How I turned my old Android phone into a dashcam for free - in 5 easy steps

1 day ago 14

How I turned my aged Android telephone into a dashcam for escaped - it's easy

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

An aged Android telephone (or iPhone) tin enactment arsenic a escaped dashcam.
Dashcam apps alteration loop recording, GPS, and timestamps.
A coagulated equine and charger assistance the setup to enactment best.

I don't review phones arsenic overmuch arsenic I did astatine the commencement of my tech journalism career, but astatine 1 point, I was flipping betwixt 2 oregon 3 devices a month. So, today, I person a batch of aged Android phones and iPhones stashed distant successful forgotten totes. Lately, though, I've been repurposing immoderate of them. I adjacent turned a spare Pixel into a information camera. That got maine thinking: Can a telephone beryllium a dashcam?

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Turns out, it's imaginable and escaped if a fewer accessories, specified arsenic a telephone mount, are already connected hand. Obviously, a dedicated dashcam is the cleaner semipermanent solution for astir drivers, but arsenic a escaped play experiment, my aged Android phone works amazingly well.

How I turned my telephone into a dashcam for free

What you'll need: For this setup, I utilized a Pixel 9a phone, a USB-C charging cable, a car charger, a windshield oregon dashboard telephone mount, and a escaped dashcam app from Google Play. I utilized Droid Dashcam due to the fact that it supports loop recording.

First, I decided to dainty my Pixel similar a single-purpose device. A phone-turned-dashcam does not request Snapchat, enactment email, photos, games, oregon 47 notifications from apps and services. So, I backed up thing important and mill reset the phone. Then, aft mounting up the telephone again, I removed each unnecessary apps, turned disconnected notifications, and enabled Do Not Disturb.

To mill reset an Android phone, spell to Settings > System > Reset options > Erase each data.
To region immoderate unnecessary apps, property and clasp the app icon, pat App info, and prime Uninstall.
To crook disconnected notifications, spell to Settings > Notifications and disable everything, including lock-screen notification previews.
To alteration Do Not Disturb, spell to Settings > Notifications > Do Not Disturb and crook it on.

The goal? One telephone with 1 occupation and nary pop-ups oregon notifications interrupting recording.

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Wipe the telephone and support it single-purpose

Next, I looked for a dashcam app successful the Google Play Store, preferably escaped and with each the features I wanted. While a regular camera app tin grounds video, it's not large for driving. A dashcam app tin grounds successful loops, headdress section retention use, adhd clip and GPS data, and support signaling erstwhile needed. I did a spot of probe and settled connected Droid Dashcam.

After installing the app, I granted permissions for the camera, mic, location, and storage. In Settings > Video Settings, I acceptable the video prime to 1080p alternatively of 4K. This saves connected retention and whitethorn assistance forestall the telephone from overheating during use. Remember, connected longer drives, too storage, vigor is 1 of the biggest things to watch, particularly if the telephone is successful nonstop sunlight.

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I besides acceptable up my files to prevention to a circumstantial folder connected my device.

Unfortunately, the 1 diagnostic Droid Dashcam doesn't have, from what I could find, is simply a parking mode, which would crook my telephone into a 24/7 car information camera. Another app, called DriveSight, uses AI-powered question detection to defender my conveyance and tin adjacent upload clips to Google Drive, truthful footage is backed up there. But it costs $4.99 a month.

To support things free, I'm utilizing Droid Dashcam and program to crook disconnected the telephone erstwhile parked truthful it doesn't dice fast.

Loop signaling is what makes an Android telephone enactment similar an existent dashcam. Without it enabled, the telephone yet fills up, hits retention capacity, and stops recording, defeating the full point. In Droid Dashcam, I enabled loop signaling nether Settings > Recording Settings. That way, erstwhile the app reaches my retention limit, it deletes older clips and tin support recording. Perfect.

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Also, portion successful Recording Settings, I acceptable my clips to prevention arsenic abbreviated chunks (5 minutes) alternatively of a azygous monolithic file, which should marque them overmuch easier to stock with insurance, instrumentality enforcement, oregon adjacent connected societal media. We've each seen viral dashcam incidents.

Turn connected loop signaling and acceptable video duration

One happening I similar astir Droid Dashcam is that it offers respective informational overlays, including the date, time, GPS, and speed. But they request to beryllium enabled nether Settings > Interface > Buttons connected the screen. A modular video whitethorn amusement a car cutting crossed a lane, but a video with the time, location, speed, and different details provides much utile context.

It's truly worthy digging done each the different settings ... due to the fact that determination are many. If the telephone does not person a web connection, for instance, Droid Dashcam tin beryllium acceptable to stitchery determination information from GPS lone nether Settings > Location (GPS).

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Back successful Settings > Video Settings, Day/Night car mode tin beryllium enabled truthful the camera automatically switches astatine sunrise and sunset. In Recording Settings, the G-shock sensor tin beryllium turned connected to fastener video from being auto-deleted oregon overwritten aft an interaction is detected. The sensitivity of the G-shock sensor tin adjacent beryllium adjusted.

So, again, look astir and crook connected the features that substance most. One diagnostic I made definite to power connected is Autostart recording, truthful that erstwhile I unfastened the app, link my telephone to a charger, oregon link to Bluetooth, Droid Dashcam volition commencement recording.

So far, everything successful this process has been free, but if a telephone equine isn't already available, sorry, it volition outgo extra. Don't effort to MacGyver this to prevention a fewer bucks. A shaky equine makes adjacent a bully telephone camera look terrible, and a severely placed telephone tin obscure the view. I'd usage a basic mount and spot it precocious connected the windshield adjacent the rearview mirror.

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That'd springiness a centered presumption of the roadworthy portion keeping the surface mostly retired of enactment of sight. I'd space the camera somewhat downward too, truthful the framework included the hood, the road, postulation lights, and some lanes ahead.

Recording video, utilizing GPS, and keeping the surface progressive volition drain immoderate telephone fast, truthful I besides urge plugging it into a USB-C car charger and routing the cablegram on the dash to support the setup arsenic neat arsenic possible. Most radical apt person a spare USB-C cable, but you whitethorn request to bargain a car charger. Anker has 1 for $11.

Mount the telephone and support it plugged in

My acquisition truthful far

Before driving, I recorded a 30-second trial clip successful the driveway. Then I checked whether the skyline was level, whether the windshield glare was awful, and whether the equine vibrated. Once I was bully to go, I launched Droid Dashcam connected my Pixel, drove astir town, came home, and checked the footage. The video was smooth, the GPS and timestamps seemed accurate, and the audio was clear.

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Sure, my nonstop setup is not arsenic polished arsenic a dedicated dashcam, particularly erstwhile it comes to parking mode and managing artillery life, but for a escaped setup, it works great. I present person a workable dashcam, and my aged telephone has a 2nd life. It automatically records high-quality video and audio of my drives, and I honestly deliberation it's bully capable for occasional oregon backup use.

Can I usage my iPhone arsenic a dashcam?

Yes. An iPhone tin enactment good arsenic a dashcam -- with a dashcam app, a sturdy car mount, and a charging cable. Apart from Droid Dash Cam, I besides saw Driver and Smart Dash Cam in the Apple App Store. They're each highly rated options.

Droid Dashcam is escaped to use, but you tin wage to region ads.

Do I request compartment work to usage my Android arsenic a dashcam?

No. Recording video does not necessitate cellular service. GPS tin inactive enactment without a information plan, though unreality backup whitethorn beryllium limited.

How overmuch retention is required?

I would accidental astatine slightest 32GB of interior retention for dashcam footage. More retention means much saved driving time, but loop signaling tin automatically regenerate aged clips. Just beryllium definite to rapidly prevention a clip should an incidental occur, truthful you don't suffer the footage forever.