How to Use an Old iPhone as a Pet Camera (No Subscription, No Cloud)

Pet cameras are cheap to make, and many of them make their money afterwards: clips, history and alerts often sit behind a monthly fee, and the video passes through the company's servers on the way to you. Meanwhile there is probably an old iPhone in a drawer with a camera, a microphone and WiFi.

This guide shows how to turn it into a pet camera with OffgridCam, so the video goes straight from that phone to yours over your own WiFi.

What you need

• A spare iPhone for the camera (this becomes the Camera)
• Your everyday iPhone (this becomes the Viewer)
• Both on the same home WiFi network
• A charger and cable for the Camera, since it will be on all day
• A stand or a stable shelf to hold the Camera

Step by step

1. Install OffgridCam on both iPhones.
2. On the spare iPhone choose the Camera role. On your own iPhone choose Viewer and scan the QR code on the Camera to pair them. There's no account or sign-up.
3. Choose the spot. Aim at where your pet actually spends time, such as a crate, bed, doorway or window seat. Place the Camera out of reach, indoors and within good WiFi range, and tuck the cable away so it can't be chewed.
4. Pick a recording mode. Triggered mode saves clips only when motion or sound is detected, which suits a pet that mostly sleeps. Continuous mode records in rotating segments if you want the whole day. Set a storage cap of 4, 8, 16, 32 or 64GB, and the oldest recordings are cleared automatically when it fills.
5. Check the detection settings. Motion detection is tuned to ignore lighting and exposure changes, which helps when sun moves across the room. Sound detection uses Apple's on-device classifier, filtered to events such as crying, screaming or barking.
6. If the screen would light up the room, turn on "Turn Screen Off". The Camera keeps streaming while saving power.
7. On the Viewer, watch live, pinch to zoom, or browse and play back recordings.

What it can't do

• No live view from work. Live video runs over your home WiFi. Away from home you only get the optional alerts feature, which is off by default, uploads a short, size-capped clip for each detected event, and is the only part that uses the internet.
• No night vision. An iPhone has no infrared mode, so a dark room means a poor picture. A dim lamp or night light helps.
• Recordings live on the Camera phone. They are never uploaded, which keeps them private, but a knocked-over or damaged phone takes its recordings with it. Secure it well.

Frequently asked questions

Can I watch my pet while I'm at work?

Live viewing works over your home WiFi, so it is for when you are at home or on the same network. While you are out, the only option is the optional away-from-home alerts feature, which is off by default and sends a short, size-capped clip when motion or sound is detected.

Will it pick up barking?

Sound detection uses Apple's on-device classifier, filtered to events such as crying, screaming or barking, so barking can trigger an alert or a saved clip. Motion detection is a separate setting.

Does it work in a dark room?

An iPhone has no infrared night-vision mode, so the picture depends on available light. Leave a dim lamp or night light on if you want a usable image overnight.

Where should I put the camera?

Somewhere indoors with a clear view of where your pet spends time, such as a crate, bed or doorway, and out of their reach. Keep the charging cable tucked away, since cables can be a chewing hazard.

Is there a subscription?

No. OffgridCam is free to download, with a one-time in-app purchase of £9.99 to unlock the full app.

Related reading

• How to Use an Old iPhone as a Home Security Camera (No Subscription, No Cloud)
• How to Turn an Old iPhone Into a Private Baby Monitor (No Cloud, No Subscription)
• How to Set Up Away-From-Home Alerts on OffgridCam

More from Offgrid Studio

OffgridCam follows the same principle as the rest of Offgrid Studio's apps: your data stays on your own devices by default. See also OffgridStem, OffgridScribe and OffgridVox.