In this article we’ve put together answers to some questions you might have related to how to make a recording, how to upload it and where it’s being saved!
Do I need to update my app to complete a research activity that requires video recording?
Ideally you should be on the latest version of the app. This is because we have added a lot of improvements and new features to the app since you first downloaded and registered. If you are on an out-of-date version of BabySteps, you will get a notification each time you open the app. This notification will ask you to update you app. You can also check if you are on the most recent version of the app by locating the green tick next to “App version” on the About page in the app. Updating your app will ensure you get the best experience while using BabySteps.
If you need to update, you can do so my locating the app (‘BabySteps Children of the 20s’) in the App Store/Google Play and tapping ‘Update’.
How can I tell if the video has saved?
Your video will only be saved to our servers after you submit the research activity. When you click on ‘submit’, the app will show you the usual reward screen and a banner will pop up at the top of your screen which tells you the saving progress of your video. Please keep the app open, and only close it once the bar displays the message ‘your video has been successfully saved”.
Where can I check if my video has saved?
After you think the videos has successfully saved, you can check in your ‘Saved video/photo history’. You can find this in the ‘About’ menu. If your recording has a tick, your video has successfully saved! If it has a red “!” next to it, click the “!” and this will restart the saving process.
How long does the video need to be?
The duration of the video will depend on the research activity. For this first activity (“Video you and your child chatting!”) we are asking you to submit a 5-minute video. When you are recording, after 5 minutes the record button will turn from red to green to indicate that five minutes have gone by. Also, you can keep an eye on the timer that is displayed in the screen while recording to see how long you’ve been recording for.
Can I watch my video before it saves?
Yes, once you have taken a video a preview of it will appear in the research activity. No video is uploaded to our secure servers before you click “submit” in the research activity, so you can have a look at your video before you submit it if you wish! But please remember to click “submit” when you are ready, otherwise the video won’t be sent to us at UCL.
Can I re-take the video? (e.g. if we were interrupted or something went wrong?)
Yes! After you ‘Take a video’ or ‘Attach a video’ to the research activity, the ‘Re-take Video’ button and ‘Attach Different Video’ button will pop-up beneath the preview of your video which allow you to add a different video. By using this, you will delete the old video you have added to the research activity’s preview window. If you wanted to save more than one video you will need to click submit and save the video before re-entering the research activity to add another video.
How do I delete a video?
If you have recorded a video you do not wish to save (e.g. because you were interrupted) you can use the ‘Remove Video’ button, which will delete the video. The video will still be added to your camera roll.
If you would like to delete a video after you have submitted a research activity and the video has successfully saved, please get in touch with us via babysteps@ucl.ac.uk so we can remove the video for you.
Where are the videos stored?
What will happen to the videos?
The videos will be used for research and analysis only, and will never be shared with anyone outside of the Children of the 2020s research team. No individuals will be identifiable in any reporting. More information about your data, privacy and rights can be found in the privacy notice on the About page of the app.