Use your Android phone as a security camera

The camera on your Android phone is capable of more than just snapping snaps. Why not use it as a security camera in your house or on the dashboard of your car? We explain how to configure that in this how to.

There are many Android apps that use your phone's camera as a comprehensive security tool, both at home and in the car. With this you can give your old Android phone a second life and use it as a security camera or dashcam (dash camera).

Such a complete camera application is much more extensive than necessary, it does much more than just record video. That is why it is better to choose an app that focuses specifically on the desired situation: a security camera at home or a mobile camera on the dashboard of your car.

The camera of your smartphone can be used for more than just taking some nice pictures.

Is a dash cam legal?

Is it legal to install a dashcam in your car? According to ICT lawyer Arnoud Engelfriet, there is no problem at all: you can film on the public road, because everyone has the right to free news gathering, not just journalists. You also do not have to place a sticker with "Note: camera surveillance" on your car, because according to Engelfriet this obligation only applies to cameras that are hung or placed somewhere to film in the same place all day.

As soon as you publish your recorded videos, you will encounter legal obstacles. After all, anyone who is recognizable in your video can invoke their right to privacy. And with a recognizable number plate, the film is subject to the Personal Data Protection Act.

Fortunately, the images from a dashcam can be used as evidence, so you can report it to the police if you experience an accident. (Source: //ct.link.ctw.nl/aeb)

A dashcam with AutoGuard Blackbox

A dashcam is not that popular in the Netherlands yet, but you may know it from all those Russian videos on YouTube. In Russia, insurance companies require the use of a dashcam while driving.

There are special compact cameras that you attach to the windshield, but why spend money on them if you might have an old Android phone that you no longer use? The camera in your phone is sufficient for video recordings and with the built-in GPS you can basically save your location and view it later on a map, along with the images.

An interesting app as a dashcam is AutoGuard Blackbox (http://ct.link.ctw.nl/bbx). As the name suggests, this turns your Android phone into a black box that registers everything. It is a free app, but some functionalities are only available if you buy AutoGuard Pro Unlocker (http://ct.link.ctw.nl/bbu) for 2.19 euros. Then you can run the app in the background, for example, so that you can simultaneously use your phone for navigation or telephone calls. In addition, no more advertisements will be shown.

AutoGuard Blackbox is free, but in Google Play you will also find a paid version with extra functionality.

The first run wizard asks you to enter a whole series of basic settings, such as the unit of distance (kilometers or miles), whether video should be saved constantly or only in the event of a collision, whether videos of an accident should always be archived or not and which phone number to call in the event of a collision. You can also set audio to be recorded along with the video, but then you can't make calls with your Android at the same time.

In addition, you enter the maximum storage space the app can use for the recordings. Archived videos will never be deleted, but if the specified space is exceeded, the other videos will be deleted in order of age. Finally, you also choose how often the video is saved.

With an old Android phone, a car holder and AutoGuard Blackbox you have a dashcam.

Your phone as a dashcam: practical?

If you use your Android phone as a dashcam, you should pay attention to a number of practicalities. Continuous filming will quickly drain your phone's battery, so you'd better plug it into your car's cigarette lighter socket. Plus, you'll need a car mount that won't cover your phone's camera. You may have to search for the right holder for your phone - or with some skill drill a hole in your current holder.

With some dashcam apps, you can also use the GPS for navigation and calling at the same time as the dashcam, which is handy because you only need one device in your car. Of course there are also specialized dashcams that you attach to the dashboard or to the interior mirror of your car. The advantage is that such a dashcam is less noticeable and nowadays you can also find quite affordable models.