GrabletEvidence mode (Pro)
Save it, and show where it came from.
For journalists, researchers, lawyers and archivists: a record beside each file, made at the moment you saved it.
A saved video proves little on its own. Evidence mode writes two files beside each save: a record of where the file came from, when, and its SHA-256 fingerprint, and a picture of the page as you saw it. Later you can show exactly what you saved, and that it has not changed since.
Free and unlimited. No account, no tracking, no watermarks.
Your browser will ask for access to websites. That is how Grablet sees media on the page you are on. Nothing is ever sent to us. Why it needs that
On Android, install Grablet in Firefox for Android. Also available on desktop Chrome, Edge and Firefox. Grablet is not available in Chrome for Android or Firefox on iOS.
What is written beside each file
Save Clip.mp4 with evidence mode on and two more files appear beside it:
Clip.mp4.evidence.json, the record.Clip.mp4.evidence.png, a picture of the page taken when you clicked save. It is on unless you turn it off.
The record holds:
- When it was captured, to the second, and the Grablet version.
- The media address, the page address, the page title and the site.
- The file name, its size in bytes, its type and its SHA-256; for pictures, their EXIF data.
- How the file was obtained, and your browser’s user agent.
- The Internet Archive’s copy of the page, when you asked for one.
The SHA-256 fingerprint
Grablet computes the SHA-256 over the exact bytes written to your disk, as they pass, not over a copy fetched again later. Run any SHA-256 tool on the file, such as sha256sum on Linux, shasum -a 256 on macOS or Get-FileHash in Windows PowerShell, and compare. If the two match, the file is the one you saved. When Grablet never held the bytes itself, the record says so rather than guessing.
A copy at the Internet Archive, if you want one
Turn on Also ask the Internet Archive to keep a copy and Grablet asks web.archive.org to archive the page when you save, so an independent third party holds a copy too. It is off by default, because it sends the page’s address to archive.org, and turning it on asks your browser for permission first. Local and private network addresses are never sent.
How to turn it on
- Open Grablet’s Settings and find Evidence.
- Switch on Write a record beside each save.
- Choose whether to keep the picture of the page, and whether to ask the Internet Archive.
Evidence mode is part of Grablet Pro. Every new install starts with a free Pro trial.
What it covers
Ordinary saves to your disk: plain files and assembled streams, filed with their records in Downloads/Grablet/<site>/. Cloud saves, files handed to WhatsApp or Telegram, tab recordings, zips and pictures converted to JPG or PNG are made or sent differently and get no record.
Questions
Does the record make a file admissible in court?
No tool can promise that. Admissibility depends on the court and on how the evidence is handled. What the record gives you is an account made at the time of where the file came from and when, and a fingerprint anyone can check.
Is anything sent to Grablet?
No. The record is written on your computer. The only thing that ever leaves it is the optional Internet Archive request, and only if you switch it on.
Which browsers does it work in?
Chrome, Edge and Firefox. The picture of the page depends on the browser allowing a screenshot of the visible tab; when it cannot, the record is written without it.
Can I check a file years later?
Yes. The SHA-256 is a standard fingerprint, so any tool that computes one, on any system, can confirm the file still matches its record.
Also in Grablet
Free and unlimited. No account, no tracking, no watermarks.
Your browser will ask for access to websites. That is how Grablet sees media on the page you are on. Nothing is ever sent to us. Why it needs that
On Android, install Grablet in Firefox for Android. Also available on desktop Chrome, Edge and Firefox. Grablet is not available in Chrome for Android or Firefox on iOS.