How to turn an old smartphone into a security camera

There is no need for an old smartphone to lie idle. It can take on a new life as a security camera.

Any smartphone “from birth” has all the necessary hardware characteristics necessary to turn into a powerful security system. In addition to the camera itself, it has an accelerometer that can detect movement and vibration. The microphone can hear noise, and the light sensor can respond to changes in light. Even a power outage can be a sign of unwanted activity.

It only takes the right app to turn your smartphone into a security system. One of the best options is Haven. The app was developed by non-profit organizations Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) and Guardian Project specifically for investigative journalists, human rights activists and other people at risk. The application has open source and is guaranteed not to spy on users for the benefit of third parties.

Notifications about unwanted activity can be displayed in the messenger, sent to a secure cloud, or stored in the phone’s memory.

The Haven app is currently only available for Android. You can download it from project pages on Githubor from the Google Play store.