DashCam Pro

Inspiration

After buying a dashcam, I constantly struggled with watching videos through its terrible app. Then my car developed several issues and I had to take it to the mechanic. I couldn't remove the dashcam because doing so would have damaged the adhesive mount. While driving the mechanic's loaner car, I didn't have a dashcam and felt uneasy cause anything can happen on the road. That's when I decided to turn my iPhone into a dashcam. I used the phone mount that was already in the loaner car (since everyone has one these days) and mounted my iPhone. Using the ultra-wide camera, I realized: "YES! I CAN USE THIS AS A DASHCAM!" The field of view captured basically everything I needed!

What it does

DashCam Pro transforms your iPhone into the world's most advanced dash camera system, eliminating the need for expensive standalone devices. The app leverages your iPhone's cutting-edge camera technology to deliver professional-grade features that traditional dashcams simply cannot match. But it's not just about beautiful video. The app includes a very advanced emergency detection that automatically recognizes crashes and road incidents, instantly saving critical footage as protected evidence that won't be overwritten.

Every trip you take is fully tracked with built-in GPS integration. The app records your complete journey including location, speed, and route data, all viewable on an interactive map so you can review every detail whenever you need. For drivers who want to monitor their habits, the professional mileage tracker provides comprehensive trip analytics and detailed speed insights, perfect for both personal use and professional needs.

Storage management is completely automated. You set a custom storage limit once, and the app handles everything else through intelligent loop recording. Old footage gets deleted automatically to make room for new recordings, while emergency events are permanently protected. No more worrying about running out of space or manually deleting files.

The best part? It's truly hands-free. Configure the app once and it runs automatically without requiring any interaction while driving. Just mount your iPhone, press record and drive. DashCam Pro handles everything else, delivering the peace of mind every driver deserves with effortless simplicity.

How I built it

I built DashCam Pro entirely with SwiftUI for the interface and SwiftData to manage all the trip records. The recording functionality uses AVFoundation to capture 4K 60fps footage from the iPhone's camera, while AVKit handles smooth video playback. For emergency detection, I developed a complex algorithm that's built on top of CoreMotion and CoreLocation, analyzing acceleration/deceleration patterns and location data to accurately detect crashes. CoreHaptics provides tactile feedback throughout the app for various interactions. CoreLocation tracks GPS data and speed throughout each trip, and MapKit visualizes everything on an interactive map. Finally, RevenueCat handles the subscription system to keep the monetization seamless.

Challenges I ran into

Creating the crash detection algorithm was by far the most complex challenge. Without being a company with vehicles I could literally crash into walls for testing (haha), I had to rely heavily on mathematics, physics, and extensive research.

I analyzed countless real-world accident data from various sources, studying deceleration and acceleration patterns, speed variations, and impact forces. I also dove deep into academic studies about dashcam G-sensors, which gave me crucial insights into how to accurately distinguish between actual crashes and everyday driving events like hard braking or potholes.

Building a reliable detection system without the ability to physically test crash scenarios required a careful balance of theoretical knowledge and real-world data analysis. But I'm really proud of how it turned out.

Accomplishments that I'm proud of

As I mentioned, the automatic emergency detection system is something I'm incredibly proud of. Beyond that, I'm really satisfied with the overall app experience, the simplicity and ease of use that makes it accessible to everyone. I'm particularly proud of the support system I built.

Users can request help directly through the app without dealing with the native mail composer. Instead, their request goes to my backend server, which then forwards it to me via email. If they provide their email address, I even get a reply-to set up automatically, so I can respond directly to them. It's a seamless experience that feels professional and polished.

I'm also super proud of supporting 10 languages throughout the entire app. It was incredibly time-consuming to localize everything, keywords, screenshots, and all the in-app content, but I hope it brings DashCam Pro closer to many more people around the world.

What I learned

This project pushed me deep into physics and mathematics in ways I didn't expect. Understanding acceleration forces, G-forces, and motion patterns to build a reliable crash detection system required diving into concepts I hadn't touched in years. It was challenging but incredibly rewarding to see theoretical knowledge translate into a practical, working feature.

I also learned a ton about backend development, particularly around automated email systems and SMTP servers (haha). Setting up a reliable server that handles support requests, manages email forwarding, and configures reply-to addresses properly was a whole new world for me. It's not the most glamorous part of app development, but getting it right made a huge difference in creating a professional user experience.

What's next for DashCam Pro

I'm planning to add dual camera recording, capturing footage from both the rear and front cameras simultaneously. This would be incredibly useful for taxi drivers and rideshare operators who need to record inside the vehicle for security, and it would also help private drivers capture rear-end collisions.

Another exciting feature I'm working on is using Apple's Generative AI models through the @Generable API to transform crash data into comprehensive incident reports. The system would analyze all the captured data, speed, acceleration patterns, GPS location, and generate a clear explanation of what happened in terms of the actual physics and dynamics. The report would be exported as an HTML document with embedded videos, all packaged in a zip file that users can send directly to their insurance companies. It should make the claims process much smoother.

Beyond that, I'm eager to hear feedback from users! Their real-world experience will guide where DashCam Pro goes next.

Built With

• avfoundation
• avkit
• core-location
• corehaptics
• coremotion
• mapkit
• nextjs
• node.js
• revenuecat
• swift
• swiftdata
• swiftui
• typescript