6 Easy Steps To Use Phone As Dash Cam
Do you remember a time when you witnessed a car accident, and wished you had a dash cam to record it?
Well, this guide is about to change that. If you own a smartphone, here’s what you must do to turn your phone into a great dash cam!
A dash camera is a camera that is mounted on a vehicle’s dashboard. Dash cams are very useful because they capture events like car accidents, traffic accidents, and speeding tickets.
There are lots of different kinds of dash cams, but they all have one thing in common. They all record videos in a digital format.
However, if you want to use your smartphone to create a dash cam, you can turn it into a high-quality, high-definition dash cam.
In this way, without spending a penny, you can record everything that happens on your road trips.
How To Use A Phone As A Dash Cam?
It’s an undeniable fact that the mobile phone has become an integral part of our lives. Almost everyone owns a cell phone.
We are connected to everything from work to school to family, and this has created new challenges.
Here, in this guide, you will see how an android phone can be converted into a Dash Cam. However, you have to follow some simple steps.
1. Check Whether Your Phone Is Compatible
The first thing you need to do is check whether your smartphone is compatible with creating a dash cam.
You must know that if your smartphone doesn’t support recording videos in digital format, then it won’t work. So make sure you have your smartphone handy, and look up how to do it.
2. Install The App
Installing a dash cam app on your smartphone is the second step to using your phone as a dash cam.
There are many apps available on the Google Play Store. However, the best apps for creating a dash cam are Droid Dashcam, Drive Recorder, and AutoGuard Blackbox.
You should download these apps from the Google Play Store.
See Also: Best Dash Cam Apps
3. Mount The Phone
The next step is to mount your phone on the car’s dashboard.
You’ll need a suction cup for this, and you should make sure that it’s strong enough to hold your phone securely in the windshield while you drive.
If you don’t have a suction cup, you can use the adhesive of an old receipt.
4. Setup The Camera
After you’ve attached the suction cup to the windshield, open the app. It will guide you through the setup process.
5. Record Your Drive
You can now go ahead and drive your car, and the app will begin recording. You can use the app to stop and start recording as needed.
6. Review Your Video
After you get back to your house, review your dash cam footage. You can either view it on the app itself or transfer the video to your computer.
Tips To Consider While Using The Phone As A Dash Cam
Accept all of the app’s permissions, including those for the camera, location, and audio, after downloading it.
Open the necessary apps on your phone after connecting it to a power source. Some apps might include cutting-edge capabilities like instant recording when you open the app.
Using the phone as a dash cam can be fun and very helpful. However, it would help if you remembered to be careful while using it.
Tip no 1
always make sure that the phone has enough battery power and that it is charged. The best way to charge your phone is to plug the USB cable into the car charger and then into your phone. You can also use a USB car charger for charging. As these apps can slow down your phone and drain your battery so try to keep it charged with a USB car charger or another charger.
Tip no 2
you should also make sure that your phone is properly aligned. You should make sure that the camera lens is pointing straight forward so that you don’t have to tilt the phone to capture the entire view.
Tip no 3
use a good quality camera app. Some of the camera apps are free, but others may cost money. A free app would be great, but you may want to look into a paid one. This way, you can get more features. Some of the features that you can get with a paid app include panoramic views, time-lapse, and video editing.
Tip no 4
choose the dash cam app that has the “Retain” feature. This feature helps you to retain the memory of the latest happenings and avoid watching long hours of video. The only thing you have to do is just tap the button when something happened.
How to Use An Old Phone As A Dash Cam?
If you have an old smartphone that has a camera with a resolution of 480p or above, Trust me! It can work great as a dash cam. There are a lot of dash cam apps on the internet. Some of the best dash cam apps for android are
- AutoBoy Dash Cam
- CarooO
- DailyRoads Voyager
- AutoGuard Dash Cam
- Car DVR & GPS
Just install the app on your old android phone and use it as a dash cam. Follow the same steps discussed earlier and it will help you get everything set up. Now that you have a dash cam app that does everything, all you need to do is record when something happens.
Is It A Good Idea To Use Your Smartphone As A Dash Cam?
In short, you can complete all of these things with a smartphone, but it might be more effective.
It’s not a good idea to use a smartphone as a dashcam. The gadget cannot process long recordings due to its functionality.
The phone won’t record in various situations, including while receiving a call, text message, or email or when it’s overheating or freezing up.
Another real concern is that your equipment will break down or be stolen.
Disadvantages To Using Your Smartphone As A Dashcam
Although there are apps for iPhone and Android, using your smartphone as a dashboard camera has several serious drawbacks.
- Excessive heat or a lockup
- SD memory cards and smartphones’ shorter life spans
- When receiving incoming calls or texts, the iPhone stops recording.
- Your view is obstructed by the phone in the holder.
- The presence of a smartphone attracts robbers.
- Low framerates and a lens with a poor viewing angle
- Costs are not justifiable.
Cost Overall (dashcam Vs Smartphone + App)
Compared to a dashcam’s fair cost, a smartphone plus an app’s overall cost cannot be justified.
A dashcam’s lifespan is also far longer because it functions on the tenet of “do one thing, but do it well.”
A smartphone costs a lot because it’s made to do everything, unlike a dashboard camera specialising in only one job.
As a result, a dashcam’s overall cost is far lower, but its final product is significantly higher.
A smartphone is a potent tool for overcoming the many difficulties that the modern person faces:
The gadget can be used for anything to simplify your life. However, that is better if you need specialized equipment to do work over an extended time.
- You use a computer and word processing software to write a book.
- When travelling a distance, you use a different GPS.
- You use a camera to take professional images.
- You use a dashcam to record your car ride.
Conclusion
In summary, using a phone as a dash cam is a great idea because it does not require a separate device and a slip of money from your pocket. The most important thing is to make sure you have a good dash cam app.
A good dash cam app will automatically record video when you are driving. It will be a great way to keep track of your travels.
To convert your phone into a dash cam, you will need a few accessories. These accessories include a phone mount, a USB cable, and a car battery charger. In addition, you may have to compromise on certain things like video quality, viewing angle, short memory, and overheating of the phone.
