the site. I don't 'do' Facebook. But thanks I'll look for the relevant threads. Apologies to the OP, who I did answer before. They should put a moderators badge on your profile, so we know when we've erred

As I say you don't understand what I'm talking about but thanks all the same. I said we it is not just me and yes we have read the manuals.

Røde wireless devices are in widespread use, As far as I know, nobody on this forum or on the four iPhone video Facebook Groups is making the same complaint. As I said above, I have not had any routing issue with three recorders and a dedicated preamp.

Using the official apple TRRS to lightning cable adaptor on an iPhone 14 Pro Max, we get both transmitter signals mixed in mono, to the left channel. The sound is fine and records well. However the transmitters are not split to left and right and therefore cannot be separately controlled in the edit.

Of course they can be controlled in the edit. All you have to do is turn your mono recording into left and right audio tracks. That’s dead simple, but doing it varies by DAW.

...it is not the phone or radio mics, nor is it our incompetence, since there is no setting in the Blackmagic camera app that we can find that changes it; mono, Stereo whatever.

Of course they can be controlled in the edit. All you have to do is turn your mono recording into left and right audio tracks.

I appreciate your help but gently please stop answering me. it's no good. And I'll take this elsewhere too.

The 2 mics are mixed together on the left channel. So for example, I am filming a two-way conversation, where as people do, they may talk across each other. I end up with a mono track only, with both mics mixed in. I can tell you that is not ideal, and you cannot split them outside of tricks, which are unnecessary if you filmed it like it should work in the first place especially, since that is the design. It works in another app not for us in the BMD one. That is all I want to know, not a lesson. Thanks.

Of course they can be controlled in the edit. All you have to do is turn your mono recording into left and right audio tracks.

I appreciate your help but gently please stop answering me. it's no good. And I'll take this elsewhere too.

The 2 mics are mixed together on the left channel. So for example, I am filming a two-way conversation, where as people do, they may talk across each other. I end up with a mono track only, with both mics mixed in. I can tell you that is not ideal, and you cannot split them outside of tricks, which are unnecessary if you filmed it like it should work in the first place especially, since that is the design. It works in another app not for us in the BMD one. That is all I want to know, not a lesson. Thanks.

So now it turns out that you’re talking about two recordings from two microphones from two people.

Are you saying that you’ve told your Røde device to record one mike to one track and the second mike to another track, and that the result is a single recorded track containing the audio from both microphones?

You’re effectively saying that it’s impossible to record two separate tracks from two mikes using the Blackmagic app. If that was so, we’d surely know about it. Indeed, if I used Røde wireless I would have raised this myself, starting with Røde, and long before now. Above, I asked whether you’ve tried using your Sound Devices unit with the Blackmagic app, assuming that you’re using something like a MixPre or an SD preamp. Have you?

I want to stress that I have not had the problem that you’re talking about, using four different recorders and preamps, and I’m not aware of anybody apart from you who has.

Having told me twice that I don’t understand audio, Lord knows why you suddenly “appreciate” my help

Back to the topic of the thread "Blackmagic camera app iphone - storage problem".

I have found a solution for myself. After having no success with either Rohit Cupta's or DaveKnowls' suggestion, I uninstalled and installed the Blackmagic APP twice and suddenly the iPhone freed up the space of the deleted files.

But yesterday evening the same problem again: The space of the deleted files was not released.
The Blackmagic Camera APP showed no more storage space, but the files were deleted. The same result with Commander One.

Then I tried iMazing: The program surprisingly showed the supposedly deleted files on my iPhone. But when I tried to open them, it said: Files not available???

After some trial and error, I triggered the program's "Refresh Media" function. This simple update suddenly freed up the deleted storage space. The iPhone showed full memory availability again.

Maybe it will help someone with the same problem.

Best regards, Ulrich Berger