Don't trash your old phone -- instead try this free software to transform it into a basic security cam.
If you're upgrading to the new iPhone 15, Google Pixel 8 or Galaxy S24, what are you gonna do with your old phone? You could donate it, recycle it or sell it, but you could also use it to set up a free baby cam or to keep an eye on your back porch.
One of the coolest ways to repurpose an old phone is to convert it into a home security camera. It's an excellent cost-effective trick to keeping an eye on your home when you're not there. It's also a free (or very cheap, if you need to buy a phone stand) way to keep an eye on elder relatives, anxious pets or parts of your business that you can't always watch over directly.
Making this phone-to-home-cam conversion isn't difficult at all. In fact, you can start using that time-worn phone to keep your home safe in just three steps. For more home tips, check out why your internet router is probably in the wrong spot and six places to put home security cameras on your property.
Step 1: Install a security camera app on your old smartphone
To begin, you will need to choose a security camera app. Most apps offer many of the same features, such as local streaming, cloud streaming, recording and storing footage locally or remotely, and motion detection and alerts. Once you're set up, you will be able to monitor your living space and control your security camera from anywhere, straight from your new phone.
One of the best app options for setting up your phone as a security camera is Alfred. It's cross-platform, so it doesn't matter if your old phone was an Android phone or iPhone. And the same goes for your new phone.
Alfred is free to use and gives you a remote view of your live feed, motion detection with alerts, free cloud storage, a two-way audio feed and use of both the front and rear cameras. To unlock additional features, like higher-resolution viewing and recording, zoom capabilities, ad removal and 30-day cloud storage, you can upgrade to Alfred Premium.
1. Download Alfred (Android, iOS) on both your old and new phones. You don't have to use a phone as a monitoring tool -- you can also download Alfred to your tablet or PC if you prefer to keep watch from there. Just make sure the app is on both devices.
2. On the new phone, swipe through the introduction and tap Start. Select Viewer and tap Next.
3. Once you get to the sign-in page, click Sign in with Google (a Google account is required) and sign in with your Google account credentials.
4. On the old phone, repeat the same steps, but instead of selecting Viewer, select Camera. And make sure to sign in to the same Google account.
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.
Feel like exploring more options? That's always a good idea. 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.
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