By Kavita Mistry 
Times have changed, and the way we care for and nurture our babies has also evolved. Back in the old days, we had to constantly check up on our newborns about their whereabouts: are they crying, or are they awake, etc. Today, you can purchase a baby monitor and place it where your baby is sleeping or resting, and continue with your work. You will be able to continuously look at your baby and take action when the baby wakes up or if there are any movements. But not all of us want to invest another dollar in purchasing another gadget called a baby monitor.
Being a new parent myself, I also have the same thinking, and for that purpose, I researched the best baby monitor apps on Android and the App Store. With a couple of spare phones lying around, I found out that there are a bunch of hand apps that can turn your phones or tablets into a feature-loaded baby monitor. For your convenience, we have compiled a list of the best baby monitor apps that you can use to keep a check on your baby while you enjoy some “me” time.
5 Best Baby Monitor Apps
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Sl No
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App Name
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Platform
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Key Features
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Limitations / Pricing
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|---|---|---|---|---|
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1
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BabyCam
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Android only
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HD video, Chromecast casting, two-way talk/audio, lullabies, flashlight for night, zoom, photo/video capture, multi-device support
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No iOS support; depends on phone camera (no night vision)
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2
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Annie Baby Monitor
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Android & iOS
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HD live video, two-way audio, night mode, motion/noise detection, lullabies, white noise, activity insights, cross-platform support
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Connection drops sometimes; subscription after 3-day free trial (weekly/monthly/yearly)
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3
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Dormi Baby Monitor
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Android only
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Works on Wi-Fi, mobile data, or Wi-Fi Direct/Hotspot; auto audio adjustment; push-to-talk/listen; hardware-accelerated video; alerts for crying, movement, battery
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Free: 4 hrs/month; Subscription $2/month, $10/year, or $17 lifetime
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4
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Bibino Baby Monitor
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Android & iOS
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HD video/audio feed, motion detection, activity log, notifications, lullabies (20+), two-way talk, works on Wi-Fi/mobile data
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Most features behind paywall ($2.99/week or $5.99/month)
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5
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Simple Nanny
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Android only
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HD video/audio, noise detection, night vision (flashlight), lullabies, white noise, two-way talk, notifications, Wi-Fi/mobile data
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No iOS version; last updated Oct 2023
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BabyCam – Baby Monitor Camera
Available only for Android, the BabyCam baby monitor app works pretty great if you want to turn your spare Android phone into a baby monitor. You just need to install the BabyCam app on both your Android devices: one will be a primary device while the second will act as the baby monitor. It works on the same Wi-Fi network or without an internet connection using Wi-Fi Direct. You get several features, such as casting the feed to a TV using Chromecast, two-way talk, two-way audio, and playing lullabies. Since smartphone cameras don’t have night vision, you can turn on/off the flashlight to view the baby in low-light conditions. You can zoom into the feed for specific details. There are other features, such as taking photos and videos of the baby feed, crucial for some moments that we may not be present. Additionally, you can connect more devices so that more family members will be able to watch the baby’s feed. Overall, one of the best baby monitor apps available.
Download: Android
Annie Baby Monitor: Nanny Cam
Another popular option for using two smartphones or devices as a baby monitor is the Annie Baby Monitor. All you need to do is install the app on both devices, launch the device, pair both of them, put one close to the child, and the other with you, and you are set. In our testing, we found that the pairing was super easy, and it comes with a truck-load of features that make baby monitoring quite easy. Apart from live video feed in HD, it gives you two-way audio, night mode, lighting using flashlight, motion, and noise detection (which works well), lullabies and white noise to make your baby sleep, an insight into audio activity and monitoring time, and much more. The app also sends accurate notifications when the baby is awake or in case there is a disconnection or low battery. The app comes with cross-platform support, meaning you can use a mix of an Android and an iPhone to monitor your baby. The premium features are available for free for the first 3 days, after which you have to purchase a weekly, monthly, or yearly subscription. One glitch that I found is connection drop issues, a bunch of times.
Dormi – Baby Monitor
Though the app’s interface is pretty old, it works great. Based on user reviews, when we tried this app, there were no issues whatsoever. The Dormi Baby Monitor is only available for Android, and connects using Wi-Fi or mobile data connection. It even works if there is no internet connection via Wi-Fi Direct and HotSpot. Similar to other apps in this list, you can install this app on multiple devices and monitor your baby. It automatically adjusts the audio intensity, making sure that the noise detection works well. It makes use of a high-quality audio codec to minimize data transfer when using audio features such as push to talk or push to listen. Thanks to hardware-accelerated video, the video feed doesn’t put excess pressure on your phone’s CPU and offers you HD video with low latency. It sends out notifications if your baby starts crying, if there is any movement, connectivity alerts, data usage, battery status, and more. If using for free, you get 4 hours of monitoring per month, but the subscription starts at $2/month, or $10/annually. There is a lifetime subscription costing $17, which, according to many parents, is money worth spent.
Download: Android
Bibino Baby Monitor – Baby Cam
Bibino Baby Monitor also converts two Android or iOS devices into a baby monitoring device. Similar to other apps, it also offers an HD video feed with clear audio. The app works with Wi-Fi or mobile network, giving you peace of mind about your child’s activity even when you are far from home. We found the setup process to be easy, and it sends out notifications when the child is awake or there is an activity. You can also check when your baby was active in the activity log, and Bibino Baby Monitor also features motion detection. There are a total of over 20 lullabies that you can play from your device to calm your baby down. It also features two-way talk so that you can talk to your baby and soothe them when you are busy with your task. Overall, a good app, but most features are locked behind a paywall, for which you can pay $2.99/weekly or $5.99/monthly.
Simple Nanny – Baby Monitor
Simple Nanny is another good baby monitor app that you can have on your Android phone (unfortunately, it isn’t available for iOS). All you need to do is install the app on two smartphones, plug the charger into one, place it near your baby, and monitor them via the second phone. This app comes with all the features you would expect out of a baby monitor. You get noise detection, night vision, live HD video and audio feed, lullaby and white noise to calm your baby, notifications when your baby wakes up, two-way talk, low battery notification, connection via Wi-Fi and mobile data, and more. There is a night vision mode as well that lets you use your phone’s flashlight to view the baby at night. It is available for free, but the only downside is that it was last updated in October 2023. So, no new features since then.
Download: Android