So I want to use a smartphone as a dash cam. If any of you have experience with this, please suggest good dash cam apps. Any other insights, suggestions, cautions welcome too! Thank you, folks.
May I ask for what purpose you want to have a dash cam?
The answer will dictate my recommendation
"AutoBoy Dash Cam and Black Box"
I would take heed of what the Android Central article below says about sunlight and theft.
"Next you need some software. Google Play is chock full of apps that can act as a dash recorder, but most everyone loves AutoBoy Dash Cam and Black Box. It's filled with features that will remind you why a phone makes for a better dash cam that one you can buy. You'll find features like auto-start and stop, GPS tracking, and more in AutoBoy, and best of all it's free. There are plenty of others, though, and you might want to try them all and see if you like another better. If you do, let me know, please!"
realLexusl21 asked --
"May I ask for what purpose you want to have a dash cam?
The answer will dictate my recommendation"
My thinking behind a dash cam was to have a record in case of an accident.
Thanks Isamorph, will check it out.
Ok there are some on Amazon that are mirrors that go on top of your rearview mirror. Or you can have a window mounted version.
Using a phone you would need a large SD card. Better to have a separate device Imho.
For an example of a mirror version
A window mounted version is easier to take off and on.
Sounds like a useful idea. I have a feeling I would get tired of putting in away (when leaving the car parked somewhere), and setting it back up again each time I prepared to drive. That would render it about as useful as a point-and-shoot camera stuck in the glovebox.
Kent:
I've become a big fan of magnetic phone mounts. Initially I was concerned that:
- They would affect my stored data
- They wouldn't be strong enough to hold the phone on bumpy roads
- They would affect the GPS
They do none of these things. I've since bought magnetic vent-mount phone holders for all of our vehicles.
I notice that there is a magnetic mirror-mount phone holder that would work perfectly for the dash cam application. The nice thing is that you could attach a long USB cord to it and just throw it under the seat when you leave your vehicle. When you return, just grab it and stick it to the mount. That's essentially effortless.
Here's the mount I'm going to try:
Thanks, Chelle. Let us know if you get one & it works?
I got one of those magnetic vent mounts for Christmas last year. I've been afraid to use it, not because I distrust the magnet, but because I fear broken vent louvers. It was a thoughtful gift, since I'd complained about not being able to hear my phone (GPS) when it's speaker-down on the seat.
Not sure what car you have. Assuming it is a 2016 ish
If your car has Bluetooth.
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turn on phone Bluetooth. Assuming you already paired the car for phone use
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turn on map.on phone
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on car turn the source to Bluetooth
You will now hear your map direction through car speakers
Ah, my work truck doesn't have bluetooth. It has an AM radio, but it quit working years before the truck became mine. Some day, I might fix it.
Thanks to this thread I bought a $10 magnetic mirror-mount cellphone bracket, loaded the AutoBoy app onto a Cricket-locked cellphone that someone gave me (no service plan), and set up a dash cam for next to nothing.
Thanks, y'all! It's perfect.
This pic is very inspiring. I am curious about video quality at night, particularly on un-lighted back roads. Chelle, what has your experience been? Thanks much.
That is going to be a function of the camera in the phone, not the software. The software can't make the camera exceed it's capability.
I'm using an LG X Power and the night time quality seems good to me. I'll try to upload some examples.