Alfred is all about turning old and retired smartphones or tablets into home security, baby, and pet cameras. With an Android or an iOS device, you can easily build a home security system of your own.
To make sure we stick to our mission statement—"Simple Security at Your Fingertips"—we do not have a lot of requirements. We have outlined some device and system requirements in another article. In this article, we will cover:
Storage Requirements
While Alfred keeps your Events and Moments in the Cloud, we still need some local storage to generate snapshots and perform other basic actions on your device.
For Android devices, Alfred requires 24-25 MB. If your device runs on Android 7.0 and up, Alfred will need around 40 MB of local storage to run all the APIs.
For iOS devices, Alfred could take up anywhere from 24-32 MB of storage.
Internet Requirements
1. Both Camera and Viewer devices need internet connections
Both the Camera device and the Viewer device need internet connections for Alfred to work right. The Camera device must always have a stable internet connection to run Motion Detection, record videos, and upload videos onto the Cloud. The Viewer device requires internet connection to receive notifications, watch Live streaming, or play a Motion Detection video.
Most of our users connect their Camera devices to their WiFi at home and use their Viewer device on mobile network or office network. Please note that while your device may be connected to the WiFi, WiFi signal is not evenly-distributed and constant at all times. You can use Connection Report to check on and improve your WiFi signal. You can also find an area with the strongest signal with the WiFi Analyzer app.
Additionally, you can:
- Delete unnecessary apps to save bandwidth (⚠️ Keep Google Play Service for Alfred to work)
- Move your router or install a WiFi extender if you have trouble getting signals in some corners
- Assign bandwidth priority for Alfred
2. How much data does Alfred use?
Data consumption may vary depending on lighting conditions, movement frequencies, and more. While it's hard to be specific about Alfred's data consumption, here are some guidelines that might help you:
- Live feed: between 20-70 KB / sec (depending on the lighting condition)
- Motion Detection snapshot: 20-50 KB
- A 5-second Motion Detection Event: 50-80 KB
- Premium Motion Detection continuous streaming: 150-250 KB
If you want to get a more accurate idea on how much data your Alfred needs, we recommend that you test Alfred out for a day or two.
3. Does Alfred work when I'm abroad?
As long as all devices are connected to the internet, Alfred works regardless of the distance between the devices. Make sure your Camera devices have a stable connection and that your Viewer devices are connected to a WiFi network or can access international roaming.
When you're away from home, don't forget to keep your Camera devices plugged in.
⚠️ Note: Since Alfred relies heavily on Google's technology, if the country you're in doesn't support Google, Alfred will not be able to function properly.
Set up your own home security camera now. Download Alfred in the Google Play Store or App Store.