Looking for remote photo taking and texting app

[Richard Peterson]

I have a remote cabin with no internet but good cell coverage through Verizon. For $10 a month I can add my old Android Razr Maxx to my Verizon plan and leave it there (plugged in) to be a kind of cheap on-demand security camera.

So I'm looking for an app I could use so that when I sent a triggering text or called the remote Razr it would snap a picture and MMS text it back to the number that called it (or a fixed number if that's easier).

Alternatively, the remote Razr could just be set up to periodically take a picture and text it and that would be fine also.

Does anyone know of any apps that could be set up to do this? Or maybe you have a better idea for me to get a remote picture texted to me either periodically or via some signal?

Thanks.

Edit: Changed the phone type to Razr and changed SMS text to MMS text.

 

[fdbryant3]

Here is a whole guide on what you are looking to do http://www.howtogeek.com/139373/how-to-turn-an-old-android-phone-into-a-networked-security-camera/.

They are recommending the following apps:

• One copy of IP Webcam (Free) (for continuous streaming).
• One copy of SECuRET SpyCam ($4.50) (for motion-activated capture and alerts).

I imagine the Play Store can link you to similar apps as well.

 

[Richard Peterson]

Thanks, but these seem to require an Internet connection to return the photos. I'm looking for something that would allow the remote phone to text the picture back since I don't have internet in the remote location. Or am I missing something?

 

[Thom]

Cerberus perhaps ...
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lsdroid.cerberus&hl=en
with
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lsdroid.cerberus.client&hl=en
allows the main device to tale a picture form either camera on the client and transmit it back.

... Thom

 

[electricpete]

I'm confused by op question.
Sms doesn't send pictures.
Mms send pictures, but requires data connection that you don't have, right?

The only other long range communication I can think of is phone voice channel. I'd think the best you might hope for is to transmit monochrome image over voice channel as fax.

 

[fdbryant3]

Thanks, but these seem to require an Internet connection to return the photos. I'm looking for something that would allow the remote phone to text the picture back since I don't have internet in the remote location. Or am I missing something?

Ah - I was assuming that your cell phone plan would include a data connection. My advice is to Google "android remote camera mms sms" - there is a lot out there.

 

[electricpete]

My advice is to Google "android remote camera mms sms" - there is a lot out there.

But mms requires data and sms doesn't send pictures...right?

 

[fdbryant3]

It's complicated - if you really want to understand I recommend Wikipedia as a starting point. What it really comes down to is that MMS messages are generally treated and billed by carriers like SMS messages and don't count against Internet data allotments.

 

[mikedt]

MMS or multimedia messaging requires the phone to be configured for data, i.e. have the correct APN details for the particular carrier, but it's not actually using a data plan. MMS is handled and billed separately to data plans and internet access with most carriers. That's basically it. SMS is plain text only of course, up to 160 characters, no pictures.

 

[electricpete]

thanks. clear as mud to me though. I know I have never been able to send or receive mms whenever my data connection is off on my att s4. I can believe it's complicated and there are carrier differences.

 

[funkylogik]

Yup. In the UK anyway (as long as you have an mms plan or billed service/prepay credit) you aren't charged for the actual data required to send the mms. It's covered by the mms allowance or the cost of sending an mms

 

[Richard Peterson]

Thanks to everyone for your help. A lot of great thoughts on what I could use. I researched all of them.

I did lots of digging and was unable to find any android app that can be configured to MMS text a picture either periodically or based on some text or phone call trigger. I guess every app is built assuming either Internet or a data plan is available to the remote phone.

But thanks again for giving me some ideas to check into.

 

[electricpete]

You can do it with Tasker if you are rooted and willing to spend a little time figuring out Tasker and programming the Task

 

[electricpete]

Hmmm.... maybe I should expand on "little time" (I don't want you mad at me if you get started and get bogged down).

I'm going to guess that if you were starting from scratch with no knowledge of tasker but a reasonable interest/aptitude for things resembling programming, then it'd take 4 hours to get a feel for Tasker, and how to do things with it. Then 3-6 more hours figuring out how to program this particular task.

Among the things you'll have to do is learn how to use Tasker to simulate user tap on a location of the screen. Because for some reason Tasker built in command include "compose MMS" but not "send MMS". So after compose MMS command it'll bring up a screen where you have to simulate user tap at the proper location on the screen where the "send button" is. (needs root).