Unlocking Parenting Hacks: Turning Your iPhone Into a Reliable Baby Monitor

Introduction

Hey there, tech-savvy parents! Who would have thought that your iPhone can stand in as a state-of-the-art baby monitor when you’re in need? Not only does it make parenting a tad easier, but repurposing your iPhone can also save you some bucks. As a mom who swears by it, let’s take an in-depth journey into how to utilize your iPhone as a baby monitor.

The Basics of Using Your iPhone as a Baby Monitor

1.1 Tools Needed

Before we delve into the actual process, it’s crucial to have an actionable plan set in place. Here are the resources you’ll need:

A reliable and high-speed WiFi connection
Two iOS devices, can be your old iPhone, iPad, or even iPod touch
Compatible baby monitor apps, more on this later

1.2 Getting Started

After setting up the necessary tools, the process is pretty straight forward.

Install the downloaded baby monitor apps on both devices. Ensure the apps are well updated to avoid possible hitches.
Connect both devices to the same WiFi network. This is crucial for seamless communication between them.
Set up one device in the baby’s room as a ‘baby station’. Ensure it’s positioned well to capture all sounds and movements.
Keep the second device with you as a ‘parent station’. You’ll receive all notifications, sounds, and visuals from the ‘baby station’.
Configure the settings of your chosen app as per your needs. Some apps let you adjust sensitivity to the baby’s movements, sounds, which will trigger notifications.

Choosing the Best Baby Monitor App

2.1 Things to Consider

While this article serves mostly to help you navigate the technicalities of setting up, the best guardian for your child is an app that shares in your worry. Choosing the best app may be challenging, so let’s evaluate some factors to consider when selecting the perfect application for your needs:

Reliability: The application needs to work seamlessly with minimum network hitches.
Alert sensitivity: It should be sensitive enough to pick up even the slightest sound or motion indicating that your baby is in distress.
Background audio: Enables you to hear your child even when undertaking other tasks on your phone.
Price: Evaluate if the app requires one-time-buy or a monthly subscription.

2.2 Recommended Apps

To simplify the selection process further, here are my top five recommended apps that have worked wonders for me and for other tech-savvy parents alike:

Cloud Baby Monitor: It offers unlimited reach, full-screen video, multiple parents’ addition, background audio, and noise and motion alerts.
Baby Monitor 3G: This one provides high-quality video and audio, vibration alerts, and allows running in the background.
Dormi – Baby Monitor: It offers flexible operations, as it works with Android devices too. It also provides exceptional noise detection and options for customization.
Nancy Baby Monitor: It has a user-friendly interface, high-quality video, and audio, and enables two-way communication.
Baby Monitor & Alarm: An app with an alert call feature that notifies you when there’s noise in the baby’s room. It also has a ‘Mommy’s voice’ feature, which can comfort your baby when they wake up.

Extra Tips and Tricks for Optimal Use

3.1 Optimizing Your Setup

Like any other technological tweaks; achieving perfection in using your iPhone as a baby monitor takes time, patience, and some tricks. Here are some of my tried and proven snippets that you might find handy:

Keep the devices plugged into power to prevent them from shutting down.
Secure the iPhone properly in the baby’s room to avoid accidental falls.
Ensure that the baby cannot reach the device.
Set the device to ‘do not disturb mode’ to prevent unnecessary disturbances from other applications.

3.2 Security Measures

And lastly, let’s touch upon security. It’s extremely vital to keep your connection secure to avoid unauthorized access.

Use a secure WiFi network.
Always use a strong, unique password for the installed app.
Check for app updates regularly. Most updates include necessary security enhancements.

Conclusion

In this fast-evolving technological epoch, the ability to use an iPhone as a baby monitor supplements the contemporary parent’s toolset. Not only is it simple and convenient, but it also offers peace of mind whether you’re in the next room or away from home. Remember, every baby and home environment is different, so tailor these tips to perfectly suit your needs. Happy parenting!