Loop Recording Storage Management in Hawk Dashcam
Loop recording storage management in Hawk works by automatically overwriting your oldest footage once you reach your phone's available space, so you never run out of room for new drives. Hawk uses continuous recording with SHA-256 integrity hashes on every clip to keep your evidence court-ready, whilst smart storage keeps the app lightweight.
How Loop Recording Works in Hawk
Hawk is a dashcam app that turns your iPhone or Android into a court-ready drive recorder with continuous loop recording. When you start the app mounted on your dashboard, it records every journey continuously. As new footage captures, the oldest clips are automatically overwritten once your phone's available storage is consumed. This means you're always recording without manually deleting files or worrying about hitting a storage limit. Every clip carries a SHA-256 integrity hash written to its metadata, so your evidence stays tamper-proof and admissible in insurance disputes, police reports, or small-claims court.
Storage Retention and Clip Management
The Free tier of Hawk lets you keep up to 10 clips per month with 7-day retention. Local Pro and Rideshare Pro tiers remove these limits and give you unlimited clips with continuous loop recording dictated only by your device's available storage. Because Hawk records directly to your phone's local file system (not the cloud by default), you control exactly how much space the app uses. Pro clips can sync to your own iCloud account for backup, but that's opt-in and doesn't affect your local loop. As of June 2026, Hawk's cinematic optical-flow stabilisation keeps file sizes reasonable without sacrificing video quality.
Why Loop Recording Matters for Evidence
Loop recording is the industry standard for dashcams because it solves the storage problem on any device. Rather than storing months of footage in a dedicated hardware unit, Hawk lets your phone do the work and recycles storage intelligently. Each clip you save to the Evidence Locker (a biometric-locked vault) is protected separately and won't be overwritten by the loop. When you export a dispute, Hawk packages your locked clips into a one-tap ZIP file with a SHA-256 manifest proving integrity. This separation between active loop recording and locked evidence is what makes it court-ready.
Local Storage vs. Cloud Sync
Hawk records to your phone's local storage by default, so you're not reliant on internet or a subscription service to keep your dashcam running. This is a feature, not a limitation: your data stays on your device unless you explicitly enable iCloud sync for Pro clips you want to back up. Rideshare drivers using Rideshare Pro can activate shift mode, which chains multiple trips into one session before Hawk's loop overwrites older journeys. Cabin camera footage (Rideshare Pro only) follows the same loop and storage rules as main dashcam footage, giving you flexibility to record both driver and passenger views on the same device.
Best Practices for Storage on Your Phone
To maximise loop recording duration on your device, keep a few GB of free space available on your phone. Hawk works most efficiently when your device has headroom to write new clips. If you're a daily commuter, Local Pro with unlimited clips and loop recording is typically sufficient, since older footage recycles automatically. For rideshare or fleet drivers doing dozens of trips per week, Rideshare Pro lets you extend session recording across multiple journeys without manually stopping and starting. Consider enabling iCloud sync for locked Pro clips you intend to keep long-term (accident evidence, disputes, or insurance claims); this frees local space whilst preserving your critical evidence.
Start recording your drives now with Hawk's loop recording, and keep your evidence court-ready.
Frequently asked questions
What happens to old footage when my phone storage is full?
Hawk's loop recording automatically overwrites your oldest footage once available storage is consumed. This ensures new drives always record without manual deletion. Clips you lock in the Evidence Locker are preserved separately and won't be overwritten by the loop.
Can I store Hawk footage in the cloud?
Hawk records to your phone's local storage by default. Pro and Rideshare Pro tiers let you opt-in to iCloud sync for locked clips you want to back up, but this is not automatic. You remain in control of your data.
How much storage does Hawk use?
Storage use depends on video quality, frame rate, and your phone's resolution. Hawk's optical-flow stabilisation keeps file sizes reasonable. The Free tier caps you at 10 clips per month; Pro and Rideshare Pro remove limits and use only the space available on your device.
Do I need a subscription for loop recording?
No. Hawk's Free tier includes continuous loop recording with 7-day retention and 10 clips per month. Local Pro (£3.99/month or £39.99/year) and Rideshare Pro (£8.99/month or £69.99/year) remove these limits but the core loop recording feature works free.
Can I export footage before it's overwritten by the loop?
Yes. Any clip you move to the Evidence Locker is biometric-locked and protected from the loop. You can then export locked clips as a one-tap ZIP file with SHA-256 manifest for insurance, police, or court submission.
Does Hawk auto-upload everything to the cloud?
No. Hawk is not a cloud-dependent app. It records locally to your phone. Pro clips can sync to your own iCloud if you enable it, but nothing is forced to MRVL servers or a third-party cloud by default.