When’s the last time you left your house without your iPhone? Chances are you’d leave your wallet at home before you’d go to work or out for the night without the device that just about holds your entire life inside of it.
As crime rates increase and the need to keep a watchful eye on your home becomes more and more important, the idea of using your always-available iPhone for home security is a no-brainer. From full security systems to cameras you can see from anywhere in the world, the iPhone is a perfect platform for home security and there are already some amazing solutions out there to help you get more secure. In 2011 alone nearly 28 out of every 1,000 homes experienced some form of burglary and 34% of these involved the theft of electronic devices.
Check out the three ways your iPhone can make your home more secure below and start making your home more secure and safe today, before something happens that makes home security needs a reality instead of a preparation.
1. Fluent
The simplest approach to home security with your iPhone is the all-in-one solutions like those from Fluent. These solutions take the idea of the standard home security system and take it to the next level.
To start with, the Fluent system gives you basic video monitoring that can be viewed anywhere with an Internet connection, especially your iPhone. You can set up email and text notifications to know when a camera sees motion, too. Add on to this basic security that includes burglar alarms, smoke, heat, carbon monoxide, and flood sensors and you have a system that works with your iPhone to tell you when anything bad at all happens at your home.
The biggest worry most people have when going on vacation is their home when they’re not there. Not being home for days at a time means that a broken pipe or smoldering wire will go unchecked until they destroy your house. What’s worse, someone could break into your house and wait for you to come home to attack you. With systems like Fluent, your iPhone can tell you if an alarm has been tripped, if a camera has seen activity, and if any sensors can see water, heat, or other danger.
You can even add in energy saving options like automatic thermostat control to help you save money. If you forget to lock the front door you can even lock it from your iPhone or unlock it for a family member that forgot his or her key. Speaking of keys, the Fluent system makes them a thing of the past, so all you need is your iPhone and you can get into your house.
If you’re serious about home security, this is the best system you can get that works seamlessly with your iPhone.
2. Dropcam
If you don’t think you need the actual security aspects that a system like Fluent has to offer and just want to see what’s going on at home, then the services from Dropcam are perfect for you.
Dropcam is pretty simple. Get the camera, hook it up to your Wi-Fi network, and start streaming live video immediately. You get streaming video right to your iPhone and text/email alerts when cameras are activated.
The Dropcam system allows you to schedule when cameras are on and off, and you can even have them turn on and off based off where you are located. Dropcam records video to a cloud server so it’s always available on any device. Dropcam is so smart that it can learn what common actions are done in your house and ignore them if you like. This means that you can have the camera on all the time and ignore you leaving for work at 8 AM every day.
Leave Dropcam running at night and your iPhone next to the bed to be alerted if anyone comes in the front door. With night-vision capability, you can see if an intruder is in your house well before you’d ever hear them. While there’s no security alarm or smoke/fire capability, Dropcam is a great way to see what’s going on in your home when you’re not there for not too much money.
3. iSmartAlarm Home
If you’re looking for a self-monitored system without cloud access or monthly monitoring, the iSmartAlarm Home is perfect for you. This system comes with a main hub that all the sensors connect to, four door/window contact sensors that run off batteries, a motion sensor, and a remote to arm/disarm the system if your iPhone isn’t in reach.
The system will notify you via email, text, or iOS push notification every time a sensor is set off or unauthorized activity is sensed. You can see the status of each sensor and when each was activated. If the included sensors aren’t enough, you can add on to them as many as you like, connecting each to the main hub of the system wirelessly.
Verdict
Depending on what you’re looking for in the way of security, the Fluent system is the most traditional security system that also works seamlessly with the iPhone, allowing you to keep your home secure with the device you already keep with you daily.
Dropcam is great, but the only person monitoring the alerts is you, so if you’re out of Wi-Fi or cell range, you’ll miss the alerts. With the monitoring packages from Fluent, this doesn’t happen and you’re protected 24/7.
iSmart Alarm Home gives you actual security notifications, something that Dropcam doesn’t do, but once again it’s self-monitored so you’re the only person checking it for activity.
All in all, Fluent is the best option when looking at home security with the iPhone and while there is a monthly fee for monitoring, you’ll get a discount on your insurance and really, how much is safety and security worth to you?
One thought on “3 Ways Your iPhone Can Make Your Home More Secure”
The fluent one looks great, and with the added bonus of thermostat control, you get 2 plus points for the price of one.