Owl Cam analyzes camera frames and records on your Mac. You choose the destination folder, and the resulting MP4 files can be opened, copied or archived with ordinary tools such as QuickTime.
Local processing and a local folder
Choose a folder on the Mac if you want the recording destination to remain local. Detection, recording and playback do not require cloud analysis. Keeping a file locally also means you are responsible for protecting access to the Mac and maintaining sufficient disk space.
Cloud folders and backups change the destination
If you select an iCloud or other synced folder, its service may upload recordings according to its settings. Pro can back up finished recordings to a destination you choose, including a mounted NAS or external drive. Check who can access that destination and test restoring a file. A recording still in progress has not yet entered the finished-file backup process.
What uses the network?
The app can check for updates, and Pro license validation uses the network. Automatic update checks can be disabled in Settings → General. A successful Pro validation is currently cached for 14 days; after the cache expires, Pro features may become unavailable until validation succeeds again. See the privacy policy and FAQ for the full boundaries.