Android App Review: Cammy

Cammy is an app that can turn an IP camera into a security system that records movement and lets you access the videos from your phone.

If you think it all sounds like the makings of an amateur version of Target, then you'd be right.

While the app is free you will need to buy a camera to go with it. Cammy is compatible with a range of IP cameras, and even provides reviews of popular models on their site.

Once your camera's plugged in the app will lead you through a very straight-forward setup and within a few minutes you've got a motion-sensitive camera, ready to record anything that moves in your house (or wherever you've set it up).

The camera only records if it detects movement, so you don't have to scroll through hours of blank footage to get to the interesting bits.

When there is movement, the app saves these segments of footage in the cloud and lets you access them from your mobile whenever you want – to reminisce over fond memories, or to show the police what the burglar's face looks like, for example. The clips are quick to upload – just a few seconds for me (although presumably this is reliant on your connection and so on).

Assuming we ignore the possibly dubious ethics of being able to remotely view what your family or workmates are up to while you're not around (anyone who's watched the French series The Returned will find this all quite familiar), then Cammy makes the whole thing very easy.

While it's maybe not so good for someone like me (I work from home, so I'll just wind up with a whole lot of videos of me going to the kitchen to get cups of tea), if you and your family are out during the day, or leaving your house empty over the holidays, then Cammy might be a good option to give you up date piece of mind as you check in every so often.

Or maybe you've got builders working on the place, and you don't like the way they're eyeing up your underwear drawer…

Cammy won't necessarily do everything a full-on, professionally-installed camera system would, but it has the distinct advantage when it comes to price and ease of access.

For the security-conscious among you who want to be able to keep an eye on your home or business, it could be worth checking out.