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:
- You pick or record a video.
- The app uploads it to BEHCA's secure storage.
- Server-side compression runs — the video is downscaled to 720p in seconds.
- Status changes from Processing to Ready.
- The video is now playable to authorized viewers.
For large files (> 100 MB):
- The app compresses on your phone first, before uploading.
- This takes several minutes and uses your phone's CPU.
- Once compressed below the cap, the video uploads.
- 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.