Phonitor

Phonitor

Turn old iPhone or iPad into a security camera

167 followers

Visit website
•
Turn your spare iPhone or iPad into a security camera, and view the live and playback on your everyday iPhone.
Phonitor gallery image
Phonitor gallery image
Phonitor gallery image
Phonitor gallery image
Phonitor gallery image
Phonitor gallery image
Phonitor gallery image
Phonitor gallery image
Free Options
Launch tags:iOS•Home security•Webcam
Launch Team
Auth0
Auth0
Start building with Auth0 for AI Agents, now generally available.
Promoted

What do you think? …

Chi Zhang
Phonitor
Maker
📌
Hi everyone! Super excited to finally launch Phonitor on ProductHunt! 🎉 Use just a spare iPhone or iPad as a camera, and view live or playback on your daily iPhone, iPad, Mac and Vision Pro! It’s perfect for keeping an eye on your home and office, or staying connected with your baby and pets! The idea actually hit me right before last year’s Apple Fall Event, when I was wondering, "What should I do with my old one?" Now, just in time for this year’s event, I'm bringing you Phonitor! It works as a webcam but goes further by prioritizing privacy 🔒. All essentials are synced via iCloud, and streams are securely established with P2P connections. Plus, all footage remains local, stored directly on your device for playback. With this solid foundation, even more exciting features are coming soon! Now Phonitor is available on the App Store with a 7-day free trial to unlock all feats. Hope this app helps you rekindle some love for your old iPhones! So, are you ready to switch to the iPhone 16? :P
Chi Zhang
Phonitor
Maker
@atulkumarx Thank you so much! 🚀 I really appreciate your support!
Pradhumn Vijayvargiya
Stella AI
@chichizhang this is mindblowing, will give it a try to monitor a pet at home. Just a quick question how does it affects battery with always on camera? Or it turns on the camera only when we are asking for it?
Chi Zhang
Phonitor
Maker
@prad_vv Hi Prad, thanks for the support! 🌟 To monitor and record continuously, the camera needs to stay on, which may drain the battery. However, Phonitor includes a Battery Saver Mode on camera device that can be activated automatically or manually. In this mode, the video display is turned off, and brightness is reduced to help minimize CPU and GPU usage, manage heat, and extend battery life. For extended monitoring, it’s recommended to keep the device plugged in. Hope it works great for keeping an eye on your pet! ❤️
Eric
Epsilla (YC S23)
@chichizhang Congrats!
Christofer Huber
Mailfox
Hey @chichizhang, this is a really cool use case for my old iPhone. No need to buy an expensive security cam for your home. What about the privacy aspect? Is there an option to keep the video data only on the device? Congrats on the launch 🚀
Chi Zhang
Phonitor
Maker
@crebuh Hey thanks for the support 🚀! Yes privacy has been a key focus with Phonitor from the start—all video data stays local with no cloud storage involved. And that's the only option.
Kyrylo Silin
Telebugs
Hey Chi, This is a clever way to give old devices new life! Do you plan to add any AI-powered features for motion detection or alerts in future updates? Congrats on the launch!
Chi Zhang
Phonitor
Maker
@kyrylosilin Thanks for support! Yess I'm currently working on it. Plan to use Apple’s on-device ML to achieve that. 🚀
Toshit Garg
Congrats on launch of Phonitor that helps convert mobile into security camera....
Rokas Jurkenas
Thats awesome! What's the oldest version of the iPhone that this would work with? Got some old ones lying around... 😅
Chi Zhang
Phonitor
Maker
@rokasjk thanks! Currently iOS 15 needed for some convenient components . I can as low as support iOS 13 if that’s not enough.
Abhay Talreja
this is a great way to repurpose old devices. the privacy focus makes it even better. i'm curious, how does it handle motion detection?
Chi Zhang
Phonitor
Maker
@abhaytalreja Motion detection and alerts are on the way built with on-device ML. 🙌
Julian Renard
Kingdom
Super smart concept! I hate wasting stuff, and I always feel bad when I see old devices not being used anymore...
12
Next
Last