SOURCE GADGETSNOW, If you have an old Android smartphone gathering dust somewhere in your house then maybe you can make good use of it instead of selling. In the last couple of years, smartphones have started to offer good quality camera, memory capacity and even battery life. So, instead of selling a capable old Android phone, you can convert it into a home security camera.
An Android smartphone is more compact than a CCTV camera and can be hidden or camouflaged anywhere inside your house. All you need is an app to turn your old Android phone into a security camera.
Talking about apps, while there are several free surveillance apps, not all of them produce the desired results. One of the most popular apps is Alfred Camera. Backed by Google Play Protect, the Alfred Camera app can convert any old smartphone into a security camera in minutes. There are Android apps too and you can try them as well. You can either choose to watch the live feed on another mobile that you are using or even opt to watch the live feed on a computer as well.
Here’s what you will need:
-You need a Wi-Fi connection at home or at least a 4G connection for your old phone
-A power bank or power source nearby or ensure the old phone doesn’t run out of battery
-A spare Google account exclusively for this purpose. To ensure best privacy, it is always recommended not to use your main Google account for this type of apps.
-An old Android phone after factory reset
Download Alfred Camera app on your old Android phone. The setup is pretty easy. You will need to select the old Android phone as “Camera” and not viewer when the app asks “I use this device as”. You are then required to sign-in to your Google account. Use the spare Google account to sign-in. And that’s pretty much it. You are now streaming your home live.
To watch the feed, download the app on another phone and log-in with the same spare Google account. Select “Viewer” option when the app prompts “I use this device as”. And this will let you see the live feed on the mobile. If you wish to see the live feed on computer then open Chrome browser and open the website “alfred.computer”. On the website, sign-in with the same Google account and the live feed will be visible. Note that you can watch the live feed on only one device or computer.
As far as the image quality is concerned, for free version the image quality is bad and certain options are limited. Like with most security camera apps, you will need to get a subscription. The Alfred Camera comes with a subscription of $2.49 (or Rs 178) per month for a 12 months pack. Monthly packs start at $3.49 or Rs 285. Ensure that you keep the old Android phone plugged to a power source or power bank to avoid the risk of the phone shutting down.