Home Mobile App 5. Uploading large videos

5. Uploading large videos

Last updated on Apr 28, 2026

Video uploads — for incident reports, supporting documents — are the most demanding thing the BEHCA mobile app does. This article explains what's supported and what to expect for big files.

Supported formats

  • MP4 (.mp4)

  • WebM (.webm)

  • MOV (.mov)

.AVI is not supported — it's an older format that's unreliable for processing.

Maximum file size

  • 100 MB server cap.

  • Larger files are compressed on your phone before being uploaded.

What happens when you upload a video

Most uploads:

  1. You pick or record a video.

  2. The app uploads it to BEHCA's secure storage.

  3. Server-side compression runs — the video is downscaled to 720p in seconds.

  4. Status changes from Processing to Ready.

  5. The video is now playable to authorized viewers.

For large files (> 100 MB):

  1. The app compresses on your phone first, before uploading.

  2. This takes several minutes and uses your phone's CPU.

  3. Once compressed below the cap, the video uploads.

  4. The server-side step is skipped.

Video status badges

You'll see one of these badges on a video attached to an IR or document:

  • Ready — file is stored and playable.

  • Processing — backend is compressing. The video plays at its original size in the meantime.

  • Failed — compression failed. The original file is still playable, but it wasn't downscaled. Re-upload to try again.

How long does it take?

  • Small videos (under 25 MB) — a few seconds end-to-end.

  • Medium videos (25–100 MB) — server processing in 30 seconds to a few minutes.

  • Large videos (over 100 MB) — phone compression takes minutes; depends on your phone's speed.

You can keep editing the IR or document while video processes — you don't have to wait. You'll get a notification when it's ready.

Tips for video on mobile

  • Keep clips short. A 30-second focused clip uploads faster, plays back faster, and is more useful to reviewers than a 10-minute recording.

  • Trim before uploading. Use your phone's built-in video editor (iOS Photos / Android Gallery) to cut to the relevant moment first. Saves time and storage.

  • Stable connection helps. WiFi is faster and more reliable than mobile data for big files. If you're at the office or home, prefer WiFi.

  • Don't close the app mid-upload. Background uploads are best-effort; staying in the app ensures completion.

  • Charge your phone. Compression uses CPU which uses battery.

What gets played back

  • Videos play in BEHCA's video viewer.

  • The viewer doesn't have a download button by design.

  • Right-click is disabled to discourage casual extraction.

  • Picture-in-picture is disabled.

The "no download" guard is best-effort. A determined viewer with technical knowledge can extract the video stream from devtools. This is a practical limitation of web video, not a BEHCA bug. Don't put video into BEHCA assuming it's impossible to extract.

Privacy reminders

  • Videos contain everything in frame, including bystanders. Be careful where you film.

  • Audio is recorded — what's said in the background goes into the record.

  • Don't film people who haven't consented to being recorded.

Common questions

  • My video is stuck on "Processing" for over an hour. — Try refreshing. If it's still stuck, contact support — there may be a server issue.

  • My upload failed at 80%. — Connection blip. Try again on WiFi.

  • My phone got hot during compression. — Normal — video compression is CPU-intensive. The phone will cool down once done.

  • Can I upload from the web instead? — Yes, the website also supports video uploads. The mobile flow is more convenient for new recordings; the web is fine for existing files on your computer.

  • Can I upload multiple videos at once? — Add them one at a time. They all upload in parallel and appear separately on the IR.