One of the best uses for an old Android device is to turn it into a security webcam that can be accessed over the internet. However, this is usually quite a difficult process as existing apps usually have you messing around with the network settings and need to configure a personal web server.
Luckily a new app from
perch technologies
has finally eliminated all the hassle of setting up a home monitor. It lets you turn your old phone or tablet into a live streaming webcam, complete with cloud DVR capabilities and motion detection, and I'll show you how to set it up below.
Step 1: Install Perch
The app that turns any Android device into a home monitor in seconds is called
perch
, and it's available for free on the Google Play Store. To get started, search for the app by name and install it, or go directly to the installer page at the link below:
Install Perch - Simple Home Monitoring from the Google Play Store
Step 2: Create an account and start streaming
Once you have the app installed, open Perch and then tap the "Sign In" button in the middle of the screen. Enter an email account and password here to create your new Perch account.
Next, you'll get to the app's main menu. From here, tap the "set up as camera" button in the middle of the screen. If your old phone is running Android Marshmallow, you'll also need to click " two permission requests" at this point. Allow".
From here, tap the box at the top of the following screen to give this device a name. Something like "living room" or "front door" should do the trick. After that, you can set Perch to record audio as well, and you can wait for your device to be connected to Wi-Fi or plugged into a power source before it starts streaming begins. When you're done here, however, tap the "Finish" button at the bottom of the screen.
From now on, every time you open Perch on this device, you'll see a viewfinder window. To start recording and live streaming the feed from this device's camera, simply tap the play button in the middle of the screen.
Step 3: Access your live feed from anywhere
If you're out and want to see what's going on at home, just go to
getperch.com
from any web browser, then sign in with the account you created earlier. Right away, you'll see a live feed from your device's camera, and if you have more than one device set up, you can switch between them by clicking the Click thumbnail on the left side of the screen.
If you tap from here
+
you can even set up motion detection capabilities just above the top right corner of the video feed. To do this, simply enter a name and mouse-highlight a "Zone" to monitor motion, then click "Save". Always if something moves in the zone you set up, you will receive an email and SMS notification on your phone.
Perch even has a DVR feature. So if you want to see something that happened in the past, just hover your mouse cursor over the video and use the slider at the bottom of the image. If motion was detected at any point, you'll also see small markers on the slider , which indicate when something has moved.
Step 4: Access your live feed from another Android device
As if all of these features weren't enough, Perch even lets you view your home monitor from another Android device. To try this out, simply install the Perch app on your primary Android phone or tablet, then choose your video feed from the main menu.
Perch is currently still in beta, so everything is free until they fix all the bugs and go for the premium price. It's currently a great alternative to one
nest camera
with the Nest Aware subscription service, which costs $10/month to store 7 days' worth of recordings with motion detection.
Perch also saves 7 days in the cloud for you with motion alerts, but you get the benefit of not having to buy a $200 camera since you already have one. You'll probably need a long time
charging cable
, and you might even want to invest in
a good stand
, but you can too
DIY
.
As far as video quality goes, you're only limited by how good your Android phone or tablet's built-in camera is. And if you need to zoom in at all to monitor something further away, there's
lens kits
can be bought quite cheaply.
For more information, see
Perch's helpdesk
.
Don't miss these other hacks for old devices:
How to use your Android as a streaming wifi camera
How to turn an Android into a baby and pet Wi-Fi camera
How to turn an old Android into a streaming media player
How to turn an android into a customizable home thermostat
Here's how to turn your Android into a wireless computer mouse and keyboard
How to turn your old Android into a hidden spy camera
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