The Presence turns your old iOS device into a home security system

With phone contracts being the norm for many of us, it’s not unusual to find yourself with a spare phone or two lying around post-upgrade – and there’s now a fantastically innovative way to make use of old iOS devices.

The Presence app allows you to safeguard your home by turning spare devices into a WiFi or cellular surveillance system, detecting motion while you’re not there. The best news is it’s totally free – all you have to do is download the app onto two devices. One acts as the monitor, while the other utilises the device’s in-built camera, with two-way video between them.

Presence works on the iPhone 3GS, iPod touch 4th generation and newer models since these, and has some very smart features: you can set up what kind of notification you want to receive and under what circumstances you want to receive them, for example when a device gets unplugged or if something moves across the room. If you want, it will even email you a video clip of any movement it detects. You can also monitor lights and appliances remotely – pretty cool stuff!

This is especially handy for keeping an eye out on kids, pets or prized possessions while holidaying – a super-savvy way to maintain peace of mind.