Phonitor support

Need a hand? Email [email protected], or open Phonitor and go to Settings → Feedback.

Set up a camera

Phonitor works with two devices signed in to the same Apple Account: one is the camera, the other watches.

Install Phonitor on both devices.
On the spare device, open Phonitor, tap Use as Camera, then Start Camera. Allow camera, microphone, and local network access when asked.
On your everyday device, open Phonitor and tap Watch. The new camera appears under Cameras.

Keep the spare device on the camera screen, because the camera stops monitoring while you’re away from Phonitor. For long stretches, leave it plugged in.

Camera not showing up?

Same Apple Account. The name at the top of Settings should match on both devices.
iCloud Drive is on. Your devices pair through iCloud, so turn on iCloud Drive in your Apple Account settings.
iCloud storage isn’t full. When iCloud is full, a new camera can’t sync to your other devices.
Both are online. The camera and the device you watch on both need internet.
The camera is running. The spare device should stay on the camera screen.
Give it a minute. A new camera can take a minute or two to show up. Pull down on Cameras to refresh.

Sound Alerts

Sound Alerts are part of Pro. When the camera hears a sound you picked, your phone gets a notification, even if Phonitor isn’t open. Tap it to go back to that moment.

In the camera’s settings, turn on Enable Sound Alerts.
Under Sounds to Listen For, pick what this camera listens for: Baby Crying, Dog Barking, Cat Meowing, Coughing, Shouting, Glass Breaking, Smoke Alarm, or Sudden Noise.
On the phone you watch from, turn on Get Alerts on This Phone. Phonitor offers this on its home screen.

Sound recognition runs on the camera itself. No audio is uploaded.

Not getting alerts?

Allow notifications for Phonitor on the phone that receives them.
Keep Phonitor open on the camera. Alerts pause while it’s in the background and resume when it’s open again.
Alerts also pause when the camera can’t hear anything, for example during a call, and when the phone is too hot. They resume on their own.
Alerts follow your phone’s ringer and Focus settings, so they won’t ring while the phone is muted. With Time Sensitive notifications off, a Focus may hold alerts back.
Too many Sudden Noise alerts? Set Sudden Noise Sensitivity to Low.

Recordings

Loop recording is on by default. Recordings are stored on the camera device, and when the limit is reached the oldest are overwritten. Set the limit with Max Recordings Usage.
Instant Playback lets you watch what you missed from your other devices.
Delete All Recordings in the camera’s settings permanently deletes everything saved on that device.
Export Clips is part of Pro.

Free and Pro

The free version includes 30 viewing minutes a month. Live view and recordings both count. When they run out, you can still preview timed snapshots until the minutes come back.
Pro removes the limit and adds Sound Alerts, Export Clips, Background Play, and Two-Way Audio. New subscribers get a 7-day free trial. See the plans.
To change or cancel, go to Settings → Membership → Manage Subscription. Apple bills and manages subscriptions.
New device or a reinstall? Tap Restore on the Membership page.

Common questions

Which devices work?

Any iPhone or iPad on iOS 15 or iPadOS 15 or later can be the camera or the device you watch on.

What video quality can I get?

In the camera’s settings you can choose 720p, 1080p, or 2K, at 24, 30, or 60 fps. The default is 1080p at 30 fps. The actual frame rate depends on the device and conditions, and not every device supports every option.

How do I stop using a device as a camera?

In the camera’s settings, tap Remove Camera. This also deletes its recordings from that device.

There’s more in the FAQ on the homepage.