AI video is getting better and more common
Face swaps, cloned voices, and generated scenes now blend into normal social feeds. As image and video models improve, small cheating becomes easier and harder to spot.
Know what was really recorded.
RealRec is a camera app for verifiable media. It blocks imports, keeps an immutable source, and attaches a source reference to every export.
No imports Immutable source Embedded source
Why this is needed
Social clips are hard to judge as real or fake
Viewers need a reliable way to check authenticity
Trust is social currency. A physique photo, a skate trick clip, or a Paris trip post only has value if people can know it is real. If viewers suspect AI fabrication, the post loses meaning, so quick access to the original source becomes critical.
How verification works
How RealRec links shared posts to the original source
Every step keeps a direct reference from shared media back to the immutable source, so viewers can compare what changed and what did not.
- 1
Record only inside RealRec
You can capture media in the app, but you can never import existing files.
- 2
Original source is locked
Because capture is contained in the app, RealRec stores the true original and prevents user manipulation of that source file.
- 3
Export embeds source reference, source goes live
When exporting, RealRec overlays a small watermark with an ID and QR code. At the same time, it uploads the original capture to the source server.
- 4
Viewer scans QR to open source page
On social media, people can screenshot the content and scan the QR to open the URL with the original source and capture properties.
- 5
Only a few checks are usually enough
Not everyone needs to verify every post. If a few curious viewers check and find fakery, they can comment and everyone else sees it quickly.
Why it is practical for creators
Practical for creators
Creators can still color-grade, trim, and polish after export in the regular photo library. The shared version does not need to be identical to the stored source to still depict real events. Viewers can compare both and use human judgment to decide whether edits changed authenticity.
Proof stays attached to media
The QR watermark carries the source location directly in the shared image or video. Saved copies and screenshots keep this info too, so people do not need a post description to find proof.
Hard edge case
If someone records fake content on a screen
This is the classic limitation of recording verification: the recording can be real, while what it depicts is fake. RealRec uses two capture-time tests to make this very hard to hide.
Zoom test (min and max zoom)
For every capture, RealRec takes two verification images at 0.5x and 5x (or min and max supported zoom). Screen setups are hard to hide at both levels. At wide zoom, environment or display borders often appear. At high zoom, pixels and display artifacts often appear.
Flash test (~50ms at video start)
The device flashes briefly at the beginning of video capture. Filmed screens typically show glare and reflections from this flash, while real scenes behave differently.
These tests are intentionally primitive and phone-friendly. They use common camera capabilities, so no LiDAR is required.
Design balance
What this verifies, and how the design is balanced
RealRec focuses on source traceability in a format that stays practical for everyday sharing, while helping expose AI-generated and manipulated content.
What it verifies
- + The source media was captured inside RealRec (no imports).
- + The stored source file is immutable and can be checked later.
- + The shared post can be traced back to that source through the embedded reference.
Why this balance is practical
- + Keeps verification lightweight: no special hardware and minimal setup.
- + Focuses on high-impact risks such as AI-generated and manipulated social media clips.
- + Allows normal post-export edits while keeping the original source publicly checkable.
- + Fits social behavior: only some viewers need to verify for issues to surface quickly.
Trust model
Why trust RealRec with verification?
Verification only works if people trust the verifier. RealRec explicitly acknowledges that this is not a zero-trust system, and instead focuses on clear accountability and open scrutiny.
RealRec is not zero-trust
This model still requires trust in RealRec. If we wanted to manipulate verification records, we technically could, so your trust in us is a real part of the system.
Almost no practical system is fully zero-trust
Even with zero-trust design, someone still has to build and run it. You cannot personally verify every deployed detail all the time. Trust does not disappear; it moves to the implementers.
Responsibility is concentrated, not scattered
Many systems split trust across vendors and services. That means more handoffs, more weak links, and less clear ownership when something fails. RealRec keeps the critical path with one accountable team, with fewer handoffs and clearer audits.
Trust initiatives
External technical reviews
RealRec is open to independent review of capture integrity, source immutability, and verification-link behavior. External scrutiny is a direct way to increase confidence in implementation quality.
Open source, with hardening first
Open source can increase trust, but it also exposes implementation details to everyone, including attackers. Public code makes it easier to study potential weak points. That is why we harden first, then consider open-sourcing the app and website after external reviews give high confidence in security.
iOS app
Get RealRec on the App Store
Record with verification, export with an embedded source reference, and share with a traceable original.
Open in App Store
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