No Dashcam In Your Car? Old Phone At Home Will Do The Job, Know How

New Delhi: If you have an old smartphone lying around at home that you no longer use, it can be useful. You can use this phone as a Dash Cam, a camera that records road videos in your car. This setup can be created with the help of a suitable smartphone, phone holder, car charger and the right app. 

The advantage of installing a Dash Cam in your car is that you can record videos of road incidents while driving. If a vehicle suddenly appears in front of you, a fight breaks out on the road or a collision with another vehicle, the recording can help in understanding the incident.

Turning an old phone into a dash cam is easy, but it requires getting a few settings right. You'll need to install a video recording app, point the camera at the road, and ensure charging is available for continuous recording. It's also important to pay attention to storage and phone overheating. Let's explore how to turn an old phone into a dash cam.

What is Dash Cam and how does it work?

A dash cam is a small camera that is mounted on a car's dashboard or near the windshield. It records video of the road while the vehicle is moving. This feature is called Loop Recording. Older smartphones also have features like a camera, video recording, and storage. If the right app is installed on the phone, these features can be used to turn it into a dash cam. However, older phones may not necessarily have all the features of a dedicated dash cam.

What is needed to convert an old phone into a Dash Cam?

To set up this setup, you will need a few things.

Old smartphone: Android phone or iPhone with a working camera and charging port.

Dash Cam App: An app that offers features like video recording and loop recording.

Phone Holder: A mount that holds the phone firmly and allows you to record a clear view of the road.

Car charger and cable: To prevent phone battery drain during long drives.

Storage: The phone must have enough free space to save the video file. If the battery is bad, don't use it in a car while it's constantly charging.

Step-by-Step Process to Use Smartphone as Dash Cam

Step 1: Download the Dash Cam app on your old phone

First, install a Dash Cam app on your phone. For Android phones, you can use an app like Droid Dashcam. iPhone users can search the App Store for a Dash Cam app like Smart Dash Cam. After installing the app, you may need to grant it camera and storage permissions as needed. Some apps may also ask for location permissions so they can record GPS information along with the video.

Step 2: Set up video recording

After installing the app, open its video settings. Initially, select 1080p i.e. Full HD resolution. This can give good quality of road video and will also consume less storage as compared to 4K recording. After this, check the option of Loop Recording. If this feature is available, then enable it. With this, when the phone's storage is full, it can be removed from the old recording and new video can be recorded. Some apps also give the option to save the video in small clips like 3 or 5 minutes. If the app has the facility to show GPS, date and time, then you can set it as per your need.

Step 3: Place the phone in the car

Now it's time to mount the phone in the car. Use a sturdy phone holder for this. Place the phone near the windshield or on the dashboard, where there's a clear view of the road. The camera should be clear of the wipers, dashboard, or any other part of the car. When mounting the phone, make sure it doesn't obstruct the driver's vision or road view. Don't place the phone or mount where the airbags deploy. The holder should be large enough to prevent the phone from falling off during sudden braking or over a pothole.

Step 4: Put the phone on charging

Video recording can drain your phone's battery quickly. Therefore, during long drives, you can power your phone with a car charger. Use a good quality charger and the correct cable. However, continuous charging and video recording can cause the phone to overheat. Therefore, avoid placing the phone in direct sunlight or leaving it in a closed car in a hot area. If the phone overheats, stop recording and let it cool down.

Step 5: How to prevent storage from filling up

When using your phone as a dashcam, it's crucial to consider storage. Continuous video recording can quickly fill up your phone's memory. Therefore, delete old files before you start recording. If your phone has a microSD card, check the app's settings to see if videos can be saved to it. This feature isn't available on every phone or app.

Step 6: Check the recording before each drive

Don't assume recording will start automatically every time you turn your phone into a dashcam. Some apps require you to manually start recording, while others may offer auto-start. Before driving, check that the app is recording, your phone is charging, and you have available storage.