How to Use an Old iPhone as a Baby Monitor
If you have an old iPhone sitting in a drawer, you have all the hardware you need for a high-quality baby monitor — HD camera, microphone, speaker, Wi-Fi, and a screen. This guide shows you how to set it up in under two minutes with BlinkBaby, a free iOS app.
Why an old iPhone makes an excellent baby monitor
Dedicated baby monitors cost $100–$300 and ship with hardware that's often worse than a five-year-old iPhone. The same iPhone you used as a daily driver has:
- A high-resolution camera that handles low light well
- A sensitive microphone designed for voice calls
- A loud speaker for two-way audio
- Wi-Fi and cellular radios for streaming anywhere
- Battery and charging, so it keeps running even during a brief power blip
The only thing missing is the software, which is what BlinkBaby provides for free.
What you need
- An old iPhone or iPad (the camera) running a reasonably recent version of iOS
- Your current iPhone or iPad (the viewer)
- A power adapter or charging stand — the camera device should stay plugged in
- A spot in the baby's room with a clear view of the crib (a shelf, dresser, or wall mount works)
You don't need a separate router, base station, or subscription. Two iPhones and the BlinkBaby app is the whole setup.
Step-by-step setup
Install BlinkBaby on both devices
Download BlinkBaby from the App Store on the old iPhone and on the device you'll use as the viewer. The app is free and doesn't require an account.
Place the old iPhone in the baby's room
Position it so the camera has a clear view of the crib. Keep it plugged into power — streaming video uses meaningful battery, and you don't want it dying overnight. A simple bedside stand or a wall mount works well.
Tap Start Monitoring
Open BlinkBaby on the old iPhone, tap Start Monitoring, and grant camera and microphone permissions. A QR code will appear on the screen.
Scan the QR code from your viewer device
Open BlinkBaby on your current iPhone or iPad and scan the QR code. The live HD video feed appears immediately. That's it — you now have a working baby monitor.
Enable cry detection and notifications
Allow BlinkBaby to send notifications so you get alerted when the AI detects crying, even when the app is in the background or your phone is locked. Cry detection runs on-device using Apple's audio classification model.
Get BlinkBaby Free
Free to download, no account, no ads, no data sold. Works on iPhone and iPad.
Download on the App StoreTips for a reliable setup
Keep the camera device plugged in
Streaming video and running cry detection draws steady power. A baby monitor that dies at 3am is no monitor at all — leave it on charge.
Use Auto-Lock = Never on the camera device
In Settings > Display & Brightness, set Auto-Lock to Never on the iPhone in the baby's room so the screen doesn't sleep mid-stream. (BlinkBaby keeps streaming with the screen off, but Never is the most reliable setting.)
Stick to 5 GHz Wi-Fi when possible
If your router broadcasts both bands, the 5 GHz network usually gives more consistent video quality with less buffering. BlinkBaby also works over mobile data, but Wi-Fi is the default when both devices are on the same network.
Test it before the first night
Set everything up during the day, leave the camera running for an hour, and walk around with the viewer. Check that the connection holds, that cry detection notifications come through when you make crying-like sounds, and that two-way audio works at a comfortable volume.
Frequently asked questions
How old can the iPhone be?
Any iPhone that still runs a recent version of iOS will work as the baby monitor camera. Older models work too, but very old models may not be supported by current iOS releases.
Can I use an iPad instead?
Yes. BlinkBaby is a universal iOS app, so you can use an iPad as either the camera or the viewer (or both). Many parents use an old iPad as the in-room camera since the larger camera sensor and bigger battery are helpful.
Does it work outside the house?
Yes. BlinkBaby streams over mobile data, so you can check on your baby from another floor, the garden, or anywhere with a cellular signal.
Is it secure?
The video and audio stream is end-to-end encrypted between your devices. BlinkBaby doesn't store recordings, doesn't sell data, and doesn't show ads. No account is required.