a16z-backed Rewind launches an iPhone app that will help you bear in mind all the things | TechCrunch

Rewind, a private information recording startup backed by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), has launched an iPhone app that privately information your exercise on Safari so you’ll be able to ask questions based mostly in your internet searching historical past later. By default, the app doesn’t file something if you find yourself searching in incognito mode.

Final yr, the corporate generated some buzz when it launched a Mac app that information all the things you do through the day on the system in a compressed video format — the app solely works on Macs with Apple Silicon. Later, customers can ask very particular questions, akin to who stated one thing particularly throughout a Zoom assembly. Rewind can be used to discover a web site you visited on Chrome based mostly on the content material of the web page. The startup stated that it processes all the things regionally on the system.

Now, Rewind goes down an analogous path with its iOS app. Nevertheless, it presently information exercise simply on Safari. You can even go to settings and ask the app to not file something on particular pages. The corporate stated that if you wish to add stuff from different apps, it’s important to take a screenshot, as Rewind imports screenshots mechanically.

Rewind makes use of textual content recognition so you’ll be able to seek for particular phrases to search out screenshots or no matter you browsed on Safari. The app additionally has a GPT-4 integration, so you’ll be able to ask questions like “Who talked about Twitter final week?” or remind your self about how somebody.

The app makes use of the identical compression algorithm that it makes use of on the Mac to compress uncooked video recording information as much as 3,750x. Meaning the info takes up little area on the cellphone.

When a consumer requested about how Rewind, an app that continually information exercise, eats up the battery, the corporate’s co-founder Dan Siroker posted a screenshot exhibiting the app had consumed 4% of battery within the final 24 hours on his gadget. Nevertheless, the app would possibly behave otherwise for folks utilizing Safari extra on older iPhones.

Rewind instructed TechCrunch that it solely captures information that adjustments from body to border. Plus, it has constructed algorithms for Apple units to cut back energy utilization.

The corporate stated that every one consumer information is personal and isn’t bought or used to coach AI fashions. In a tweet, Siroker emphasised that every one recordings are saved on the gadget and nobody else has entry to them. Regardless of these claims, rather a lot will depend on how the startup proves itself by sustaining consumer privateness on the highest stage. Particularly, when it’s asking customers to permit the app to file their exercise.

Rewind has raised $10 million at a $75 million valuation from investors like a16z and First Round Capital. Initially, the corporate’s Mac app was free, however now it has capped free utilization to 50 Rewinds and introduced paid plans for extra entry. The corporate counts one session of traversing by way of historical past or looking out as one “Rewind.” One query requested by way of GPT-4 additionally counts as a “Rewind.” The startup stated that in the meanwhile it desires to maintain the iOS app free “for so long as doable.”