Security Camera Apps for Android

The best security camera apps for Android are the ones that are easy to use, offer interesting features and work with different types and brands of cameras.

If you have a security camera system at home and want to monitor everything remotely from your mobile phone, the best solution is to download and install one of these apps for the Android store, so let's talk about some of them.

Let's assume you have a security camera system installed in your home or are about to install one but you don't want to be attached to a single brand.

In this case, you need to use a security camera app that works with most of the cameras available in the market, that's my recommendation since you are not forced to stay forever with tied to the same manufacturer.

Below a list with the best security camera apps for Android:

01. Ivideon

This is an awesome security camera app since it's FREE and works with different brands of cameras such as iLuv, Oco, Philips, Axis, Dahua, Hikvision, and Milesight.

Just in case you are not using those famous brands you still can have the Ivideon app connecting to your cameras through the Ivideon Server, which means you need to use a computer between your security camera system and your mobile, but at least is an extra option to have other camera brands working with it.

D-Link, Foscam, Trendnet, EasyN, Acti, Edimax, Swann, TP-Link, Logitech, Belkin, and others are known to work with the IvideonServer + Ivideon App.

http://www.ivideon.com/get/

The Ivideon app has live streaming capability, so you can send audio and video via the Internet and keep the footage recorded in the cloud.

if somebody breaks into your place, you can be alerted and receive emails notification in real-time and the recording will be safe in the Ivideon servers.

There's a 24/7 Helpdesk team to help you out.

See below some of the Ivideon features:

• High-quality Online audio/video (live);
• Cloud recording
• Push and email notification
• Quick view/search via App
• Uses low bandwidth for remote access
• Expandable to any number of cameras
• PTZ camera control
• Allows live feed for sites and blogs
• Search linked to POS and access control

02. Alfred

Alfred is an app that allows you to convert your smartphone into a security camera, so you can monitor everything remotely.

You need at least two smartphones to make it work since one of them is used as the security camera and the other one is used for monitoring.

The good thing about Alfred is that the setup is very simple, you can use it for Free and also record the footage in a cloud server.

Yeah, you can use that old smartphone or tablet as a camera instead of buying a dedicated security camera just to monitor your baby for example.

It's also possible to watch the video stream directly from a computer.

See below some of the Alfred app features:

• Remote access from phone or computer
• Motion sensor and instant alerts
• Free cloud storage to save the videos
• Walkie-talkie features for a two-way conversation
• 360 camera feature using the two phone lenses
• Zoom feature

03. MEye

The MEye app works with different brands of IP security cameras and DVRs (Digital Video Recorder) that are manufactured in China and have no brand.

It also works with devices that are manufactured by big Chinese manufacturers such as Dahua as long as you setup the device using the correct port.

The Free version works with all the function and shows advertisements. 

if you pay $ 9.99 (US dollars) for the professional version the ADs are removed.

You download the MEye App for Free from the Google Play store or visit the developer website at http://www.meyetech.com.

See below some of the MEye app features:

• Remote access from phone
• Compatible with all Android smartphones
• Support multiple DVRs
• Support PTZ control
• Free version

04. tiny Cam

The tiny Cam is one of the best security camera App out there.

It's easy to setup and compatible with a lot of different camera manufacturers. 

There's a Free edition which works with most of the security camera brands using proprietary and also standard/universal protocols such as RTSP and ONVIF (Read the recommended articles to learn more).

See below the features of the tiny Cam Free Edition :

• Support for H.264 codec on Foscam and Amcrest cameras.
• RTSP protocol support for most of the security cameras. 
• ONVIF profile S support for IoT devices and cameras.
• 2-way audio support (30 seconds for the Free version).
• MJPEG codec support to work with major vendors.
• P2P support to work with popular cameras such the Wyze Cam.
• PTZ (Pan/Tilt/Zoom) control for compatible cameras
• LAN Scanner for camera detection in the network
• HTTPS protocol encryption via SSL
• Camera group using tags
• Accelerated video decoding via CPU/GPU
• Sequence mode feature
• Backup/restore settings

See below the features of the tiny Cam PRO Edition :

• No Advertisements
• Video recording to SD card
• Video recording to the cloud (Dropbox, Google Drive, etc)
• Time-lapse recording
• 2 way-audio (no limitation)
• Support for App and camera motion detection
• Support for Android phone camera
• Face detection
• Audio real-time processing
• Audio monitoring for multiple cameras
• Sensor support (temperature, humidity, etc)
• Melody playback via camera speaker
• Google Chromecast support
• Support for the Android Wear
• Widgets, floating windows
• Android TV interface
• Tasker plugin.

If you want to check which cameras are compatible click the link below:

http://tinycammonitor.com/support.html

Final considerations

The best app for Android device is the one that works better for your devices.

There's no right or wrong choice since all depends on the security camera brand you have and what you want to accomplish with the App.

My opinion is that the tiny Cam has the most interesting features either in the Free or Pro (paid) version. I think it worth trying it out. 

As a CCTV engineer, I only give my opinion after testing the devices, software, and apps I'm talking about, so later I will increase this list.