To monitor events or people in a certain place, you can make an ip camera from a smartphone. The device will leave a record in the cloud for further viewing, record the movement and send a message to other gadgets. An application for receiving a signal is installed on the tablet, both modules are connected to one account and the observation order is activated on the smartphone. It is easy to connect to the camera through a conductive device at any time.
The need to create a surveillance camera from a smartphone
There is a worthy use of an outdated Android smartphone or tablet in the form of a convenient video camera. In some cases, covert surveillance helps stop unlawful acts or restore justice.
Application cases:
- A person is in the next room, and food is being prepared in the kitchen. Using the tracking cell, you can see the process of evaporation of the liquid.
- The module can easily cope with the function of a nanny if mom urgently needs to leave for a short time.
- The device will protect the home or workplace in the absence of the owner. An IP camera from the phone will reveal the identity of the violator and record the fact of violation of the territory or the inviolability of the apartment.
- The camcorder conducts covert surveillance of office work, for example, in the absence of a manager. So you can identify non-compliance with labor discipline and determine the weak link in the team.
It is easier to install professional monitoring equipment, but you will have to pay a substantial sum for the device, setup and installation. Using an old gadget for video surveillance will save money.
Minimum device requirements
Initially, the phone is not available with a video surveillance function, so a smartphone with certain requirements is suitable. The quality of the camera matters. Characteristics are selected depending on the purpose of application. If you need a general overview of the territory, an indicator of up to 2 megapixels is enough. The same index is suitable for installation in an apartment in which events occur near the screen.
The device can be used to monitor a machine that is farther from the building and a little to the side. In this case, to consider the identity of the violator, it is necessary to provide for a variation of 5 megapixels or higher. The smartphone must be taken and put in place of the intended mount to check image quality. In addition to Android, iOS may be suitable, while the year of release and the brand do not matter.
The forwarded signal will not always be high-quality and constant, for example, a mobile phone may freeze. It is advisable to have an electrical outlet nearby or connect a portable battery.
The signal strength depends on the technical condition of the wireless transmission and server content. It’s better to use a wireless Wi-Fi connection at a faster rate than a fixed Internet connection.
The main and additional components of the mobile system
The smartphone is the main unit in a home-made surveillance system. If the power is supplied from the mains, a cable for connection is required. Wireless internet connection requires a router to distribute a signal that constantly works nearby.
In a home-made circuit, video surveillance from a smartphone has a problem with recording storage. The user can not watch the gadget monitor around the clock so as not to miss the slightest detail. Daily check of frames from memory does not solve the problem, because the device’s memory may not be enough and some videos will disappear from the field of attention.
Applications give access to servers where it is possible to download records from a mobile phone, as from an auto-recorder. The file will be recorded again until the user decides to delete or leave it. You need to work with the video surveillance system remotely. Software technologies provide access from any mobile device or computer. The tracking application is also installed on the gadget that receives the image, so the characteristics should not be lower than what the frames transmit.
DIY system assembly and setup
In order to make a camcorder from the phone, you need to reset the settings to factory settings if the device is used only for tracking.
Actions with the phone:
- It is necessary to assess the degree of deterioration of the phone. With regular use, the mobile phone will use battery power. If it becomes unusable and quickly discharges, even connecting a stationary power line will not restore operability.
- The ability of the gadget to communicate with another device is checked so that the owner can conduct third-party surveillance. With the wireless version, the functionality of the module is tested. In the case of wired, the performance of the connectors and contacts is evaluated.
- After connecting the programs, you need to set a password so that only the user has access to the captured frames.
Setting up the camera on Android is done using a Google account. Pre-selected method of using the smartphone in shooting mode or receiving a signal from another gadget.
Google sets permissions for the accessibility of the accounts from which it will be viewed. The user can get acquainted with the recordings, being outside the borders of the home network, and also find out the current battery charge of the recording gadget.
Video surveillance from 2 phones
The platform is placed on the mobile phone from which the monitoring is carried out. The smartphone is also supplied with the application for image acquisition. The order of video surveillance is selected after binding to one account on the receiving device and distributing. The camera is connected at any time.
User privacy will not be affected. when the camera is in live mode, information flows through a peer-to-peer line and does not reach the server of the Internet provider. If the observer does not want to link a valid account, you can register another.
It should be remembered that it is forbidden to film the personal lives of people who are not aware of this. Functional applications are developed so that the author of the program makes money. Together with the utilities package, the user of the surveillance camera from the smartphone receives forced viewing of commercials, which he gets rid of by buying something in the application.
Video surveillance applications and programs
Alfred is a universal utility that allows you to make video surveillance from an old smartphone. The program has a clear interface and simple controls. The application provides access to view videos from a place for the user's friends. The paid version provides high quality display and gives additional volume in the cloud.
Program Manything monitors movements and sounds, programs some functions. The conditions for starting work are set, for example, when the user leaves the monitored room.A paid application can serve several surveillance cameras from the phone and transfer videos to the cloud storage.
Warden cam It provides high-quality video surveillance, while the version works for free, unlike competitors who charge for similar functions. A scheduler is provided for setting a schedule for starting work and turning off the overview camera, for example, when traffic occurs. The free option contains a lot of advertising, but buying the application eliminates the inconvenience.
IP webcam adds a lot of settings and works against the background of previous programs. The interface is presented as an extensive menu for choosing setup. Image properties are adjusted and the number of bits used to transfer information per unit of time is determined.
