If you have an old phone lying around, you can easily use it by turning it into a mobile security camera. It's easy to do with an app by Edward Snowden. Here's how.
Your phone already has the components of a “real” security camera—a camera lens and an internet connection.You could
do this for years with an android phone
, but there is a newer way that is even more secure.
We'll be using an app called Haven, developed by NSA leaker Edward Snowden. You can use the app on almost any Android phone or tablet, from your old spare in your drawer to a cheap $50 phone from WalMart. As long as your device has a working camera and microphone, you can use it as a security camera. You can install the Haven beta from the
Google play store
or put it together yourself
from its Github repository
.
Haven works whether your phone is connected to Wi-Fi or with a USB-to-Ethernet adapter. If you're going the wired internet route, make sure you
an adapter that also transmits electricity
.The Haven app itself only runs on Android devices, but you can set it to notify your iPhone.
Set up Haven on your old phone
Before setting up the Haven app, make sure your ideal location has enough space to mount your phone, power it, and plug in an Ethernet cable or WiFi. Once that's done, open the Haven app. Swipe through the first few screens and then select "Configure".
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Tap "Allow" on the permission prompts for photo, media and file access and to take pictures and videos.
At the next permission prompt, tap "Allow" to take pictures and videos.
The next screen is your live camera feed. Tap the icon in the bottom left to switch between the front and rear-facing cameras, and use the slider at the bottom of the screen to adjust how sensitive the motion detection should be .You can always go back and increase or decrease motion sensitivity to better suit your surroundings.Tap back in the top left to see more options.
Next, accept the permission prompt to record audio so you can hear the surroundings around the camera. Again, use the slider at the bottom of the screen to adjust the detection sensitivity. Tap the back button at the top left again.
Next, shake the phone or use the slider below to turn on motion detection. This allows your camera to start recording when the phone physically moves, such as when you walk. B. when a burglar bangs on the side of your house. Tap the back button in the top left corner again.
Swipe through the rest of the introductory screens. If you want SMS notifications to be sent to your primary phone, grant permission to send and view SMS messages, then enter your phone number. You must have an active SIM card installed to send SMS messages, or you can configure Signal for alerts in the app settings (more on that in a moment) if you only use an internet connection.
Swipe through another screen, then tap Finish.
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Then tap “Start Now” to start monitoring your surroundings. Tap the settings cog in the bottom right to adjust camera, sound and motion sensitivity, your SMS or Signal messaging settings change and more.
Set up Haven video surveillance
Motion and audio detection are great, but Haven also lets you record video for a set period of time. Tap the settings cog in the bottom-right corner of the main screen, then turn on the "Video Monitoring" toggle.
Tap “Set Video Surveillance Length” to choose how long you want Haven to record the surroundings.
You now have a cheap and reliable security camera! Your events - complete with photos and audio - are automatically sent via SMS or Signal, and you can retrieve and view the events from your old phone at any time. Remember that you trigger the surveillance manually before you drive off, and it stays on until you manually turn it off again.Even with these minor limitations, this is a great way to repurpose an old phone!
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