See Your Cameras Without Picking Up Your Phone
If you have security cameras — Ring, Wyze, Nest, Arlo — you’re checking them on your phone. Which means unlocking, opening the app, waiting for the feed to load, then putting it away. Every time the dog barks. Every time you hear something outside.
An old iPad on the kitchen counter, showing your camera feeds all the time, turns that into a glance. Front door, backyard, driveway — always visible.
What You Can Set Up
Live Camera View
Most security camera apps work on old iPads. Open the app, pull up the live view, and leave it on-screen.
Ring: The Ring app shows live views from all your Ring cameras and doorbells. On iPad, you can see multiple camera thumbnails and tap to go full-screen. Leave the app open with Dashboard view for a multi-camera overview.
Wyze: Wyze’s app supports a grid view showing up to 4 cameras simultaneously on one screen. This is excellent for a dedicated monitor — all cameras visible at once.
Nest/Google: The Google Home app shows Nest camera feeds. Tap a camera for live view, or use the main screen for an overview of all devices.
Arlo: Arlo’s app has a multi-camera library view. Live streaming works on older iPads, though simultaneous streams can be demanding.
Baby Monitor
This is one of the most practical uses. Put a Wyze Cam ($20-30) in the nursery and leave the feed open on an old iPad in the kitchen. You can see your baby sleeping while you cook dinner.
Why it beats a traditional baby monitor:
- Better image quality (1080p vs. grainy baby monitor feeds)
- Night vision built into most cameras
- No range limit (it’s on Wi-Fi, not a proprietary radio)
- Two-way audio — talk through the camera if needed
- The camera costs $20, not $150+ for a “baby monitor” with the same features
Doorbell Monitor
If you have a Ring or Nest doorbell, keep the feed open on the kitchen iPad. When someone rings, you see who it is without getting up. The doorbell notification appears on the iPad, and you can speak through it.
The Best Camera Apps for Always-On Monitoring
TinyCam Monitor Pro (Android, $4)
The best multi-camera monitoring app for Android tablets. Connects to virtually any IP camera, plus Ring, Nest, Wyze, and others. Grid view showing up to 16 cameras. Background mode keeps feeds active.
Home (iPad, Free)
If your cameras support HomeKit, the built-in Home app shows camera feeds natively. Clean interface, no extra app needed. Supported cameras: Logitech Circle, Eufy, Eve, some Aqara models.
Camera-Specific Apps
For most people, the app from your camera manufacturer (Ring, Wyze, Nest, Arlo) works fine. Open it, pull up the live view or dashboard, and leave it on-screen.
Performance on Old Tablets
Live video streaming is one of the more demanding things you can ask an old tablet to do. Here’s what to expect:
One camera feed: Any iPad from the iPad Air 1 (2013) onward handles a single 1080p camera feed fine.
Multiple simultaneous feeds: An iPad Air 2 or newer can handle 2-4 feeds. The original iPad Air and iPad mini 2 will struggle with more than one HD stream — feeds will be choppy or the app may crash.
Tip: If your tablet struggles with multiple streams, set the camera app to show thumbnails (low-resolution previews) of all cameras, and tap one to go full-screen when you need detail. This uses much less processing power than streaming all feeds simultaneously.
Setting It Up
- Install your camera app (Ring, Wyze, Google Home, etc.)
- Sign in with the same account as your phone
- Pull up the live view or dashboard
- Settings → Display & Brightness → Auto-Lock → Never (keep the feed visible)
- Turn off notifications for everything except the camera app (you want doorbell alerts but not spam)
- Set up Guided Access to lock the iPad to the camera app (optional — prevents accidental app switching)
Where to Put It
- Kitchen — visible while cooking, near enough to hear audio from cameras
- Nightstand — baby monitor view while sleeping (dim the screen at night)
- Home office — keep an eye on the front door while working
- Near the front door — see who’s approaching before opening
Privacy and Recording
What the iPad shows: Live camera feeds only. The iPad is just a display — recordings are handled by the camera’s cloud service (Ring, Wyze, etc.) or local storage.
If you share a household: Anyone who walks past the iPad can see the camera feeds. If you have cameras in private areas (bedrooms), consider whether you want those feeds on a shared display.
Legal note: Laws about recording vary by location. Interior cameras in shared/rental spaces and cameras pointed at neighbors’ property can be legally complicated. This isn’t legal advice — check your local laws if you’re unsure.
Quick Checklist
- Install your camera app on the old iPad
- Sign in with your camera account
- Open the live view or dashboard
- Set Auto-Lock to Never
- Turn off non-camera notifications
- Put on a stand or shelf where it’s visible
- Done — you now have a dedicated security monitor
Total cost: $0 (assuming you already have cameras). Setup time: 10 minutes. And you’ll stop reaching for your phone every time the dog barks at a squirrel.
