01 / Nursery
The baby monitor you already own.
Crystal-clear 2K video, two-way audio for soothing, and background play so you can keep an ear on the room while you make dinner on the same phone.
DIY home security camera
Your old iPhone deserves
a second act.
An app that turns an old iPhone into a home security camera.
Phonitor turns the spare iPhone, iPad, or Mac sitting in your drawer into a private home monitoring camera. No new hardware.
How it works
From dusty drawer to live camera in two minutes.
01
Install on both devices
Download Phonitor on the spare iPhone, iPad, or Mac you'll use as the camera, and on the everyday device you'll watch from. One free app, both ends.
02
Use the same Apple Account
Both devices just need to be signed in to the same Apple Account. No new sign-up. No new password.
03
Place. Mount. Watch.
Prop the camera device where you need eyes. Tap to view on your daily phone.
What people use it for
Five rooms.
One spare phone each.
Anywhere you'd want a camera but don't want to buy one, Phonitor fits. Mount the spare device, open the app on your daily one, and you're watching.
02 / Pets
Check on the dog from the office.
A wide-angle view of the living room. Talk through the speaker when she chews the rug.
03 / Front door
Watch the door.
Mount an old iPhone behind a window. Get a live view any time, with no new hardware to buy.
04 / Elderly care
A gentle check-in.
Quiet peace of mind for parents living alone — with talk-back when something looks off.
05 / Workshop & garage
See what's running.
Keep an eye on the 3D printer, kiln, or fermenter without standing next to it.
Everything inside
Built for the way Apple devices already work.
No extra hardware. Phonitor leans on what your devices can already do — and adds what they can't yet.
Real-time monitoring
Watch the live stream from any of your Apple devices, anywhere you have a connection.
Instant playback
Replay any moment from recordings stored on the camera device.
Export clips PRO
Trim and save the moments that matter, on the camera or from another device, and share them anywhere.
Two-way audio PRO
Hear what's happening, and talk back as if you were there.
Night vision
Cleaner, steadier video in low light, even under dim bulbs.
Up to 2K · 60fps
Choose the quality that suits the room and your internet.
Very little delay
What happens at home reaches your screen with very little delay, even at high quality.
Background play PRO
Keep monitoring while you use other apps, or even with the screen locked.
Built for long sessions
Smart battery use and reduced heat keep the camera device stable for stretches at a time.
New in 2.1 · Pro
When the camera hears it, your phone knows.
Sound Alerts listen for the sounds you pick. The moment the camera hears one, your phone gets a notification, even when Phonitor isn't open.
- Baby crying
- Dog barking
- Cat meowing
- Coughing
- Shouting
- Glass breaking
- Smoke alarm
- Sudden noise
Chosen per camera
Eight kinds of sounds. Listen for crying in the nursery and glass breaking by the front door. Each camera keeps its own list.
Tap to replay
An alert opens that camera and takes you back to the moment it happened.
Recognized on the camera
Sound recognition runs on the camera itself. No audio is uploaded.
Privacy
Saved on your camera,
watched on your devices.
Recordings are saved on the camera device, and only devices signed in to your Apple Account can watch.
- Recordings are saved on the camera device
- Only devices signed in to your Apple Account can watch
- No ads
- Your Apple Account is all you need
- Sound recognition runs on the camera itself; no audio is uploaded
Pricing
Free to use. Pro when you need it.
Free
Phonitor
Real-time monitoring and instant playback, with 30 viewing minutes a month. Live view and recordings both count.
Pro · 7-day free trial
Phonitor Pro
Everything in Free, plus unlimited real-time monitoring, and exclusive features like Sound Alerts, clip exports, and background play.
- $2.49/week
- $4.99/month
- $35.99/year
US prices. The App Store shows the price for your country.
Where is my video actually stored?
Recordings are saved on the camera device. When they reach the limit you set, the oldest are overwritten. You can play them back from your other devices.
What's the oldest iPhone or iPad that works as a camera?
Anything that runs iOS 15 or newer — so iPhone 6s and up. Older iPads work too if they're on iPadOS 15+ (iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 4 and newer). The camera quality you get is the camera quality the device originally shipped with.
Can I really use it as a baby monitor?
Yes — it's one of the most common use cases. Two-way audio lets you soothe from the kitchen, you'll hear a cry with very little delay, and Pro's background play keeps the audio coming through while you use other apps.
Will it drain the camera device's battery?
Streaming is power-hungry by nature. Smart battery use and reduced heat help, but for permanent installs, just leave the device plugged in — that's what most people do.
Does it work over cellular, or only Wi-Fi?
Both. Wi-Fi is recommended for sharper video. Cellular works fine at lower quality and uses your data plan.
Can I share access with family members?
Today, both the camera and viewer need to be signed into the same Apple Account, which works well within a single household. Sharing with family is planned.
Why no Android version?
Phonitor is made just for Apple devices and relies on the Apple Account you already have. So: Apple-only, on purpose.
Take the next step
Old hardware.
New job.
Free to download. The phone is already in your drawer.