TL;DR: phone repurposing on Android works with an old phone, a screen-off recorder, and about a minute of setup -- no cloud account, no monthly fee.
The setup
Grab any Android phone you are not using. Install Background Camera RemoteStream (free, no account), grant camera and microphone access, then lock the phone -- recording and streaming continue with the screen off. Point it where you need eyes and open the stream on any other device on the same WiFi network.
What I tested
Recording keeps running with the screen off and the app in the background, which is the part most 'IP camera' apps get wrong on modern Android. The stream stays on your local network, so there is no cloud relay in the path and no account to create.
How it compares
- Alfred Camera: easy to start, but the free tier is limited, shows ads, needs an account, and routes video through its cloud.
- IP Webcam: powerful and fully local, but more technical to set up.
- FadCam: a solid offline recorder, but it does not live-stream to another device.
- Background Camera RemoteStream: free, no account, records with the screen off, and streams over your own WiFi.
Why local-only
Keeping the feed on your own network means the video never leaves your home unless you send it there. For a baby monitor, pet cam, or porch camera, that is the whole point.
Open question for the dev.to community
What is your setup for reusing old Android hardware instead of buying another subscription camera? Curious what has worked for others.
App: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.superfunicular.digicam&referrer=utm_source%3Ddevto%26utm_medium%3Darticle%26utm_campaign%3Doldphone_camera · Built solo by Super Funicular LLC.
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