Keeping your house secure doesn’t imply that you have to spend out for a pricy security system. Using an old smartphone in your junk drawer is a simple do-it-yourself project that you may already have on hand if money is scarce.

You can make an inactive phone into a working inside security camera with the correct app 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 extra 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 It’s a cost-effective and clever method to recycle your outdated technology.

Step 1: On your outdated smartphone, install a security camera app.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 if your previous phone was an iPhone or an Android device. 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 use both the front and back cameras. You may upgrade 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 choices are available to you if you’re using an Android smartphone, and you may also activate continuous focus.

Set a resolution, activate a passcode lock, and have Alfred reopen automatically in the event that the phone reboots.

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 can 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 people who want to tweak and personalize camera settings. Like EpocCam, it’s a little more focused on webcam-related tasks than security.

Step 2: Choose a location for your new security camera on your smartphone.

After you have the stream up and running, you will need to set up and position the camera. You may want it focused on the main entry point to your home, your backyard, the place where you store valuables or a point you think might be particularly vulnerable. If you have multiple old phones lying around, you can set up multiple cameras for fairly robust video coverage.

Step 3: Install and charge your smartphone security camera

A tiny smartphone tripod or suction-cup vehicle mount may be a great tool for mounting or positioning the camera, allowing you to put it in a discrete location. Consider purchasing a wide-angle lens for your phone, which can be done online for $5 to $20, 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 greater versatility in where you place it if you use a 10-foot Micro-USB, Lightning cable, or USB-C.

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 since they will no longer receive 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 following 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.

Last but not least, 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 observing the room. It’s possible that Airbnb banned internal security cameras. However, we don’t blame you if you choose to check while you’re on the road.