[–] [S] 2 points 1 month ago

Good question ! The free version is a complete single-camera dashcam: loop recording that never fills your storage, automatic clip lock on impact, speed overlay, gallery, and watching another Sentinel phone live is free too !

Pro adds:

  • Both: road and cabin recorded at the same time (on phones that support two cameras at once)
  • Remote access: watch this phone live and browse its clips from your other devices
  • Cloud offload: clips copied to your NAS, WebDAV or a cloud folder
  • Periodic snapshots: a still picture every few minutes
  • Push notifications via ntfy

It will be a one-time purchase, planned around 5.99 (Google converts it to your local currency). No subscription, no ads. With the tester code SENTINEL-BETA you get Pro free for 30 days.

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    Hi ! I'm the developer (solo, Geneva). Sentinel gives a drawer phone a second life:

    • Dashcam: loop recording that never fills the storage, clips auto-locked on impact, speed overlay
    • Home / pet / bird-feeder camera: keeps only clips with motion, optional alert on your other phone
    • Live view from another phone or your TV, over your own Wi-Fi or VPN

    No account, no ads, no analytics, no server of mine: videos stay on the phone, or go to your own NAS/WebDAV.

    It's in closed beta on Google Play (new developer accounts need 14 days of testing before going public). If you want to try it, Pro features are free during the beta (Pro dialog → Code → SENTINEL-BETA):

    1. Join the group: https://groups.google.com/g/albanm-beta-testers
    2. Opt in: https://play.google.com/apps/testing/albanm.dashcam

    Question for those who already repurposed an old phone: what killed it in the end, battery swelling, heat, or the OS killing the camera in the background ? That's what I'm fighting most, especially on Xiaomi/OnePlus/Motorola, so feedback from those brands is gold.

     

    Hi ! Full disclosure: I'm the developer, a solo dev from Geneva.

    My old phone was sleeping in a drawer, so I built Sentinel:

    • Dashcam: loop recording that never fills your storage, clips locked automatically on impact, speed overlay
    • Home / pet / bird-feeder camera: only clips with motion are kept, optional alert on your other phone
    • Watch live from another phone or your TV, over your own Wi-Fi or VPN

    No account, no ads, no analytics, no server of mine: videos stay on the phone, or go to your own NAS/WebDAV if you set it up.

    Google requires new developers to have 12 testers for 14 days before an app can go public, so I'd be really grateful for a hand. The paid "Pro" features are unlocked for free during the test (on the Pro dialog, tap Code → SENTINEL-BETA).

    1. Join the testers group: https://groups.google.com/g/albanm-beta-testers
    2. Opt in: https://play.google.com/apps/testing/albanm.dashcam
    3. Install from Play and keep it for 14 days (no need to use it every day)

    Bug reports from non-Samsung phones (Xiaomi, OnePlus, Motorola, Pixel…) are especially welcome, background camera behaviour differs a lot between brands. Happy to answer any question here !