How To Us3 Old Phones As Cameras

Like every seasoned tech writer, I have an embarrassing assortment of old iPhones and Android devices collecting dust around the house. Almost all are worth side by side to nothing by now, but the least-old ones of the bunch are prime candidates to be given 2d lives every bit . . . drumroll please . . . gratuitous wireless security cameras!

Think about it: Cellphones have decent cameras. They connect to the internet. They tin piece of work for hours without being plugged in. Real cameras cost coin.

It'south a techno-match made in cheapskate sky. And lest you think it's complicated to teach an one-time phone new tricks, the method I'yard going to share with yous is nigh equally elementary equally logging into an app.

First, download AlfredCamera

The app to use is the free and excellent AlfredCamera Domicile Security, which is available for both iOS and Android.

Download it on your regular everyday telephone, which you'll use every bit the viewer telephone, and your old phone, which you'll use every bit the camera.

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

Sign into the app on both phones

Once yous fire up the app for the showtime time, you can create an account using your e-mail address or just log in with your Google account or your Apple account. Information technology doesn't really matter which order yous go in: Sign in and so select the phone to be the viewer or the photographic camera.

You tin alter the devices effectually afterwards by using the pulldown in the upper-left corner, which is handy when your incredible current phone becomes a creaky sometime phone erstwhile in the futurity.

That's virtually it

Once you're signed in, your photographic camera telephone will ask for some permissions in lodge to employ the camera to stream. When that's taken care of, set information technology up in a spot y'all'd like to surveil.

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

At the bottom of the screen, there's a talk button, which enables a handy 2-way talk feature between phones. At that place's also a record button should yous desire to record whatever'due south going on.

The Motion Detection feature is a skilful one to turn on from the camera phone's end. It'll alert your viewer phone if it senses action in the room, which you can and then watch in real fourth dimension.

It'll record it as well, so you tin sentinel information technology later.

At that place's a little carat push button to the right of the Talk and Record buttons that lets you rotate the image on the camera phone, flip between front- and rear-facing cameras, plough on its flashlight to improve illuminate the room, and fifty-fifty enable a siren feature to scare off intruders. All of these features are launched from the viewer phone to the camera telephone. Neat, huh?

And if you'd similar to utilize your figurer as a viewer, you can do that, too, direct from the app's website. Merely log in like yous would on your viewer phone.

Now what?

Okay, so you could use this as a run-of-the-manufactory security camera, just think that you lot've got several hours of untethered battery life to play around with. I utilise this setup by and large on an ad-hoc basis, like when the kids are playing in another room and I want to keep an eye on them, or if I'm expecting a packet and want to know as before long equally information technology arrives.

It'southward cracking as a travel babe monitor also. Merely hook upward both phones to the Wi-Fi wherever you lot're staying and yous're all set up.

I even use it to go along an centre on the laundry: These newfangled dryers say the load will exist washed in 46 minutes but with all the dampness sensors congenital into them now, they rarely striking the mark.

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

Source: https://www.fastcompany.com/90714184/use-old-phone-as-security-camera#:~:text=First%2C%20download%20AlfredCamera,ll%20use%20as%20the%20camera.

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