Turn your old apple device into a webcam

[Lilmatty5dimes]

I mention this on other sites and forgot to post it here. I recently stumbled upon an app set for Apple devices that allows me to turn any of my devices (iPhone, iPad, iMac, or even iPod) into a webcam to watch over my tank remotely. The app set is free. Essentially, the cost is free because I already had an old iPhone I do not use. More than one Apple device can be used to view from different angles. You will need two Apple devices.

The apps are called Athome Video Streamer and Athome Camera.

The Athome Streamer app will be used on the devices that will be your webcams. The Athome Camera app will be used on the device used to view your webcam.

Here is my tank:

My phone is plugged in for continuous. I have this as the only app running so low risk of overheating.

The app has features such flash, switch camera (back to front lens), Mute, record, take a pic, and even Walkie Talkie.
Here is the flash feature. I am controlling the flash of my phone I am using as a webcam. Keep in mind I am out of town at the moment and my lights have just turn off according to their schedule.

The setup was pretty easy. This app is also available for Android devices. Cross platform may be available.



UPDATE-

I have used this app since 07 Jan 15. The only time the app was down was when the app server was down for maintenance. The only crash experienced was when I used the "Screen off" feature so avoid that feature.


Here is how I attached it for viewing using tape:

 

[reelredfish]

I have 3 of them I am testing out right now found this over on the apex forum and set them up the other day since I have them sitting around not being used. I did use a different app based upon the one from the apex forum and have to say its working great.

 

[Lilmatty5dimes]

What app is that? I had it on for a few hours and seems pretty cool.

 

[ARVERLY]

Haha I just saw this on RtwoR and immediately grabbed my old iPhone 3!

 

[chris.scang]

There is an app for us Android owners too.

 

[raidendex]

Why is this poping up everywhere lol.

I posted about this sort of stuff for Android like a year ago. IP Webcam is on of the apps that can do it.

Depending on the phone it may be better than Foscam as far as color goes. Frame rate would be a bit lower also you lack the ability to move the cam around.

 

[raidendex]

Here are samples of Foscam

and Samsung Note 2

Ignore the low frame rate, these are passed through a program on Linux called Motion which limits the frame rate to 10 fps as well as hides the controls of the actual cameras

 

[Lilmatty5dimes]

Haha I just saw this on RtwoR and immediately grabbed my old iPhone 3!

Lol did the same thing with an old iPod. Now to see and get my old iPhone to work.

 

[Lilmatty5dimes]

I think now that made it so easy a cave man can do it. Download 2 apps get your code and your done. I didn't realize you could do it with an old phone. Just thought it so a webcam.

What are your dimensions of your tank? I love the depth.

 

[Tenshoa]

This is good stuff!

I am having a surveillance system put in soon, but this will work great in the meantime! Especially since I have like 4 old iphones sitting around. lol

 

[eg8r210]

I think I have a few old iPods around here somewhere. I might have to try this out. No iPhones sitting around though, resale on them is too high to keep.

 

[knukles55]

I used ip webcam on android with an old phone for my reef tank but when I leave my house and try to log on to the video on my actual phone it doesn't connect.

for some weird reason when im home and my devices are synched with wifi I can see the video stream but out on the street I cant see it.

 

[raidendex]

You have to set up some port forwarding on the router to access from the Internet. Also need to know your actual ip address not 192.168.1.xxx type stuff.

 

[uruguayanreefer]

How do u use an iPhone 4 as the camera and stream to an s5?

 

[Lilmatty5dimes]

You have to set up some port forwarding on the router to access from the Internet. Also need to know your actual ip address not 192.168.1.xxx type stuff.

I could never figure out the port forwarding stuff with my apex. Lol

 

[Lilmatty5dimes]

How do u use an iPhone 4 as the camera and stream to an s5?

The phone you want to be the camera needs to dl the athome video streamer and the phone you want to watch off athome camera.

 

[raidendex]

I could never figure out the port forwarding stuff with my apex. Lol

What router do you have? Also assuming you know how to at least log into its page, i.e. 192.168.1.1 and enter some user/pass to get a page with settings.

 

[Lilmatty5dimes]

What router do you have? Also assuming you know how to at least log into its page, i.e. 192.168.1.1 and enter some user/pass to get a page with settings.

Lol. That's about how far I got. Then it kinda went all blank after that.