Set up cameras on your home network.

Install on Windows

1. Download the installer from Downloads. It is currently unsigned; review any Windows warning and the release checksum before proceeding.
2. Choose Only for me for the current account, or For all users with administrator approval. Each Windows account retains its own settings and pairings.
3. If Microsoft WebView2 is missing, setup can ask to run Microsoft's verified bootstrapper. Its runtime download requires internet access.
4. For an existing installation, select Update to retain the registered scope and folder. Close DroidSec normally so active recordings finish first.

An all-user installation offers local Private-network firewall access. Per-user installation can require a separate Windows firewall approval. Setup does not add internet port forwarding or change your network to Private. Uninstall retains saved settings and recordings.

Install and choose Camera

1. Download and open the APK. Android may ask to allow installations from the app used to download it.
2. Choose Use as Camera. Camera and Microphone permissions are required for Camera mode; microphone audio can be muted later.
3. Review the recommended setup steps. Battery/background settings, notifications, optional Home replacement and display assistance can be skipped individually. Local-network access is required when prompted by newer Android versions.
4. Pair with Windows, then select Start camera.

DroidSec does not change charging caps, system update settings, screen lock or global phone settings. Check the device manufacturer's guidance for continuous power and cooling.

Pair once with the Windows QR code

1. Connect the PC and phone to the same reachable home network. A wired PC and a Wi-Fi phone can use the same router.
2. In Windows, select Add device. On Android, select Pair with Windows, then scan the invitation.
3. If necessary, choose the Windows network address that the phone can reach. Refresh an expired invitation. Invitations are short-lived and single-use.
4. Start Camera on the phone. Existing pairings reconnect without scanning again.

The QR invitation pins the Windows hub's certificate. Device mode is chosen on Android; choosing Monitor does not automatically approve its access.

Choose a folder and recording profile

After onboarding, select your recording folder in Windows Settings. Enable recording on selected camera tiles or select Record grid to record the camera layout with timestamps. Both modes include configurable audio.

Resolution, frame rate, video bitrate, grayscale and audio bitrate apply to recordings independently of the live feed. Choose retention by age, storage size, or both. Protected clips are excluded from automatic deletion and can exceed your selected limits.

Windows must be running to record. Camera phones can wait for the hub to reconnect when Windows is closed. Direct Pro Monitor viewing does not create a Windows recording while the PC is unavailable.

Optional Home replacement

Selecting DroidSec as the Android default Home lets Android open it after restart/unlock and when returning Home. With Home resume enabled, a previously started Camera can reopen after a visible five-second countdown, provided its pairing and required permissions remain.

Leaving Home cancels the countdown. Settings, other apps, another Home choice or repeated automatic launch attempts pause recovery. Stopped Camera and Monitor mode do not start automatically.

Home support does not independently detect freezes or crashes. It cannot promise recovery after force-stop, a lock screen, OEM termination or a system crash dialog. You can choose another Home app at any time.

Pro Monitor and talkback

Use the same paired Android app in Monitor mode. Windows displays an approval request. Allow grants the current visit; Remember approval for this device lets future visits connect. Deny declines the visit. Settings → Device access can revoke Monitor authority without forgetting the camera pairing.

Monitor can view a selected live camera, listen, control exposed camera/lens and zoom settings, and play Windows recordings. Approved Pro Monitors can connect directly to camera phones on the LAN when Windows is unavailable. Direct viewing does not make Windows archives available while the PC is offline.

Talkback requires Pro. Hold the talk control to speak to the selected targets. Conflicting speakers cannot share the same target; disjoint camera targets can be used simultaneously. Android's speaker volume remains controlled by the phone.

Activate Pro and reuse camera slots

Open Plan in Windows to see usage, activate a purchase or recover by email. Free can select one paired camera while keeping other identities and saved settings. Pro can enroll five camera phones; use Buy slots in an activated app for additional capacity.

Release a camera's slot, then enroll another phone. Releases retain pairings and old recordings. Monitor-only devices and Windows installations do not count as camera slots. Paid allocation changes need internet access; an activated cached license supports offline use.

For recovery, use the secure link sent to your purchase address. A recovery link can be used once. Keep activation codes private.

If a camera does not connect

• Check that the phone and Windows app are open, the phone is in Camera mode and capture has started.
• Check that the camera is selected or enrolled in Plan. Pairing alone does not allocate an extra camera slot.
• Guest Wi-Fi, access-point isolation, VPN routing and firewall policies can block devices even on the same router. Discovery uses multicast; video uses local WebRTC connections.
• Remote Windows Start requires the Android Camera screen to be visible with existing permissions. Background or offline starts fail with a clear reason.
• Open Logs on Windows or Android for recent disconnections, recording failures and device events. Logs are bounded diagnostic history.

Available camera lenses depend on what Android exposes to third-party apps. A phone's camera app may have optics that DroidSec cannot select. More feeds or high-quality recording can exhaust Wi-Fi, CPU, disk capacity or cooling.