Do you have an older smartphone at home that has been sitting in a drawer for months or even years? It doesn't have to end up as electronic waste. In just a few minutes, you can turn it into a full-fledged dash cam that can record your ride, save your GPS location, and automatically overwrite older recordings. For many drivers, this can be a surprisingly capable alternative to cheaper dash cams.
While quality car cameras costs several hundred dollars, old phone offers most of the important features practically for free. If you already have one at home car holder and charger into the cigarette lighter or USB port, you will not need any additional investment. Just download the appropriate application from Google Play.
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What you will need
Preparation is simple. You only need a few things that most people already have:
- an older phone with a working camera,
- windshield or dashboard mount,
- charging cable and power supply while driving,
- Free app for recording your ride.
A phone with at least 32 GB of storage is ideal. Before installing the app, it is worth performing a factory reset or at least deleting unnecessary files and apps. Phone then it will work faster and offer more space for videos.
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Install the app and set it up correctly
It is one of the most popular apps on Android. Droid Dashcam, iPhone users can reach for, for example, Smart Dash CamBoth solutions offer the basic features that most drivers need for free.
After installation, it is necessary allow access to camera, microphone, location and storage. GPS data can be very useful in proving the course of an accident. It is recommended to set the resolution to Full HD (1080p). Although the higher 4K will offer a more detailed image, it will also fill up storage much faster and may cause overheating or higher power consumption on older phones.
The most important function is the so-called loop recordingThe phone automatically deletes the oldest recordings and continuously replaces them with new ones, so there's no need to constantly check your storage. It's also practical to save videos in shorter segments, such as five minutes, which are easier to share later.
Place your phone as high up on the windshield as possible, ideally near the rearview mirror. The camera should capture not only the road in front of the car, but also the traffic lights, surrounding traffic, and part of the hood, which will help you assess the situation later.
When is it better to buy a camera?
For occasional drivers or as a temporary solution, an older smartphone is a very interesting option. Modern phones have high-quality sensors, support image stabilization and precise positioning, so the resulting recordings can be of surprisingly high quality.
But classic cameras still have several advantages. They are designed for year-round operation in hot and cold cars, and often offer a parking mode, increased resistance to vibration, or a rear camera for recording what's happening behind the vehicle. However, if you have an unused phone lying around at home, turning it into a camera can be one of the most practical ways to give it a second chance at life.
