A surveillance system is a great way to improve home security. Those who have old phones lying around can use Smartfrog, a software developed by an Irish-based IoT company, to repurpose them into security cameras.
At least two phones are needed for Smartfrog to work. One to act as the viewing/management device and the other as the camera itself. To link them together, install the app on both devices, log in with the same account, and assign their roles. All additional cameras can be linked in the same manner.
Once set up, the user can snap pictures, record video, switch between cameras, and toggle the flashlight through the control panel. Up to 30 days of video footage can be stored using the Smartfrog cloud storage. All data collected is encrypted using bank-level SSL standards.
Using smartphones as security cameras is a double-edged sword. Thanks to their small size, they can be installed anywhere. But while the idea is convenient and requires no extra hardware, because your streams will be constantly uploading to the cloud, your home internet speeds could take a hit. In addition, you’ll need to find supplementary power sources for all your cameras.
Smartfrog is free to use on Android and iOS, though it requires $3.99 for the ads-free version.
