The new watchdog in your house might be your antiquated smartphone. You don’t need to invest in an expensive security system to keep your house secure. Using an old smartphone in your trash drawer is a simple do-it-yourself project that you may already have on hand if money is scarce.

You can turn an inactive phone into a working inside security camera with the correct software and a basic phone mount. It just takes a few easy steps to set up, whether your goal is to keep an eye on the kids, monitor the front entrance, or simply add an additional layer of security. It’s a cost-effective and clever method to recycle your outdated technology.

Step 1: On your outdated smartphone, install a security camera app.

Selecting a security camera app is the first step. Many of the functions included in most applications are similar, including motion detection and alarms, local and cloud streaming, recording and storing video locally or remotely, and more. Once everything is set up, you can use your new phone to manage your security camera and keep an eye on your living area from anywhere.

Alfred is among the greatest apps for turning your phone into a security camera. Because it is cross-platform, it makes no difference whether your previous phone was an iPhone or Android model. Your new phone is no different.

Alfred offers free cloud storage, a two-way audio stream, motion detection with warnings, a remote view of your live feed, and the ability to utilize both the front and back cameras. You may subscribe to Alfred Premium to get more features including zoom capabilities, ad elimination, higher-resolution watching and recording, and 30-day cloud storage.

1. On both your old and new phones, download Alfred (iOS, Android). Not only can you use a phone to monitor, but you can also download Alfred to your PC or tablet if you would rather monitor from there. Just confirm that both smartphones have the app installed.

2. Tap Start after navigating through the introduction on the new phone. After choosing Viewer, press Next.

3. Click Sign in with Google (a Google account is necessary) and enter your Google account information when you reach the sign-in screen.

4. Follow the identical procedures on the previous phone, but choose Camera rather than Viewer. Additionally, be sure to use the same Google account to log in.

You’re essentially done with the setup after Alfred has both phones signed in. Alfred has reduced the number of camera settings to a small number. Only motion detection, selecting between the front and back cameras, and turning on or off audio are available on iOS. These settings are available if you’re using an Android smartphone. You may also choose a resolution, activate a passcode lock, have Alfred reopen immediately in the event that the phone reboots, and enable continuous focus.

Additional settings that you can adjust from your new phone include turning off or on notifications, naming a camera or viewer, adding others to your Trust Circle (which allows others to view your video feeds), removing a camera, determining the number of times a camera has disconnected, adjusting the sensitivity of motion detection, and turning on a low-light filter on cameras.

You may look at other cam app choices if Alfred isn’t really your thing. Additional applications that may update the security camera on your outdated phone include:

Faceter: Faceter is a surveillance software for Android and Apple phones that provides cloud storage and a fast setup process.

Epoccam: Designed for content makers, EpocCam is a very quick camera program that can be used for many different things. At the moment, it is solely designed for iPhones.
E2ESoft’s iVCam is a more open-source cam solution that’s ideal for those who want to tweak and personalize camera settings. Like EpocCam, it’s a little more focused on webcam-related tasks than security.

Step 2: Decide where to install your new security camera on your smartphone.

Once the stream is operational, you will need to locate and set up the camera. The front entrance to your house, your backyard, the location where you keep valuables, or any area you believe may be more exposed could be the best places to put it. You can put up many cameras for rather strong video coverage if you have several old phones sitting around.

Step 3: Install and charge your smartphone security camera

A suction-cup vehicle mount or a tiny smartphone tripod may be a great tool for mounting or positioning the camera in an unobtrusive location. Consider investing in a wide-angle lens for your phone, which can be bought online for $5 to $20, in order to increase the field of vision.

The phone will be on all the time when streaming video, which uses a lot of power. You must place the phone near a power source to prevent it from dying during the first few hours. You will have more freedom in where you place it if you use a 10-foot Micro-USB, Lightning, or USB-C cable.

That’s it: You’ve increased the protection of your house without spending a lot of money by using the security cam app on your new phone to monitor the stream from your old phone’s camera.

Last but not least: outdated smartphones and security issues

Smartphones may soon become susceptible to assaults because they will no longer get security upgrades. It’s an issue if your old phone is still online, such as when you use it as a security camera.

Before turning the phone into a camera, we advise erasing any personal information from it. Second, whenever you can, automate your changes. Third, think about designating a final use-by date for the phone, beyond which it will be recycled. Nowadays, businesses aim to provide security upgrades for five to seven years after its release (some have extended this period in recent years). If you want to understand more about the security of older phones, we offer a comprehensive guide.

In conclusion, if you’re eager to use your smartphone for home security, don’t forget that you can also download an app called Hidden Camera Detector, which will automatically look for indicators that a camera is present in the room. Even if internal security cameras are prohibited by Airbnb, we don’t blame you if you still want to be sure while you’re away.