There are some situations, in which raw footage is required. First, players must include raw footage whenever they submit a record without audible clicks to the list. The only exception to this guideline is for Everyplay recordings on iOS- no raw footage is required in only this case.
Players are also strongly encouraged to provide raw footage for their first submission, and are required to do so whenever any list team member requests it. Unless this first record features evidence of obvious legitimacy, such as streams, multiple progress videos, and/or a handcam, we will usually still ask for raw footage and may reject the record if no such footage is provided in the submission.
If a player is unable to provide valid raw footage for a record when requested, the record will be rejected.
Although the list team will never require it, raw footage may also contain a handcam. A handcam for this purpose is defined as a clear, continuous view of the player’s input device (e.g. a mouse) during the majority of the session. Raw footage with a handcam will greatly support the player’s legitimacy because they are considerably difficult to fake in a hacked record.
Similarly, raw footage may include a "liveplay", in which an external camera records the computer screen for the entire session. Liveplays will be considered only if the input device is visible during the majority of the recording; without this restriction, the player could just externally record a hacked video. Similarly to a handcam, including a liveplay as raw footage will also support the legitimacy of a record.
For records without audible clicks, it is strongly recommended to include raw footage with a handcam or liveplay of the session. Failure to follow this guideline significantly increases the likelihood of a rejected record due to high suspicion.
More specifically, due to the ability of players to fake raw footage without clicks, any record without clicks that also does not include a handcam or livestream (not to be confused with a liveplay) has a very high likelihood of getting rejected. Please note, however, that a player will not be banned from the list unless conclusive evidence for hacking is discovered.
This guideline also applies to records with clicks that are barely audible to the viewer. As such, players that use a controller or any other quiet input device for their recordings are advised to use a handcam or liveplay, as audible clicks may be very difficult to detect.
For records with audible clicks, players are still encouraged to provide raw footage with their submission whenever possible to avoid rejected records whenever the list team requests it.
However, based on factors such as the player’s ban history or the number of accepted records under their name, raw footage is not always necessary for an submitted record with clicks. Players are still required to provide raw footage if it is requested.
For players using a mobile device, they do not have access to as many methods of proof as a PC player, so their submissions guidelines are notably different.
A player must be able to prove that a mobile device is in use for these guidelines to be applicable. Common methods of proof for mobile devices include showing a mobile recording software (e.g. Everyplay, Mobizen, etc.) or showing “circle taps” on an Android device.
In addition to the normal restrictions of a mobile device, the iOS operating system is notorious for imposing even stricter limitations. However, the Everyplay service only functions properly on iOS, so an Everyplay recording is sufficient for all iOS records.
Players that use iOS may also opt to use a separate screen recorder or stream to YouTube or Twitch, but please note that raw footage may be requested in these cases.
Although Everyplay is known to not work correctly on Android devices, players can still access Everyplay footage using more unconventional methods. As such, players must be able to prove that they use an iOS device in order for an Everyplay record to get accepted without raw footage. The recommended method of proof is displaying an iOS menu in the video without any cuts.
Everyplay is not available for Geometry Dash on Android, and Android users have greater accessibility to hacking methods compared to iOS users. As such, players with Android devices should be sure to prove their legitimacy with methods such as tapping the screen audibly, streaming, or filming the screen with an external camera.
Android records without audible taps or raw footage are still likely to get rejected. In regard to raw footage, a stream link for any mobile record will be considered valid as long as it can be shown to not be pre-recorded, such as with chat interactions.