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Wireless Home Security System

Connecting Your Home Security System to Your Cell Phone: What You Need To Know

Check out the answers below to your five most common questions about connecting your home security system to your phone so you can ensure your home is secure while you’re on the go.

Question 1: Is my phone sophisticated enough to access my security system?

If you have an iPhone or an Android device, your phone is likely sophisticated enough to connect to your home security system. Most security camera systems come equipped with mobile applications that sync live-feeds of your security footage directly to the app.
Luma applications are a great example of just how user-friendly many of these applications can be. Luma’s security footage can be recorded and played-back on a mobile device, with additional features such as zoom, fast-forward, and rewind. If you have an up-to-date mobile device, carrying your home security with you in your pocket is much easier than you think.

Question 2: Should I use a DIY security system for my iPhone or use a professional mobile system?

The answer to this question largely depends on the individual. As is to be expected, there are pros and cons to using both professional and DIY mobile security systems. When deciding whether to purchase and install a DIY mobile-friendly security camera system or hire a professional, the main points to consider are cost and quality.
The most important difference between the two is pretty straightforward: although DIY mobile systems have improved incredibly in the past few years, one should still expect to see lower video quality than a professionally-installed system, as well as a more basic level of monitoring. However, DIY systems are much less expensive and might be the right fit for someone looking to monitor a smaller number of cameras.
Professionally installed systems that come equipped with mobile applications are definitely much more costly than basic DIY systems. On the other hand, they often are much more sophisticated and include personalized technical support. The level of monitoring with a professional system will also be much more advanced.

Question 3: What features should you expect?

You should expect basic live-streaming, no matter what system you choose to access from your mobile device.
More sophisticated systems, such as those offered by Wirepath Surveillance, include features such as zoom, adjusting camera focus, adjusting camera position, audio, the status of your alarms, taking a snapshot of the video feed, and searching footage by time and date, all from the camera’s mobile app.

Question 4: Do I have to have wifi to access my security system remotely?

Remote Monitored Security Camera System

If you have a data plan on your mobile device, you should not have to have wifi to access your security camera footage remotely. If your cell coverage is spotty, a wifi connection may improve the speed and quality of the footage.

Question 5: Where is the security camera footage stored? Is it going to take up storage on my iPhone?

Where the footage will be stored, once again, depends on the system that you choose. Research the system to find out if there is a limit to the storage of the footage to be sure you will not lose past recordings.
Many systems will store the footage remotely in a cloud that can be accessed from a desktop or mobile device. If your system’s footage is going to be stored in a cloud, be sure to double check to see if there is a limit on the storage.
Other systems, like Luma, store all recorded footage on hard drives, which allows for weeks and months of footage to be stored without taking up any of your bandwidth.