Turn Your Old Phone Into A Car Dashcam; Here's How

If you've got an old smartphone lying around, don't throw it away - repurpose it as a dash cam instead!

Dashcams are incredibly useful devices, especially if you find yourself in an unfortunate event, like an accident. Not only can dashcams help you save money on repairs, but they can also be used as evidence if you need to make an insurance claim.

Aside from providing hours of entertainment on YouTube, dashcams can also serve an important purpose in certain countries. In the U.S., for example, dashcam footage can be used as evidence in complicated situations.

Here's how to set up an old phone as a dashcam:

What setup do you need?

Before you hit the road, make sure your smartphone is fully equipped with a good recording app, a sturdy car mount, and a charging cable.

Many phones come with built-in recording capabilities, but they can quickly use up a lot of the space on your device. A smarter option is to use a dedicated dashcam app like Droid Dashcam for Android or Roav DashCam for iOS. Moreover, these apps are easy to use, so you can focus on the road ahead without any interruptions.

Additionally, make sure your phone is always plugged in while recording. Running out of batteries at a critical moment is not an option, and older devices tend to have batteries that are already on the decline.

How to mount the phone?

There are a lot of smartphone holders on the market that you can use to mount your phone in the car. You can find models with suction cups for less than $15 online, but make sure the holder has an open back, so that the camera is not obstructed.

Furthermore, these holders allow users to set their phone in a slightly higher position, so it doesn't block their view while driving.

How to use the old smartphone as a dashcam?

After mounting the car dashcam, connect the phone to the charger using the Lightning cable. Once the phone is connected, open the app and set up the essential options. Once those are configured, hit the record button to start using the dashcam.

To keep your phone dashcam running smoothly, it's important to either move or delete older recordings that you don't need. This will keep the phone from running out of storage, and ensure you always have space for new recordings.

Where should you mount the car dashcam?

There are a few things to consider when deciding where to mount a car dashcam. First, you'll want to make sure the camera has a clear view of the road ahead. This means mounting it high up on the windshield, near the rearview mirror.

Second, ensure the camera is securely mounted, so it doesn't wobble or fall off. This means using a strong adhesive or mounting bracket.

Note: Before mounting your car GPS, be sure to check the laws in your region as some states in the U.S. prohibit anything from being placed on the front windshield.