How To Turn An Old Smartphone Into A Security Camera

Like every seasoned tech writer, I have an embarrassing assortment of one-time iPhones and Android devices collecting dust around the house. Almost all are worth next to nothing past at present, merely the least-onetime ones of the bunch are prime candidates to be given second lives as . . . drumroll please . . . free wireless security cameras!

Call up about it: Cellphones have decent cameras. They connect to the cyberspace. They can piece of work for hours without being plugged in. Existent cameras cost coin.

Information technology's a techno-friction match fabricated in cheapskate heaven. And lest you call up it's complicated to teach an quondam telephone new tricks, the method I'm going to share with you is about equally uncomplicated equally logging into an app.

First, download AlfredCamera

The app to apply is the gratis and excellent AlfredCamera Dwelling Security, which is bachelor for both iOS and Android.

Download it on your regular everyday phone, which you lot'll apply as the viewer phone, and your old phone, which you'll use as the camera.

And don't be afraid to try a truly old phone. I have it running here on the start Google Pixel phone, circa 2016, but I've loaded it up on fifty-fifty older handsets.

Sign into the app on both phones

Once yous burn down upwards the app for the start time, you can create an account using your email address or only log in with your Google business relationship or your Apple tree account. It doesn't actually matter which order yous go in: Sign in and so select the phone to be the viewer or the camera.

You can change the devices effectually later by using the pulldown in the upper-left corner, which is handy when your incredible electric current phone becomes a creaky old phone sometime in the future.

That's about it

Once you're signed in, your camera phone volition ask for some permissions in guild to utilize the camera to stream. When that's taken intendance of, set it up in a spot you lot'd like to surveil.

From the viewer phone end, simply log into the app and tap on the screenshot of the room the camera phone is streaming. Moments afterwards, you'll exist watching the live feed.

At the bottom of the screen, there's a talk push, which enables a handy two-way talk characteristic betwixt phones. In that location's also a tape push button should y'all want to tape whatever's going on.

The Motion Detection feature is a good one to turn on from the camera phone'southward finish. It'll alert your viewer phone if it senses action in the room, which you can then watch in real time.

It'll tape it as well, so you tin can spotter it later.

There'south a little carat button to the right of the Talk and Tape buttons that lets you rotate the epitome on the camera phone, flip between front- and rear-facing cameras, plough on its flashlight to meliorate illuminate the room, and fifty-fifty enable a siren characteristic to scare off intruders. All of these features are launched from the viewer phone to the camera phone. Nifty, huh?

And if yous'd similar to use your computer as a viewer, you tin can practice that, besides, straight from the app'south website. Just log in similar you would on your viewer telephone.

Now what?

Okay, then you could utilise this as a run-of-the-mill security photographic camera, but remember that you've got several hours of untethered battery life to play around with. I employ this setup more often than not on an ad-hoc basis, like when the kids are playing in another room and I want to continue an eye on them, or if I'm expecting a package and want to know as soon every bit it arrives.

Information technology's great as a travel infant monitor as well. Just hook upwardly both phones to the Wi-Fi wherever you're staying and y'all're all set.

I fifty-fifty use information technology to go along an eye on the laundry: These newfangled dryers say the load will exist done in 46 minutes simply with all the dampness sensors congenital into them now, they rarely hit the marking.

As for the AlfredCamera app, try out the gratuitous version first to get a feel for it. It'south pretty fully featured as is. There's also a premium version for $6 per calendar month or $30 per year, which offers better viewing quality, longer consequence recording, extended storage fourth dimension, no ads, and a few other goodies. This is a rare gem: An app with a great free version and an affordable, totally-worth-it premium offering.

Source: https://www.fastcompany.com/90714184/use-old-phone-as-security-camera

Posted by: moorehiment.blogspot.com

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