Turn an old phone into a security camera that actually cares

What that phone in the drawer can still do

Resale gets you almost nothing. As a care camera, though, a five-year-old Android is more than enough hardware: a decent camera, a processor that can run a vision neural network, and WiFi. The only thing it's missing is the software — which is exactly what Velia installs. For the full picture of what a retired phone can do, we wrote what to do with an old Android.

Real requirements, not marketing ones

• Android 8.0 (2017) or newer. That's the app's real technical floor.
• 2 GB of RAM. 3 GB runs more comfortably.
• Any camera. No wide-angle, no night vision needed.
• The screen can be broken — the Guardian watches with the screen off.
• The battery can be worn — it lives plugged in.
• No SIM. WiFi only.

The full details — including what the room needs besides the phone — are on the devices page. And if the question is "does this particular model work?", it probably does.

From a drawer to watching, in one afternoon

1. 1.Install Velia on the old phone. It becomes the Guardian: plug it in the room and it starts watching.

2. 2.Scan the QR from your phone. Linking happens in person — the house key never travels over the internet.

3. 3.With the cared person's agreement, done. Onboarding asks for their consent; from there you get alerts and can watch when needed.

Not a generic camera app

IP-camera apps differ in their features. Velia uses on-device pose estimation to help interpret movement and provide possible fall alerts; it cannot always distinguish rest from a fall. Core detection runs on the phone; normal alerts contain no image. Velia does not store video recordings on its servers. Authorized devices can receive encrypted live video; optional setup and Second Look can process an ephemeral image with consent. Read about the camera without cloud recording.

What it costs

You already own the hardware. The alerts — falls and inactivity, at home and away — are free forever. Velia Pro (US$9.99/month per home) adds unlimited live video, up to four cameras and the morning report. No lock-in: cancel, and the alerts keep working.

One honest detail: a phone plugged in 24/7 wears out — batteries swell over the years, OLED screens burn in. Count it as hardware you renew every two or three years, not a one-time purchase. Still orders of magnitude cheaper than a dedicated camera with a subscription.