Old phone as security camera

Standard security camera

You have probably heard about them often: security cams , or security cameras. For example, Google has the Google Nest Cam Indoor and Outdoor , Ring the Indoor Cam and Stick Up Cam and Eufy has the Eufycam 2K Indoor Pan & Tilt and the Eufycam 2 . You will pay €100 or more for a good camera, but if you want to secure even more areas, the costs will add up quickly.

Old phone or tablet

But of course this can be done cheaper, otherwise you would not have ended up on this site. Most people still have a good security camera somewhere. Now I hear you think: "Where?". The answer is actually not that obvious, because it is your old phone, which is probably gathering dust somewhere on the closet. But that can of course also be a tablet or a defective phone with a cracked screen, this is not necessary for filming.

Phone or tablet as a security camera

It is very simple to use your old smartphone as a security camera, simply by installing a security camera app on it, which you can simply find in the Play Store. A smartphone is extremely suitable as a security camera because it has high-quality cameras, namely the camera on the front and rear.

WardenCam

In addition to the above advantages, a phone has another big advantage, you can install apps on it to your heart's content, such as a security camera app or apps in this case . If you don't like an app, you can simply install another or even several next to each other, so that they complement each other. If you install the WardenCam discussed below, you pay € 5.99 once. Then of course it is a pittance compared to a real camera, especially if you install the app on several old phones, because you can install the app on as many phones or tablets as you want (as long as you use the same account).

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Tour of the WardenCam app with live video.

No subscription

In this tutorial I am using the WardenCam app. Why? Let me start with the main argument, you don't need a subscription for this. You can try the app for 48 hours before you purchase it, the costs are not too bad at € 5.99. Don't forget that with the app you can turn multiple phones into security cameras, as long as you use the same Google account. You only have to purchase the app once.

Android & IOS

Another big advantage is that the app is available for both Android and IOS and can be installed on really old phones. The phone must meet the following minimum specifications:

iOS: iOS7 and above. iPhone4 or later
Android: 1GHz CPU + 512MB RAM, OS 2.3+.

Trial period

If the app does not work properly on your phone, then there is no problem, because of the free trial period. If you already own the pro version, you have 48 hours to get the purchase price back through the Play Store.

Google account

There is no need to create an account, WardenCam uses your Google account to connect. All you have to do is install the app on both your current and your old phone, indicate whether you use the phone as a security camera or whether you use it to display video images and log in with your Google account.

Storage on Google Drive, Dropbox and SD card

When purchasing a real security camera, you often have to pay for a subscription to store your images on the server of the manufacturer of the security camera. This, while almost everyone already has free cloud storage in the form of Google Drive or DropBox. At WardenCam you can simply use this. Live streaming is also possible, if you want. You can also save the images locally on the SD card of the security camera.

Extensive

Switch phones

Do you want to use your current phone to spy with instead of your old phone? This is also possible with the option To camera mode or To viewer mode .

Multiple cameras

This app is full of useful features, so you can use both cameras while keeping an eye on the living room. Make sure that you do not cover the rear camera with the clamp between which it is attached. Is it too dark? That is also no problem with the flashlight button. You can activate the internal flash from a distance. If the room is too large to be illuminated, you can of course simply switch on the night mode.

From motion detection to communication

Just as with a real security camera, there is motion detection. If you want a notification of this, you can set it up. You can even share the live video images with others if you want. 24/7, or recording day and night, is also possible, as is communicating with someone on the other side of the camera by means of speech.

Install and configure WardenCam

Install the WardenCam app on both phones. You can view the images on your current phone and stream the images with your old phone.

As strong as the weakest link

When placing the security camera, of course, take the WiFi signal into account, as it must be strong enough to send video images. If the signal is not that strong, you can move the camera or screw the resolution of the video down, the quality of the video will deteriorate. Do you not have good WiFi coverage at the location of the security camera? Then you could consider powerline adapters with WiFi. With a powerline adapter you can expand your WiFi network. A powerline adapter uses the electrical wiring in your home, one you connect to the router, usually in the meter cupboard, the other with built-in WiFi plug you into the socket near the security camera.

Necessities:

Smartphone
App
Charger
Tripod

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Old phone

Connect the phone, which acts as a security camera, to the charger of the phone so your battery doesn't run out during filming. If the standard USB cable of the charger is too short, you could buy a longer cable to bridge the distance. If you have a phone with Micro USB, take a look here. If the phone is a bit newer, it probably has a USB C connection. To position the security camera, a cheap AliExpress tripod will suffice , as you can see below. You can adjust this both horizontally and vertically. There are also holders for telephones that you can place on a normal tripod.