Dash cams are becoming increasingly popular. Some use them to avoid possible insurance fraud in case of an accident, while others just want to capture road trip memories.
The problem is that they can be expensive. So if you want to save money and have an old phone lying around, you can just use that instead. I’ll walk you through how to do it.
How to turn your phone into a dash cam
Kris Carlon / Android Authority
You need four things to get the job done:
- An old phone
- A dash cam app
- A phone mount
- A charging cable
You can definitely use your current (new) phone instead of an old one as a dash cam, but it is a little less convenient. That’s because you can just leave the old phone in the car at all times since you’ll only use it as a dash cam. If you use your current phone, you’ll have to set it up every time you hit the road.
When it comes to dash cam apps, there are plenty of options available, but the one we recommend is Droid Dashcam. It has everything you need as it collects and shows tons of data including the timestamps, GPS coordinates, the speed of the vehicle, and more. It also works in the background so you can take a call without stopping the recording. The app will even start recording automatically when you hit the road. Also, it’s available for both Android and iOS.
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You’ll also need a phone mount. You can find plenty of those on the cheap on Amazon, just make sure to select one that doesn’t cover the camera or get in its field of view.
The last thing is a charging cable. Constantly recording takes its toll on the battery, so you’ll need to have a cable in the car at all times. They are cheap and can easily be stored in a compartment.
Once you have everything you need, install and launch the app, mount the phone on your dashboard, plug it in, and you’re ready to go.
The pros and cons of using a phone as a dash cam
Kris Carlon / Android Authority
The biggest advantage is that you’ll save money. If you already have an old phone lying around, you can put it to use and avoid paying for a new dash cam. You’ll still need to buy an extra charging cable and a phone mount if you don’t have them lying around, though.
Another advantage is that you can also see the videos recorded right away on the phone, which you can’t do on every dash cam since some don’t have a display. You can also upload the videos to the cloud right away for safekeeping with just a press of a button.
However, it’s not all good news. If you plan on keeping it mounted on your dashboard at all times, there’s a higher chance someone could break into your car. The average phone is also a lot bigger and bulkier than a dash cam, so it won’t look as good on your dashboard and may get in your field of view more easily. And then there’s the camera quality, although this depends on how old your phone is. A super-old phone may not give you the video quality you need, and that can get further reduced when recording at night.
So while using an old phone as a dash camera will definitely do the job, it may not be the best option for very demanding users.
FAQs
Laws differ from country to country and state to state, but generally speaking, using a phone as a dash cam is legal. However, the phone has to be mounted, and you shouldn’t grab it while driving since holding and interacting with a phone is illegal in most places.
There are a lot of dash cams available. Most are free but have premium versions that give you access to more features or get rid of ads.
If you’re using it as a dash cam, a SIM card is not required. A phone can record videos without it, and you can also connect to Wi-Fi to upload the recordings to the cloud.
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