So you've just received one of them. best iPhones of 2025 To swap out your current model, then? What will become of the older unit? Take your time before deciding. Prior to trading in or recycling your old phone, think about finding another purpose for it. By installing a single straightforward application, you could transform it into an inexpensive yet capable home surveillance system. This approach is particularly beneficial when the trade-in value isn’t high—rather than allowing the device to gather dust, why not reuse it?
This particular technique functions particularly effectively when used with a dedicated phone mount , however, you can utilize the new camera’s live stream for various purposes. This could involve monitoring an entrance, playground, home office, and much more. Now, let's go through three simple steps to breathe new life into your older smartphone with similar applications.
Step 1: Install a security camera app on your old smartphone
Firstly, select a security camera application. These applications generally provide similar functionalities like live viewing both locally and through the cloud, saving recordings either on-site or off-site, along with detecting movement and sending notifications. After setting everything up, you can keep an eye on your residence and manage your surveillance cameras anytime, directly via your smartphone.
A top choice for transforming your smartphone into a surveillance camera is through one of these apps. 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 smartphones. You aren’t obligated to utilize a phone for this surveillance — you can alternatively install Alfred on your tablet or PC if you’d rather monitor things from those devices instead. Ensure the application is installed on all relevant gadgets.
2. On the latest device, glide through the welcome screens and tap Start . Select Viewer and tap Next .
3. After arriving at the sign-in page, click Sign in with Google (A Google account is needed) and log in using your Google account details.
4. On the outdated phone, follow the identical steps, but rather than choosing Viewer , select Camera And ensure you log into the same Google account.
After signing into Alfred on both devices, your configuration process is essentially complete. The app streamlines camera settings down to just a handful of options. For iOS users, these consist solely of enabling motion detection, selecting either the front or back camera, and toggling audio on or off. However, for Android users, additional features like continuous autofocus, automatic restart after rebooting the phone, setting image resolution, and activating a passcode lock are available as well.
On your new device, you have the option to modify additional settings like toggling notifications on or off, assigning names for the camera or viewer, and including other individuals. Trust Circle (allowing others to view your video streams), deleting a camera, reviewing the number of times a camera has lost connection, adjusting the motion detection sensitivity, and activating a low-light filter on cameras.
If Alfred doesn’t quite meet your needs, you might want to check out alternative cam apps as well. There are several other applications that can transform your older device into an enhanced security camera, such as:
- Faceter Faceter is a monitoring application designed for easy installation that provides cloud storage options for both Apple and Android smartphones.
- 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
Once your live stream is operational, configure and place the camera accordingly. It could be directed at the primary entrance of your house, your garden, the area where valuable items are kept, or any spot you believe might be susceptible to security threats. Additionally, configure an IP camera for use as a baby monitor .
If you've got several outdated phones gathering dust, they can be repurposed as multiple cameras for reasonably extensive video surveillance.
Step 3: Attach and supply power to your security camera phone
To install or place 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 ultra-wide lens for your mobile device Something that can be bought for anywhere from $5 to $20 online.
Joby Gorillapod phone tripod: $45 at Amazon Phone suction mount: $28 at AmazonStreaming 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 will need to position it close to a power source. A 10-foot Micro-USB , Lightning cable or USB-C This will offer you greater versatility in positioning it.
That’s everything: You can now utilize the security cam application on your new device to access the footage from your former phone’s camera, thus enhancing your home’s safety with minimal expense.
Closing Remark: Concerns Over Security With Regard to Older Smartphones
Eventually, smartphones stop receiving security updates, making them susceptible to attacks over time. This poses an issue if your outdated device remains connected to the internet, such as when it’s used as a security camera.
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 look for obvious indications that there’s a camera monitoring inside the space. Even though Airbnb has prohibited interior surveillance cameras, we understand if you prefer to verify this aspect during your travels.
For more, check out Six speedy suggestions for maximizing your home security camera's potential and the top self-install home security solutions .
Initially released on March 16, 2025 at 12:30 PM Pacific Time.
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