Skip to content

Desktop Guide ​

ScanVidTop Desktop is the companion desktop client for the iOS app, used to receive, manage, and export video recordings from your phone.

System Requirements ​

PlatformRequirements
macOS12.0 (Monterey) or later; native on Intel, Apple Silicon installs Rosetta 2 on first launch
Windows10 (64-bit) or later (coming soon)

Installation ​

macOS ​

  1. Download the .dmg file from the Download page
  2. Open the .dmg and drag ScanVidTop to your Applications folder
  3. The app is signed and notarized by Apple — just confirm on first launch. If you still see "cannot verify developer": go to System Settings > Privacy & Security and click "Open Anyway"

Connecting Your Phone ​

Prerequisites

Your phone and computer must be connected to the same Wi-Fi / local network.

Steps ​

  1. Open Desktop: On launch, it displays a QR code and local IP address
  2. Open Mobile App: Navigate to the "Backup" tab
  3. Scan to Connect: Tap "Scan to Connect" and scan the QR code shown on desktop (or choose "Enter address manually" and type in the IP address displayed on desktop)
  4. Approve Pairing: Desktop shows a "New phone requests connection" dialog — click to approve
  5. Connected: Both devices show connection status, ready to transfer

Troubleshooting ​

IssueSolution
No response after scanningEnsure phone and computer are on the same Wi-Fi, and check whether the desktop is showing a pairing confirmation dialog
Connection timeoutCheck if firewall allows port 9876
QR code unreadableIncrease screen brightness, refresh the QR code
Corporate network isolationTry using phone hotspot to connect

Backing Up Videos ​

After connecting, on the mobile "Backup" page:

  1. Backup All Pending: One-tap send all unbacked-up recordings to computer
  2. Selective Backup: Manually select specific recordings to backup
  3. Clean Up Backed Up: After transfer, clean up backed-up files on phone (desktop copies remain). Before deletion, the App verifies each desktop copy exists; recordings that fail verification are skipped, preventing accidental data loss

Note

  • Large files (≥500MB) are automatically transferred in chunks — please be patient
  • Do not close the app or switch to background during transfer
  • Interrupted transfers will auto-resume upon reconnection

Managing Videos ​

The desktop client provides the following management features:

Browse & Filter ​

  • Search: Search by barcode number or note content
  • Date Filter: Filter by date range
  • Project Filter: Filter by mobile app project categories
  • Has Notes: Show only recordings with notes

Actions ​

  • Play: Click play button to preview directly
  • Add Watermark: For recordings without a burned watermark, one-click overlay of timestamp + barcode watermark from metadata; recordings burned on desktop can be re-burned
  • Copy Barcode: One-click copy barcode content
  • Delete: Remove backup files from desktop
  • Batch Export: Multi-select and export to a specified folder (cross-page selection supported)
  • Pagination: Navigate pages at the bottom of the list; page size options: 20 / 50 / 100

FAQ ​

Where are desktop videos stored? ​

By default, videos are stored in the app data directory. Use the "Batch Export" feature to copy videos to any location.

Can I connect multiple phones simultaneously? ​

The current version supports single-device connection. Multi-device concurrent transfer will be supported in future versions.

What video format is used? ​

All recordings are stored as MP4, accompanied by JSON metadata files (containing barcode, timestamp, duration, project, notes, etc.).

How do I update the desktop app? ​

The app automatically checks for updates on the first launch of each day. When a new version is found it downloads in the background, then a "Restart & Install" button appears at the top — click it to finish the upgrade. You can also click "Check for Updates" in the top-right corner anytime.