Have an Old Smartphone? Use It as a Security Camera

Home security is an essential aspect of many people’s lives. As a recent CNET survey reveals, one in six US adults have fallen victim to package theft. With statistics like that, it’s no wonder so many are going above and beyond to keep their homes safe from burglars and other unsavory characters. However, ensuring your home remains safe doesn’t mean you have to shell out for a pricey security system. In fact, if your budget is tight, there’s a simple DIY solution: an old smartphone.

It’s paramount that the phone you use for this is a smart one. Otherwise, you won’t be able to access the correct app essential for turning your unused phone into a functional indoor security camera. You also need a phone mount so that you’re able to set up the monitor at the front door. Once you have all that, the setup is easy. Plus, fashioning your old smartphone is a smart way to recycle your old tech.

Once both phones are signed in to Alfred, you’re pretty much done with the setup. Alfred has simplified the camera options to include only a few settings. On iOS, you can only enable motion detection, choose between the front and rear cameras, and enable or disable audio. If you’re using an Android device, you have those options and can also enable continuous focus, have Alfred automatically reopen if the phone reboots, set a resolution and enable a passcode lock.

From your new phone, you can change a few more settings, such as turning notifications on or off, setting a camera or viewer name, adding other people to your Trust Circle (granting other people access to your video feeds), removing a camera, checking how many times a camera has disconnected, setting motion detection sensitivity and enabling a low-light filter on cameras.

If Alfred isn’t really doing it for you, you can explore other cam app options. Other apps that can give your old phone a security cam upgrade include: 

• Faceter: Faceter is a surveillance app that offers quick setup and cloud storage for Apple and Android phones.
• Epoccam: EpocCam is a very speedy cam app that’s made for content creators but can serve a wide variety of purposes. It’s currently made only for iPhones. 
• iVCam from E2ESoft: iVCam is a more open-source cam solution that’s best for those who really want to tinker with camera settings and customize them, although like EpocCam it’s focused a bit more on webcam-related activities than security.

Step 2: Pick a spot for your new smartphone security camera

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, you can set up multiple cameras for fairly robust video coverage.

Step 3: Mount and power your security camera smartphone

To mount or position the camera, a small smartphone tripod or suction-cup car mount can work wonders and help you position the camera in an inconspicuous place. To broaden the field of view, consider buying a wide-angle lens for your phone, something that can be purchased for between $5 and $20 online.

Streaming video is very power-intensive, and the phone will be on 24/7. To keep the phone from dying in the first few hours, you’ll need to position it close to a power source. A 10-foot Micro-USB,Lightning cable or USB-C cable and spare phone charger will give you more flexibility in where you can put it.

And that’s it: Now you can use the security cam app on your new phone to view the feed from your old phone’s camera, and you’ve made your home more secure without spending much at all. 

Note: When choosing your mounting location, be sure to avoid furnace vents and other heat sources, such as in a window that gets full sun all day. Heat sources can damage your camera’s lenses and battery over time, especially when combined with the heat of a power-hungry task like livestreaming.

Final note: Old smartphones and security concerns

Smartphones will eventually age out of security updates, which means they can eventually become vulnerable to attacks. If your old phone is still online — like when you’re using it as a security camera — that’s a problem.

First, we recommend wiping any personal data off the phone before you transform it into a camera. Second, automate your updates when possible. Third, consider giving the phone a final use-by date, after which you’ll recycle it. These days, companies try to push security updates for five to seven years after release (with some going even longer in recent years). We have a full guide on the security of older phones if you’d like to learn more.

Finally, if we’ve got you excited about using your smartphone for home security purposes, don’t forget that you can also download an app like Hidden Camera Detector to automatically search for telltale signs that there’s a cam watching in the room. Airbnb may have outlawed indoor security cameras, but we don’t blame you if you still want to check when you’re traveling. 

For more, check out the best DIY home security systems.