Footage Ferry

Install Footage Ferry

Footage Ferry runs on macOS 15 or later, on Apple silicon and Intel Macs. After purchasing, connect GitHub in Polar and accept the invitation. Download the app ZIP from the private Footage Ferry releases, unzip it, and drag the app to Applications.

The release is signed and notarized. Confirm Open at the normal first-launch prompt.

Connect your iPhone

The app reads clips stored inside Blackmagic Camera’s own storage. In the iPhone Files app, this is the Blackmagic Camera folder under On My iPhone. Clips saved only in Photos or on an external drive are outside this importer’s scope.

Connect the iPhone to the Mac with a USB cable. Unlock it and tap Trust if asked to trust this computer. Wi-Fi is not used for transfers.

When the connection is ready, the app lists clips with thumbnails, recording dates and file sizes. Click a column heading to sort by name, date or size.

Preview and import a few clips

Suppose you recorded three takes and only want the last two:

1. Double-click the first clip, or select it and press Space, to preview it directly from the iPhone.
2. Close the preview and select the two takes you want.
3. Use Choose Folder… to select a destination if needed.
4. Click the selected-import button in the toolbar.
5. Wait for the copies and verification to finish.

Use Import All to import every listed clip. The default destination is ~/Movies/Blackmagic Camera. Show in Finder opens the chosen destination.

The progress view shows the current file, transfer speed and time remaining. Footage Ferry keeps the Mac awake during an import. Leave the cable connected until the operation finishes.

What verification does

A clip counts as imported only after the copy is checked. The app reads the file back from the Mac and compares its SHA-1 hash with the hash computed by the iPhone from the original. A mismatched copy is discarded.

An existing copy is checked rather than copied again. A different file with the same name is preserved: the new copy gets a numbered name instead of overwriting it. Imported copies keep the recording date.

This check verifies that the transferred bytes match. You should still play important footage and keep a separate backup before removing the only original.

Decide whether to keep the originals

After an import, the app offers to remove imported clips from the iPhone. Keep on iPhone is the default choice. Use it if you want to review or back up the files first.

If you choose deletion, the app verifies each local copy again immediately before deleting its original. If the copy no longer matches, that original stays on the iPhone.

Deleting from the phone frees its storage. It is separate from importing, so you can finish a transfer without deleting anything.

If clips do not appear

Check that the clips are in Blackmagic Camera’s internal app storage. Reconnect the USB cable, unlock the iPhone and complete its trust prompt. Check the app’s connection message before starting another import.

If transfers are unexpectedly slow, check the cable, hub and Mac port. A fast iPhone connection can still be limited by a slower cable. The app displays a USB-speed note when it detects that situation.

If the destination disk runs out of space or a transfer fails, keep the originals and resolve that error before trying again. Do not delete clips based only on a filename appearing in Finder; wait for a verified import result.

Updates and data

Videos go only to the destination you choose. Thumbnail caches live in ~/Library/Caches/com.flaviocopes.blackmagic-cam-importer; they are separate from the imported originals.

Download updates manually from the private Releases page. Quit Footage Ferry before replacing the app. Older public-API update checks cannot download private releases.

The app is independent of Blackmagic Design and uses macOS device functionality that can change with operating-system updates. If a new system version affects the connection, check the private repository’s release notes for a compatible update.