Our team tested over 25 baby monitoring apps on both Android and iOS devices (Apple iPhone and iPad) to help identify the best baby monitor apps of 2023, and we narrowed that list to the top 9 best baby monitor apps.
Some apps didn’t make it onto our list due to price, data not being encrypted or because the app is no longer supported. If you find an app you really like that we should consider, please reach out and let us know!
If you have an old smartphone lying around your house, you might be tempted to turn your cellphone into a baby monitor to keep an eye on your child while they sleep or play in their bedroom.
Converting a cell phone into a baby video monitor is relatively easy: all you need is an old phone with a working camera, a good WiFi connection and a baby monitoring app. And there you go, your very own DIY baby monitor.
Read our full article on How to Turn Your Smart Device into a Baby Monitor.
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But using an old cell phone as a baby monitor has a few drawbacks. So before we jump to our list of the top 9 best baby monitoring apps, let’s look at the pros and cons to make sure that it’s the best solution for you.
Using a phone as a baby monitor:
PROS
- It’s inexpensive. All it takes to convert an extra device into a baby monitor is a good monitoring app. Most of the apps in our top list will charge you a one-time payment or a small monthly subscription fee.
- It’s convenient, at first. No need to look for the best baby monitor on the market. You just need to convert an old phone and you’re ready to go.
- You can see your baby from anywhere. Because it will be using your WiFi connection, you can check on your baby from anywhere with an internet connection.
CONS
- No night vision. A phone camera doesn’t have proper night vision. Night vision is probably the single most helpful feature in a baby monitor.
- Missing essential features. Dedicated baby monitors now come with a range of useful features, such as: room temperature, movement detector and heartbeat tracking. None of that will be possible with just a phone.
- Risk of hacking. An old phone could be an easy target for a hacker wanting to see what’s happening in your home. Read our article on Can baby monitors be hacked? to learn more.
As a result, we recommend that you start with a phone as a baby monitor if you want to test video monitoring before buying a dedicated monitor. A baby monitor app is also a great option for traveling or in addition to an existing baby monitor if you want to cover more angles.
But because of their limitations, even with the best baby monitor app on your phone, it may not be enough. You should check our comparison of the best baby monitors available today to find the one that’s right for you once you’re ready to upgrade to a dedicated video monitor.
Helpful Note
Using your phone as a baby monitor opens the door to potential hacking. You should also be careful with where you place your phone in your baby’s bedroom. Check our two articles on the topic:
Using Video Chat Apps
In addition to our list of the best baby monitor apps, you could also leverage any video chat app as a baby monitoring system, including Facetime, Google Meet (previously known as Hangouts), Zoom, etc.
The default video calling apps from Apple and Google can be just as good as the other apps on our list if all you want is a video stream from your baby’s bedroom. And the nice thing is the apps are free and provide great audio and video signals.
We recommend that you dim down the screen on the baby unit as much as possible (or hide the screen altogether) and keep the child device plugged in to ensure that the battery is always full.
In addition, you could use a home security app, which are becoming increasingly popular, such as the AlfredCamera Home Security app (Android or iOS).
the top 9 best baby monitor apps of 2023:
| App | Editor’s Rating | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Baby Monitor 3G | 9.5/10 | Best Premium App |
| Baby Monitor Annie | 9.4/10 | Best Overall App |
| Bibino Baby Monitor | 9.0/10 | Best Newcomer App |
| Cloud Baby Monitor | 8.7/10 | Best Bluetooth App |
| Baby Monitor Saby | 8.5/10 | Best No-Frills App |
| Simple Nanny | 8.4/10 | Runner-Up No-Frills App |
| Baby Monitor Nancy | 8.3/10 | Runner-Up Budget App |
| BabyCam | 8.2/10 | Android Honorable Mention |
| Luna | 8.0/10 | iOS Honorable Mention |
1. Baby Monitor 3G (Android and iOS)
One of the best baby monitor apps we found is the Baby Monitor 3G. The Baby Monitor 3G app has no hidden fees. There is a one-time payment to purchase the app and you can even test it out with their trial version first.
Unlike the name implies, the Baby Monitor 3G works on both your WiFi network when you’re home and on your data plan when you’re traveling.
While it’s not as capable as the Baby Monitor Annie app when it comes to multiple camera support, the strength of the Baby Monitor 3G is its ease of use. It takes just a few taps to set up the baby camera and the parent monitor and you’re ready to go in less than 30 seconds.
It has a nightlight feature, which will brighten the baby camera to work at night. It’s handy to see your baby in the dark, but be careful because it might wake up your child.
The Baby Monitor 3G keeps track of your baby’s sleep through an activity log. So you can see your child’s sleeping patterns and replay sounds from different moments of the night.
And the Baby Monitor 3G has lullabies playback and talkback options, so you can soothe your baby when they wake up.
You can download Baby Monitor 3G from Google Play and the App Store.
We like:
- The one-time payment option.
- High quality live video.
- Two-way talk and two way video.
We don’t like:
- CPU usage was quite high.
- No white noise feature.
2. Baby Monitor Annie (Android and iOS)
The Annie Baby Monitor app is our preferred option for the best baby monitor app, but comes with a price tag.
It includes a wide range of useful features that come close to the best-dedicated baby monitors available. It’s free to download, but you’ll need to pay a one time license to use the app fully.
It works with your WiFi connection or your mobile data plan, so you can keep an eye on your baby even if you aren’t at home.
The quality of the video signal is great and you can use it to monitor up to 4 children at the same time and with an unlimited number of parent units.
There is a talkback option to soothe your baby even if you aren’t in their bedroom, or you can play lullabies or white noise on the baby unit, which is a great way to help your child fall asleep.
You can download Baby Monitor Annie from Google Play and the App Store.
We like:
- Industry-standard encryption.
- Activity log tracker.
- Saved video recordings.
- Very easy to use.
We don’t like:
- The higher price tag.
- The download size (160.2 MB compared to 3G’s 39.7 MB) and CPU usage was high.
3. Bibino Baby Monitor
The Bibino Baby Monitor app is our newcomer app to our list, making waves in both the iOS and Android markets. It has 4.6 out of 5.0 ratings in both the App Store and Google Play!
The Bibino Baby Monitor app works across both WiFi and cellular connections, so you can keep an eye on your baby even if you aren’t at home.
It’s easy to set up, and allows you to soothe your baby with their two-way video and two-way audio feature. In addition it comes with a variety of lullabies and soothing sounds (including white noise, household sounds, and more).
The Bibino Baby Monitor app is able to replay captured events with its unlimited video and audio recording. And you can also adjust the sensitivity of the audio to hear everything clearly.
The Bibino Baby Monitor app is developed by TappyTaps, the same company that created the Baby Monitor 3G app, so it’s no wonder they are doing so well.
You can download Bibino Baby Monitor from Google Play or the App Store.
We like:
- Unlimited video monitoring, recording and audio history.
- Multi-parent device support.
- New low-light mode feature.
We don’t like:
- Nothing (we previously had zoom, but they just updated with this feature :).
4. Cloud Baby Monitor
The Cloud Baby Monitor app is another good option with a one-time payment. It works on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple Watch and Mac and is very easy to set up.
The Cloud Baby Monitor is unique because you can stream audio and video from your baby’s bedroom over WiFi, 3G or even Bluetooth. Making it the best bluetooth app!
Of particular notice is the option to play white noises in addition to lullabies, and it has a talkback feature. We also like that you can adjust the brightness of the night light to avoid disturbing your baby’s sleep.
You can use Cloud Baby Monitor for up to two babies at the same time with up to two parent units, and the audio and video streams are protected with industry-standard encryption.
They recently entered the Android market as well, but their ratings are not as good as on iOS devices, so we would not recommend it for any Android users at this time.
You can download Cloud Baby Monitor from Google Play or the App Store.
We like:
- Bluetooth option.
- Two-way video feature.
- Ability to save still photos.
- Nightlight with remote brightness control.
We don’t like:
- No free trial period to test it out.
- Not great on Android devices.
5. Baby Monitor Saby
The Baby Monitor Saby app can be used on both Android and iOS devices, and has great reviews in both (4.6 and 4.4 out of 5.0 respectively). It works across both WiFi and data plan, requiring a monthly subscription if you want to use it fully but gives you a free 3 day trial to ensure it’s a good fit first.
The Baby Monitor Saby app is very similar to the other apps mentioned above. It offers live audio and video feed with an excellent talkback option.
Of all the apps we tested, Saby seemed to use up the least amount of CPU on both parent and child devices when in use; however, we did only test on iOS devices.
You can download Baby Monitor Saby from Google Play or the App Store.
We like:
- Microphone sensitivity settings.
- Ability to adjust video resolution (240, 480, or 720p).
- Excellent audio, including with two-way talk feature.
- Doesn’t use up as much CPU as some other apps.
We don’t like:
- No lullabies or white noise.
- No recording or playback feature.
6. Simple Nanny
The Simple Nanny app is our Runner-Up No-Frills App, second to the Baby Monitor Saby app. It is created for Android devices only and works across both WiFi and cellular data. The Simple Nanny comes with a 1-day free trial version for you to test out.
The Simple Nanny is just as it name says: “simple”. It includes live video, noise detection, two-way talk, a low battery alert, lullabies and white noise, and other common features. It was one of the easiest apps to install, set-up and use.
You can download Simple Nanny for Android devices from the Google Play Store.
We like:
- Audio and visual notifications.
- Multi-parent support.
- Very small download file size (14.32 MB) and low CPU usage.
We don’t like:
- No two-way video.
- No recording or playback feature.
7. Baby Monitor Nancy
The Baby Nancy Monitor app works on both Android and iOS devices; however, it is rated higher for iOS devices, and we would not recommend it for Android devices.
They have a free and premium version, allowing you to test it out before purchasing. It works with both WiFi and cellular connections of your mobile plan and uses encryption to avoid hacking concerns.
The app has a talkback function, so you can soothe or calm your baby from anywhere in your house. It also includes both noise and motion detection with the live video feed, so you are alerted when needed.
You can download Baby Monitor Nancy from the Apple Store.
We like:
- Created by Master App Solutions, the same company that created the Baby Monitor Annie app.
- Night vision.
- Microphone sensitivity control.
We don’t like:
- Hasn’t been updated recently (last update 2021).
- Huge file download size (146.4 MB) and high CPU usage.
8. BabyCam
The BabyCam app for Android devices works with devices that are connected on the same WiFi network or via WiFi Direct.
The app supports live video feed, as well as two-way talk and two-way audio. The BabyCam app also supports picture-in-picture when using in Google Chrome.
The app allows for photos and video records, available via a link to the gallery, allowing you to directly see the photo or video that you have recorded.
You can download BabyCam from Google Play.
We like:
- Recordings downloaded to the parent device.
- Chromecast ability.
- Small file size (16.73 MB) and CPU usage.
We don’t like:
- Zoom feature is a little finicky.
- Unable to record and hear audio at the same time.
9. Luna
The Luna baby monitor app is a relatively new app available on iOS devices. The app has recently been updated and works over WiFi, cellular and WiFi Direct networks.
The Luna baby monitor app uses an easy to set up system, allowing you to go live in under a minute!
The app allows you to stream audio or video, but has about a three second delay in the feed. They claim to have a two-way talk feature, but we weren’t able to locate it during testing. It also includes a low-battery alert, microphone sensitivity settings and multi-parent support.
You can download the Luna baby monitor app from the App Store.
We like:
- Good video and audio quality (except for the delay).
- Includes activity log.
We don’t like:
- Audio delay.
- A lot of features unable to test in the free version before purchase.
How to turn your old smartphone into a baby monitor?
Turning your old smartphone into a baby monitor is relatively easy. You just need two smartphones and typically a WiFi connection. One of the phones will act as a camera in your baby’s bedroom (child device), while the other smartphone will be the monitor on which you can access your baby’s video feed (parent device).
You’ll need to install one of the top best baby monitor apps from our list above on both phones to be able to record the video. And then you’re ready to go. For more information, read the full article on How to Turn Your Phone into a Baby Monitor.
Once you’re ready to upgrade to a dedicated baby monitor, you should check our baby monitor buying guide and our comparison of the best baby monitors on the market to find the one that’s right for you.
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Megan is a wife and mother of three, as well as an experienced foster mother. She loves building and testing new products, and helping identify what works best for readers and clients. She has her degree in Computer Software Engineering and has been a Product Lead with over 8 years of experience designing, building, testing, and selling products to companies ranging from sole proprietors to the largest retailers in America!
