3 apps to turn your old smartphone into a dashcam
Before, I spent a lot of time traveling, but today, I have the chance to work remotely. My wife is not. She drives about 20 miles each way on busy highways and, like many people, I worry about her every time she pulls out of the driveway. Late last year I bought him a dashcam. It’s nothing fancy, just something recorded in the background, but she really likes it and says it gives her peace of mind. That alone made me feel like it was worth it.
It got me thinking about all the old iPhones and Android phones I’ve accumulated over the years, sitting in boxes and collecting dust. They already have good cameras, GPS and sensors, so how hard could it be to turn one into a dashcam? It turns out that it’s not difficult at all. With the right app, an old phone can handle loop recording, automatically manage storage, and start recording hands-free every time you drive, making it a surprisingly convenient alternative to purchasing dedicated hardware.
This is the iPhone dashcam setup I would recommend
I’ve been in the Apple ecosystem for a while, largely because I support a group of family members technologically. Smart Dash Cam is the one I ended up using first on my iPhone 12 Pro Max, and honestly, it does everything I need it to without spending a dime. This app is only for iPhone and turns an old iPhone into a solid dash cam with continuous loop recording so I don’t have to keep storage. It simply overwrites the oldest clips as needed. It captures video in adjustable resolutions, lets you record with or without audio, and you can overlay time, speed, and a map directly onto the footage, making reviewing clips later much more useful.
The app also features autosave and collision detection, so if it detects an impact, it will lock that file to save it before it can be erased by the loop system. You can let the screen dim while driving to save battery, and it even lets you listen to music while recording without interrupting playback, which isn’t always obvious on dash cam apps.
Smart Dash Cam’s free tier covers the basics for casual use, and for me, that’s enough. It supports local storage management options. You can set a maximum limit on the amount of space it uses or let it fill up the device’s available storage before starting overwriting old clips, and you can export videos via email or cloud services like Google Drive or Dropbox directly from the app. There are in-app purchases, but if you’re just capturing and reviewing drives like I do, you don’t really need them; the main functionality of the dashcam works well out of the box.
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Drive Recorder: A set-it-and-forget-it dash cam app for Android
Drive Recorder is the Android app I usually point people to when they ask for a simple and reliable way to turn an old Android phone into a dashcam. It’s simple and focuses on getting the basics right. Once set up, it simply records in the background and doesn’t get in the way, which is exactly what I want from a dashcam.
The main features are all here. Drive Recorder supports continuous loop recording, so storage never becomes an issue and it can automatically start recording when the app is launched or when the phone is plugged into power. You can overlay timestamps, speed, and GPS location directly onto the video, which is useful if you ever need context later. Clip length, resolution, and storage limits are all adjustable, making it easy to adapt the app to the old Android phone you’re reusing.
What stands out is how much you get without paying. The free version handles everyday use of the dashcam very well, and while there is a paid upgrade, it’s more about removing ads than controlling the essentials. If you have an old Android phone that’s gathering dust, Drive Recorder seems like a convenient, friction-free way to get it back to work without committing to dedicated hardware or a subscription.
Droid Dashcam: A dashcam app for people who like options
Droid Dashcam is the most feature-rich Android option of the three, and it shows. It handles essentials like loop recording, background recording, GPS, speed, and timestamp overlays, and it can automatically start recording when the phone is powered. On some phones, it even supports recording with two cameras, allowing you to capture the road and the interior at the same time. If you like to dial in settings and exploit all the features of old hardware, this app offers you plenty of scope to work with.
The trade-off is refinement and efficiency. With prolonged use, the app can put a strain on older phones, causing increased battery drain and heat, which can be significant if this is a full-time setup. The interface also takes a bit more effort to learn compared to simpler apps. Droid Dashcam is best if you want maximum control and don’t mind changing settings, but it’s probably overkill if all you want is a simple, set-it-and-forget-it dashcam.
You can use your Android phone as a webcam for any computer
Get better video quality without buying a webcam.
Dedicated dashcams are convenient, but they’re also another piece of hardware to purchase, set up, and maintain. If you’re like me, chances are you already have an old phone in a drawer that’s more than capable of doing the same job. With the right app, that idle smartphone can handle loop recording, manage storage itself, and record each disc in the background. It’s a simple way to add a little more peace of mind to your travels without spending any extra money.
