Help with Prewatch
Write to hello@getprewatch.com and we'll get back to you. Most questions are answered in the setup guide or the FAQ.
What helps us help you
- Your Mac model and macOS version, and the Prewatch version (Prewatch › About Prewatch).
- What you did, what you expected and what happened instead.
- Whether Claude or ChatGPT was involved, and which app (Claude Desktop, the ChatGPT app, Claude Code, Codex).
- The camera and file type, if a clip didn't index.
- If Prewatch asked you to, the log from Window › Prewatch Log. Never send your API key; we'll never ask for it.
Billing, refunds and cancelling
How does the free trial work?
Prewatch is an App Store subscription with a 14-day free trial: $59 a year or $7.99 a month after it. You manage or cancel it in your Apple Account's subscription settings; cancel before the trial ends and you are not charged.
Can I get a refund?
Apple handles payments and refunds for App Store subscriptions, so a refund is requested from Apple at reportaproblem.apple.com, signed in with the Apple Account you subscribed with. If you cancel instead, Prewatch keeps working until the end of the period you paid for.
What happens to my index if I stop subscribing?
The index stays yours. It is plain Markdown, JSON, TSV, subtitle and JPEG files on your own disk, readable in any text editor or by any AI agent, with or without Prewatch. Indexing new footage and the connection to Claude or ChatGPT need an active subscription.
Do I need a Claude or ChatGPT account, or an API key?
To chat with your footage you need Claude Desktop or the ChatGPT app for Mac, signed in to your account. Prewatch connects to either with one click. Claude Code and the Codex CLI work too. ChatGPT in a web browser can't reach apps on your Mac.
An API key is optional. Indexing, transcripts, speakers, scenes and search all run on your Mac without one. Descriptions, moments and the better English translations use your own API key from Anthropic (Claude) or OpenAI; that company bills you for the use directly, and Settings shows what a clip costs before you turn it on.
Does it work with the free version of DaVinci Resolve?
Building timelines by chat needs DaVinci Resolve Studio 21.1 or later, whose built-in MCP server lets your assistant work in Resolve. With the free version you can still index your footage, search it and ask Claude or ChatGPT about it, then place the clips yourself. A file handoff that the free version can import is planned.
Which cameras and files does it read?
Footage from Sony, Canon, Panasonic, Nikon, Fujifilm, Blackmagic Design, ARRI, RED, DJI, GoPro, Insta360 and iPhone, in the formats macOS decodes: H.264, HEVC (including 10-bit 4:2:2), ProRes and MPEG-2 in MOV and MP4, and AVCHD (.MTS and .M2TS). It reads the camera metadata that Fujifilm, GoPro, DJI, Canon and iPhone files carry, and uses the low-resolution proxies that DJI drones (.LRF) and Resolve's Proxy folder provide, so a card indexes faster. Raw formats (Blackmagic RAW, REDCODE, ARRIRAW, Sony X-OCN, Canon Cinema RAW Light, ProRes RAW) and MXF files are in development; today they appear in the list but are not analyzed.
Is my footage uploaded anywhere?
No video and no audio ever leaves your Mac. If you turn descriptions on and add your key, Prewatch sends still keyframes, one overview contact sheet and the transcript text of each clip to the provider you chose, Claude or OpenAI. Locations and anything about speakers are never sent. When you chat in Claude or ChatGPT, the assistant reads what Prewatch answers, as part of your conversation. Every step and where it runs.