Begin small if you want to increase the security of your home. If you just replaced your cellphone, one of the most economical security options might already be sitting in a bedroom drawer. That’s right, you can convert an outdated iPhone or Android type into a helpful security camera that can record crucial household events.
All it takes is a few easy steps, including a swift software download, to turn your old telephone into a valuable rod for free. You can even put a phone stand to the new camera to place it exactly how you want, if you want to get expensive. To begin, follow my easy instructions above.
Step 1: Download a surveillance camera game for your outdated cellphone.
You will first need to pick a security camera game. Similar features are provided by the majority of apps, including motion detection and notifications, native streaming, cloud streaming, local streaming, and capturing and storing footage either locally or remotely. You can access your security cameras from any location, directly from your new telephone, and you can track your living space once you’ve set up.
Alfred is one of the best apps for using your mobile as a camera for safety. It’s cross-platform, so it’s irrelevant if your previous telephone was an phone or an Android one. The same applies to your brand-new telephone.
Use of both the front and rear cameras is free, and Alfred allows you to view your life serve remotely with its free cloud storage, movement monitoring with alerts, a two-way sound feed, and use of your own. Upgrade to Alfred Premium to access functions like higher-resolution video recording, zooming, ad treatment, and 30-day sky storage.
1. Download Alfred ( Android, iOS ) for both your old and new phones. You don’t need a phone to be used as a tracking device; you can also get Alfred to your tablet or computer if you want to keep an eye on it. Just make sure both devices have the application installed.
2. Click Start on the new mobile and swipe through the introduction. Tap Future and find Viewer.
3. When you reach the sign-in page, click Mark in with Google ( a Google account is necessary ) and sign in with your Facebook profile qualifications.
4. Follow the same steps on the previous phone, but choose Camera instead of Viewer. Make sure you log into the same Google consideration as well.
You’re pretty much done with the layout once both devices are signed in to Alfred. Alfred has made the camera’s choices simple by limiting them to a select few settings. You can simply turn on or off the iPhone’s motion detection, front and back cameras, and enable or disable music. If you’re using an Android system, you have those options as well. You can also help ongoing focus, had Alfred immediately restart when the phone reboots, set a resolution, and set a key lock.
From your fresh phone, you can alter a number of other options, including turning on or off a camera’s or viewer’s title, deleting a lens, checking how many occasions a camera has disconnected, enabling a low-light screen on cameras, and turning on or off a camera’s lens.
If Alfred isn’t actually doing it for you, you can look into another rod software options.  , and other programs that you upgrade your old phone’s security camera include this.
- Faceter: Faceter is an application for security that allows for quick setup and fog storage for Android and Apple phones.
- Epoccam: A pretty quick microphone app designed for content creators that can be used for a variety of reasons. It’s now only produced for smartphones.  ,
- E2ESoft’s iVCam is a more open-source rod solution that is best for those who want to experiment with and modify camera settings, but like EpocCam, it concentrates a little bit more on webcam-related tasks than security.
Step 2: Decide where to park your brand-new laptop security cameras.
You will need to fixed up and place the lens once the supply is up and running. You might want it to concentrate on your home’s primary entry level, your backyard, your storage area, or a vulnerable area in your opinion. You may set up multiple cameras for very strong film coverage if you have several older phones.
Phase 3: Install and turn on your handset with a security camera.
A little smartphone camera or suction-cup car mount can be used to place or attach the camera in an obscure location. Consider purchasing a wide-angle lens for your phone in order to expand the field of view, something that can be found online for between$ 5 and$ 20.
The mobile will be on 24/7, and streaming video is extremely power-intensive. You’ll need to place the phone near to a power source in order to prevent it from dying in the first few days. A 10-foot Micro-USB, Lightning wire, or USB-C wire and free charger for a phone will give you more room to put it.
You now have access to the feed from your old camera’s lens with the security camera application on your fresh phone, and you can watch it without spending a lot of money either.  ,
Be careful when choosing your mounting area, such as in a window that receives full sun all day, by avoiding oven holes and other heating sources. Heat sources may eventually damage your sensor lenses and power, especially when combined with the heat from a power-hungry job like livestreaming.
Final word: Old phones and safety problems
Phones may eventually stop receiving protection updates, which makes them more vulnerable to attacks. If your old telephone is also online, such as when you record it using it as a cameras, that is a concern.
Second, we advise removing any personal information from the phone before turning it into a lens. Next, make your upgrades as simple as possible. Next, think about giving the phone a ultimate use-by date before recycling it. Companies today attempt to push security updates for five to seven years after launch ( some even extend the period in recent years ). If you’d like to know more, we have a comprehensive guide on the safety of older devices.
Don’t forget that you can also download an app like Hidden Camera Detector to quickly look up warning signs that a microphone is watching in the room if we’ve got you excited about using your cellphone for home security reasons. Although AirBnB may have outlawed indoor security cameras, we don’t blame you if you still want to check while traveling.  ,
Check out the best DIY home security systems for more information.
Nobody has ever reported anyone breaking into these kinds of apps, and it’s typically not worth it. Using phones that no longer receive security updates poses the greatest security risk, as mentioned above.
Low-light modes in camera apps like Alfred Camera use software to improve visibility in the dark. Although it’s not true night vision, it works in the majority of low-light situations.
Yes, the phone’s speakers have a two-way audio option, like Alfred Camera.