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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- An old Android phone (or iPhone) can work as a free dashcam.
- Dashcam apps enable loop recording, GPS, and timestamps.
- A solid mount and charger help the setup to work best.
I don’t review phones as much as I did at the start of my tech journalism career, but at one point, I was flipping between two or three devices a month. So, today, I have a lot of old Android phones and iPhones stashed away in forgotten totes. Lately, though, I’ve been repurposing some of them. I even turned a spare Pixel into a security camera. That got me thinking: Can a phone be a dashcam?
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Turns out, it’s possible and free if a few accessories, such as a phone mount, are already on hand. Obviously, a dedicated dashcam is the cleaner long-term solution for most drivers, but as a free weekend experiment, my old Android phone works surprisingly well.
How I turned my phone into a dashcam for free
What you’ll need: For this setup, I used a Pixel 9a phone, a USB-C charging cable, a car charger, a windshield or dashboard phone mount, and a free dashcam app from Google Play. I used Droid Dashcam because it supports loop recording.
First, I decided to treat my Pixel like a single-purpose device. A phone-turned-dashcam does not need Snapchat, work email, photos, games, or 47 notifications from apps and services. So, I backed up anything important and factory reset the phone. Then, after setting up the phone again, I removed all unnecessary apps, turned off notifications, and enabled Do Not Disturb.
- To factory reset an Android phone, go to Settings > System > Reset options > Erase all data.
- To remove any unnecessary apps, press and hold the app icon, tap App info, and select Uninstall.
- To turn off notifications, go to Settings > Notifications and disable everything, including lock-screen notification previews.
- To enable Do Not Disturb, go to Settings > Notifications > Do Not Disturb and turn it on.
The goal? One phone with one job and no pop-ups or notifications interrupting recording.
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Next, I looked for a dashcam app in the Google Play Store, preferably free and with all the features I wanted. While a regular camera app can record video, it’s not great for driving. A dashcam app can record in loops, cap local storage use, add time and GPS data, and keep recording when needed. I did a bit of research and settled on Droid Dashcam.
After installing the app, I granted permissions for the camera, mic, location, and storage. In Settings > Video Settings, I set the video quality to 1080p instead of 4K. This saves on storage and may help prevent the phone from overheating during use. Remember, on longer drives, besides storage, heat is one of the biggest things to watch, especially if the phone is in direct sunlight.
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I also set up my files to save to a specific folder on my device.
Unfortunately, the one feature Droid Dashcam doesn’t have, from what I could find, is a parking mode, which would turn my phone into a 24/7 car security camera. Another app, called DriveSight, uses AI-powered motion detection to guard my vehicle and can even upload clips to Google Drive, so footage is backed up there. But it costs $4.99 a month.
To keep things free, I’m using Droid Dashcam and plan to turn off the phone when parked so it doesn’t die fast.
Loop recording is what makes an Android phone work like an actual dashcam. Without it enabled, the phone eventually fills up, hits storage capacity, and stops recording, defeating the whole point. In Droid Dashcam, I enabled loop recording under Settings > Recording Settings. That way, once the app reaches my storage limit, it deletes older clips and can keep recording. Perfect.
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Also, while in Recording Settings, I set my clips to save as short chunks (5 minutes) instead of a single massive file, which should make them much easier to share with insurance, law enforcement, or even on social media. We’ve all seen viral dashcam incidents.
One thing I like about Droid Dashcam is that it offers several informational overlays, including the date, time, GPS, and speed. But they need to be enabled under Settings > Interface > Buttons on the screen. A standard video may show a car cutting across a lane, but a video with the time, location, speed, and other details provides more useful context.
It’s really worth digging through all the other settings … because there are many. If the phone does not have a network connection, for instance, Droid Dashcam can be set to gather location data from GPS only under Settings > Location (GPS).
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Back in Settings > Video Settings, Day/Night auto mode can be enabled so the camera automatically switches at sunrise and sunset. In Recording Settings, the G-shock sensor can be turned on to lock video from being auto-deleted or overwritten after an impact is detected. The sensitivity of the G-shock sensor can even be adjusted.
So, again, look around and turn on the features that matter most. One feature I made sure to switch on is Autostart recording, so that once I open the app, connect my phone to a charger, or connect to Bluetooth, Droid Dashcam will start recording.
So far, everything in this process has been free, but if a phone mount isn’t already available, sorry, it will cost extra. Don’t try to MacGyver this to save a few bucks. A shaky mount makes even a good phone camera look terrible, and a badly placed phone can obscure the view. I’d use a basic mount and place it high on the windshield near the rearview mirror.
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That’d give a centered view of the road while keeping the screen mostly out of line of sight. I’d angle the camera slightly downward too, so the frame included the hood, the road, traffic lights, and both lanes ahead.
Recording video, using GPS, and keeping the screen active will drain any phone fast, so I also recommend plugging it into a USB-C car charger and routing the cable along the dash to keep the setup as neat as possible. Most people likely have a spare USB-C cable, but you may need to buy a car charger. Anker has one for $11.
My experience so far
Before driving, I recorded a 30-second test clip in the driveway. Then I checked whether the horizon was level, whether the windshield glare was awful, and whether the mount vibrated. Once I was good to go, I launched Droid Dashcam on my Pixel, drove around town, came home, and checked the footage. The video was smooth, the GPS and timestamps seemed accurate, and the audio was clear.
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Sure, my exact setup is not as polished as a dedicated dashcam, especially when it comes to parking mode and managing battery life, but for a free setup, it works great. I now have a workable dashcam, and my old phone has a second life. It automatically records high-quality video and audio of my drives, and I honestly think it’s good enough for occasional or backup use.
Can I use my iPhone as a dashcam?
Yes. An iPhone can work well as a dashcam — with a dashcam app, a sturdy car mount, and a charging cable. Apart from Droid Dash Cam, I also saw Driver and Smart Dash Cam in the Apple App Store. They’re all highly rated options.
Droid Dashcam is free to use, but you can pay to remove ads.
Do I need cell service to use my Android as a dashcam?
No. Recording video does not require cellular service. GPS can still work without a data plan, although cloud backup may be limited.
How much storage is required?
I would say at least 32GB of internal storage for dashcam footage. More storage means more saved driving time, but loop recording can automatically replace old clips. Just be sure to quickly save a clip should an incident occur, so you don’t lose the footage forever.
Should I leave audio recording on?
Why not? I left it on for my test drive.
