5 Must-Have Apps For a Securer Home
Imagine you have a day off from work, you’re having a peaceful afternoon nap. Suddenly you hear a loud crash that wakes you from your deep slumber. The first thought that might come to your mind is you’re getting robbed.
But it’s just your neighbor’s kids who have *again* broken your back window, playing Soccer. Luckily, your sleep isn’t completely ruined. You didn’t have to get up from your bed. You just took a glance at your phone and found out what was going in.
Now imagine if you were working from home, such nuisances would be a regular occurrence. The pandemic has made working from home a common occurrence in its current state. But remote work was on the rise even before COVID-19 changed the world and crashed the job market. But the number of people doing some or all of their work remotely was on the rise even before 2020.
In 2020, 30 percent of respondents worked for entirely remote organizations, according to Statista. Overall, more than 60% of respondents remarked their workplaces have a mix of employees working out of the office and employees who work remotely.
So even people who were not working from home need a security system as it can help keep people safe from not just robberies but also fires or natural hazards like floods.
According to an article from the New York Times, out of 127.59 million households, only 36 million have home security systems in the United States. This means that less than 30 percent of households in the US have installed a security system.
And to top it off, there were 1.5 million burglaries in the United States during 2015, with a total loss of $3.6 billion and an average loss of $2,316. This means that on average, a home burglary happens every 13 seconds-or about four burglaries a minute, 240 an hour, and nearly 6,000 a day in the United States.
There’s no clear indication why so few households are using a home security system. They provide a lot of benefits, as protection from fires, robberies, thefts, and break-ins. This means it’s safe to assume that most people are not aware of the benefits of using these apps and security services.
So let’s try and clear up the confusion and any misconceptions you might have regarding home security apps.
Are Home Security Apps Worth It?
Home security systems and apps will be considered a success if they can help stop burglaries, or minimize financial losses that can occur from thefts or hazards like fires and floods, etc.
There have been loads of studies that studied the cost-effectiveness of home security apps and answered the question “are home security apps worth it.”
According to the Greenwich Study of Residential Security report, homes without a security system or app were 2.7 to 3.5 times more likely to get robbed.
Technology has made security systems dependable
Another study conducted by researchers at Rutgers University studied crime data from the nearby Newark Police Department between 2001 and 2005. The researchers found patterns that led them to believe that residential burglar alarm systems decrease crime in the entire neighborhood.
The researchers pointed that advancements in technology increased the probability of middle-class homes getting equipped with security systems. They also remarked that technology has made the systems more dependable.
It meant that even if a single household had a home security system equipped, the whole neighborhood benefited from it. Moreover, the possible crime hadn’t spilled to other neighborhoods.
All of the evidence points to the efficacy of home security apps. These apps have proven to be beneficial with few downsides to them.
Key benefits of home security apps
Not only do home security systems protect your home from thefts, robberies, and incidents of kidnapping and extensive damage.
These apps also protect homes from fires and can help give you the confidence of being safe and protected. It can be a big help in being more productive whether working from home or in an office.
Other benefits of home security app include:
● Lower insurance costs: Houses with any security system installed have to pay fewer insurance costs or mortgages as property dealers, and buyers think of it as a big plus. It helps cut insurance costs and increases the resale price.
● Informs of fire hazards: Home security apps can also warn users of fire hazards due to the smoke alarms and sensors that come with them. Most of these apps can quickly alarm fire and ambulance services to prevent future losses.
● Helps keep children safe: A great benefit of having home security apps is, they keep children out of harm’s way. You can keep a close eye on kids to ensure they do not play around with sharp objects or go to off-limits places. For example, if your kids are playing hide and seek, they might start snooping around your bedside table where you keep all your firearms. It can prevent any possibility of a tragedy or mishap.
● Remotely monitor your home: Home security systems have gotten so advanced that users can now remotely monitor their homes as well. It gives the owner an added layer of protection when using these apps and keeps their mind at ease. This feature is massive for anyone who wants to take a quick look at their appliances, check the thermostat. Users can quickly and remotely lock all doors. They can also control other connected smart home appliances.
Now it’s time to look at the best 5 must-have apps for a securer home.
1. IP Webcam
IP Webcam has the benefit that it is a simple home security app. It makes it extremely easy to use, especially for inexperienced individuals. It offers support for motion sensing capture and motion detection capabilities. It has reliable video chat support. On top of that, it is completely free since it is supported via ads.
2. AtHome Camera
It is one of the more reliable home security apps on the market. Due to this, it is featured on many top home security app lists. Its superior edge is its availability on multiple OS platforms. It is available on Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows. It is easy to set up and needs a smartphone that has a working camera.
The best thing about AtHome Camera is that it is free and provides features found on paid apps only. These include time-lapse recording, multi-view for up to four cameras, remote monitoring, and facial recognition. It makes it a great option if you have a spare smartphone at home and use it as a home monitoring camera.
3. SimpliSafe Home Security App
SimpliSafe is available on Android and iOS devices and can be downloaded from Google Play Store and The App Store. It works seamlessly with your existing home security system, making it more dependable.
SimpliSafe allows users to remotely monitor their homes. It can broadcast the live feed to your phone with minimal delay or lag.
4. Alarm.com
Alarm.com is one of the most highly rated home security apps available right now. It has a neat, easy-to-use interface. Its simple interface gives control back to the user, who can easily change the settings quickly via the dashboard.
It connects via the home Wi-Fi network and can remotely manage users’ home security, locks, lights, video cameras, and more from a single intuitive app. It is available on The App Store and it currently has 4.7 stars from 57.7k ratings.
5. XNSPY
XNSPY is one of the most popular monitoring apps on the market right now. It features the best remote monitoring software on the list. The service has a clear edge over its competitors as it doesn’t need any dedicated hardware to run. It can remotely control a smartphone, which makes it a great home monitoring device.
Users will need to know how to hack someone’s phone remotely to fully utilize XNSPY’s features. Luckily anyone wanting to learn how to hack someone’s phone remotely can do so easily. Customers can utilize the app’s ambient recording to identify threats of robberies, fires, and thefts, and take proper precautions against these. It is useful when you are trying to protect your family, without raising any alarms or causing panic.
Compromising on security can be quite devastating, as most of us know. It is why so many households go above and beyond their budget to invest in a state-of-the-art home security system. But it doesn’t need to be the case anymore.
Your best bet is to make the most out of the hardware you already have lying in your home. It is especially a great strategy for people on a tight budget. Re-using your old phone can come in handy for securing your home from the aforementioned threats. It is why any of the apps mentioned on the list can be your personal security suite.