How does it know which camera shot a clip?

It infers it from the characteristics the front camera produces. It is a strong filter rather than a perfect one, so expect to skip the occasional clip.

Can I mix front and rear footage?

Yes. Leave the filter set to all cameras, or build separate compilations and keep the face diary distinct from everything else.

Do I need to have filmed selfies deliberately?

Usually not. Most people find they have far more front-camera video than they realised, from video messages and half-recorded thoughts.

Selfie Video Diary

A diary of your own face over a year is a different object from a diary of what you saw. It is also unexpectedly easy to build, because front-camera clips are already scattered through your library. You just cannot find them among everything else.

Filter to the front camera

When Dayjavu scans a date range, you can restrict it to footage shot on the front-facing camera. What comes back is the subset of your library where you are the subject: video notes, failed takes, messages you recorded and never sent.

That filter is the difference between this being a nice idea and an achievable one. Without it you would be scrolling past thousands of unrelated clips looking for the handful with your face in them.

Why a face-only sequence works

Consistency of framing is what makes the format land. Because front-camera clips are all shot at roughly the same distance and angle, the sequence holds still while you change, which is precisely the effect a year-long diary is reaching for.

It is the same reason the daily self-portrait project has endured for decades. Video adds what a photo cannot: how you sounded, how tired you were, what you were in the middle of saying.

It is a private format

Most people building this are not making it to post. Dayjavu suits that: nothing is uploaded, there is no account, and the export lands in your own photo library. What happens to it afterwards is entirely your call.

Good to know

Filter imports to front-camera footage only.
Combine with a date range to cover a specific year.
One to five seconds per day, portrait output.
Processed on device. Nothing is uploaded.

Download on the App Store

FAQ

How does it know which camera shot a clip?: It infers it from the characteristics the front camera produces. It is a strong filter rather than a perfect one, so expect to skip the occasional clip.
Can I mix front and rear footage?: Yes. Leave the filter set to all cameras, or build separate compilations and keep the face diary distinct from everything else.
Do I need to have filmed selfies deliberately?: Usually not. Most people find they have far more front-camera video than they realised, from video messages and half-recorded thoughts.