Baby monitors have come a long way from the clunky, walkie-talkie-type devices of the past. With today’s technology, you don’t even need to purchase a separate monitor-specific device. If you have an extra iPad or mobile phone, you can turn it into a baby monitor using one of the many baby monitor apps available on the marketplace.
Being able to turn existing mobile devices into baby monitors makes life so much easier. It’s one less thing you have to pack and keep track of when you’re traveling with a baby.
It’s one of our top items to get babies to sleep while on vacation. While the baby monitor app itself won’t help your baby sleep, it will give you peace of mind if you have your baby sleeping in a different room in a vacation rental or when visiting grandparents. With a comfortable baby travel crib and a quiet space, you can relax while your baby sleeps!
Technology changes quickly, and apps update often. It’s sometimes difficult to decide which is the best baby monitor app to use. We’ve done some research for you. Read on to find the best baby monitor app for iPhone or Android users.
Best Baby Monitor Apps
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Functions to Look for in Baby Monitor Apps
First, let’s talk about what functions to expect in a baby monitor app. Several of the best baby monitor apps offer various bells and whistles. These extra features can be nice to have, and we’ll mention some of them in our list. But here are a few basic functions you should look for in a baby monitor smartphone app:
Live Video Streaming
Most of the best baby monitor apps offer live video streaming. With today’s technology in most mobile devices, there isn’t a reason to not have this function. Therefore, we consider video feed to be a basic feature for all baby monitor apps for iPhone or Android devices. Being able to view your baby in real time on your baby monitoring app gives you extra peace of mind.
Multiple Device Capability
The ability to monitor your baby from more than one device has many benefits. For example, you and another parent, grandparent, or babysitter can all keep an eye on your baby at the same time from different places. Or if you’re out of town, you can view your baby from your mobile phone and the other parent can monitor your baby at home at the same time.
Runs in the Background When Using Different Apps
This feature is related to reliability. If you get a phone call or need to use your device for something else while you’re monitoring your baby, the worst thing that could happen is the baby monitor app you’re relying on to notify you of activity doesn’t work. Reliability of a baby monitor app is extremely important.
Other Features for Baby Monitoring Apps
When it comes to baby monitor apps, it’s a busy marketplace. Some are feature-rich, and some are basic. Here are a few common features you might find in addition to the main ones listed above:
- 2-way audio
- 2-way video stream
- Multiple baby stations
- Activity log
- Nightlight
- Night vision (low-light camera feature)
- Plays lullabies or white noise
Now let’s get to the good part. Here are ten of the best choices for a baby monitor app on the market today.
If you just aren’t comfortable using an app or don’t have two devices, check out our recommended baby monitors for travel.
Best Baby Monitor Apps
1. Cloud Baby Monitor App
The Cloud Baby Monitor app offers live video streaming with noise and motion notifications. This baby monitor app for Android or Apple devices allows you to talk to your baby through the app. A bonus fun feature is that it has 2-way audio and video capabilities, which means your baby will be able to hear and see you as well. This function feels like a FaceTime call.
Turning on and controlling a nightlight, white noises and lullabies are a few other bells and whistles you’ll find on the Cloud Baby Monitor app. The Cloud Baby Monitor app is one of the most feature-rich baby monitor apps we’ve found. It also works on most all types of devices.
Device type: Apple (iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch), Mac, Apple TV, Android
Pros of Cloud Baby Monitor App
- Multiple parent device and multiple baby device options. You can watch your baby from multiple devices and even get noise alerts on your Apple watch. And you can monitor more than one baby or room at the same time. This is one of only two apps we found with the ability to have multiple baby stations.
- Runs in the background in audio-only mode when you switch to another app.
- Includes a collection of white noise and lullabies.
- Unlimited range.
- One purchase of the app can be installed on up to five devices or shared through your family plan.
- Connect through Wifi or bluetooth with the ability to enable connections through 3G, LTE or other Wifi networks (using Cloud Baby Monitor Unlimited Range).
Cons of Cloud Baby Monitor App
- Does not have a low-light camera feature (night vision), but the nightlight feature can be dimmed remotely to be just bright enough to see without disturbing your baby’s sleep.
2. Baby Monitor 3G App
Listed in our top baby travel essentials, Baby Monitor 3G app has the same primary features as the Cloud Baby Monitor with just a couple of trade-offs. You can only monitor one baby at a time. And the feature list does not include 2-way video capabilities. But this app offers an activity log so you can look at sleeping patterns and replay sounds. You can also control the microphone sensitivity so you can hone in on every sound in the room.
Device Type: Apple (iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch), Mac, Apple TV, Android
Pros of Baby Monitor 3G App
- Multi parent device option. You can monitor your baby from multiple devices.
- Crosses platforms. You can use an Android as the baby device and an iPhone as the parent device or vice versa. (You’ll need to purchase this baby monitor Android app and iPhone app separately for each platform.)
- Can switch from video to still photos to save data.
- Includes an activity log.
- Unlimited range and supports Wi-Fi and cellular 3G/LTE networks.
Cons of Baby Monitor 3G App
- The app will stop playing sounds or notifications if another app starts using audio.
- You can only share a single purchase of the app on multiple devices through a family share plan through Google Play or Apple ID.
3. Dormi Baby Monitor App for Android
As you can imagine by this app’s name, Dormi Baby Monitor is only available for Android devices. That being said, it’s quite feature-rich and a great value if you’re an Android user. As with most of the other apps on this list, Dormi features live video and the ability to talk to your baby through the app.
In addition, the website for this app says it has “Intelligent Audio.” The microphone’s sensitivity will auto-adjust to the noise level in the room. The website also boasts sophisticated video software that decreases battery drainage. And it features night vision for low-light camera functions.
Other bells and whistles for this baby monitor Android app:
- Notifications come through even when you’re talking on the phone.
- If the baby device receives a call or text message, the app will alert the parent device.
- You can monitor the temperature of your child’s room through the app (if the device in the child’s room has an ambient temperature sensor).
Device type: Android
Pros of Dormi Baby Monitor App
- Multiple parent device option. You can monitor your baby from multiple devices with this baby monitor Android app.
- Unlimited range (although some customer reviews state that the connection is glitchy when not connected to WiFi). Works with both Wi-Fi and cellular data.
Cons of Dormi Baby Monitor App
- It has a graphic interface; video streaming is not automatic. You have to press a button and hold to view the video.
4. Luna App
Luna is a fairly basic baby monitor app with video and many of the standard features. It offers live stream video and audio, and you can talk to your baby through the app. But you won’t find many of the bells and whistles featured in some of the others.
Much like the Dormi, the interface is graphic, with the option to press a button for live video. However, Luna’s video streaming starts automatically when there is a noise in your baby’s room.
A big perk to this app is the manufacturer’s claim that it uses four times less battery power than other baby monitoring apps. If you’re looking for just a basic iPhone baby monitor app, this could be a good choice.
Device type: Apple (iPhone and iPad)
Pros of Luna App
- Conserves battery.
- Includes a (limited) activity log.
- Runs in the background when using other apps.
- Unlimited range and works with Wi-Fi & 3G / LTE
Cons of Luna App
- Does not offer a multiple parent device option.
5. Annie Baby Monitor App
The Annie Baby Monitor app ranks right up there with the Cloud Baby Monitor app for features and device types. This iPhone or Android baby monitor app offers all the bells and whistles, and the interface looks great. The view is sleek and modern, much like Cloud. However, one reviewer stated that the controls for the volume, light, etc., lay over the top of the video, obstructing part of the view.
Reading through the reviews, it appears some people have had technical issues with Annie. Examples given are that it often loses connectivity between devices, and it seems to want to use cellular data, even when the WiFi signal is strong. These complaints were more prevalent on the Android platform than on Apple. And app developers are usually able to correct these kinds of issues with updates as they’re discovered.
Device type: Apple (iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch), Mac, Android
Pros of Annie Baby Monitor App
- Multi parent device and multiple baby device options. You can watch your baby from multiple devices. And you can monitor more than one baby or room at the same time. This is the second of only two of the best baby monitor apps for iPhone or Android that we found with the ability to have multiple baby stations.
- Unlimited range and compatible with Wi-Fi, 3G or LTE networks.
- Offers night vision (low-light camera).
Cons of Annie Baby Monitor App
- The website advertises cross-functionality between device types. However, that feature doesn’t seem to be working currently, according to recent customer reviews.
6. Baby Monitor Free App
This app is made by the same company as the Annie Baby Monitor. The user interface looks similar to Annie, with the controls overlayed on the bottom half of the video. Baby Monitor Free app offers the same features as the Annie and has some of the same connectivity issue complaints in the reviews. The main difference we could see between the two apps is that Annie Baby Monitor works on more devices than Baby Monitor Free app.
Device Type: Apple (iPhone, iPad), Android
Pros of Baby Monitor Free App
- Multiple parent device option. You can watch your baby from multiple devices.
- Unlimited range and works with Wi-Fi, 3G, 4G, and LTE networks.
Cons of Baby Monitor Free App
- Does not offer a low-light camera feature (night vision), but there is a flashlight function.
7. Baby Monitor App
Baby Monitor app seems to have all the basic features as the other options for a baby monitor phone app, including live video and audio, the ability to speak to your baby through the app, and an activity log. The app also continues to work in the background when you’re using other apps and delivers notifications of sound and movement.
The user interface seems clean and easy to use. The controls overlay the video, but only at the bottom of the screen, so they shouldn’t get in the way of video monitoring and images. The app does not appear to offer the capability of a nightlight or night vision.
Device type: Apple (iPhone, iPad), Android
Pros of Baby Monitor App
- Includes an activity log
- Multiple parent device option. You can watch your baby from multiple devices.
- Unlimited range on 3G, 4G, 5G or Wi-Fi
Cons of Baby Monitor App
- Does not offer night vision or a night light option
8. Nancy Baby Monitor App
Nancy Baby Monitor App is another app made by the same company as the popular baby monitor apps Annie and Baby Monitor Free. Nancy’s interface looks similar to Annie’s, except it doesn’t work on Mac.
Nancy appears to be a bit scaled-down and basic compared to Annie. There doesn’t seem to be an activity log offered, nor the ability to monitor your baby from multiple devices. The price point is similar, though, so you may as well choose Annie over this one.
Device type: Apple (iPhone, iPad), Android
Pros of Nancy Baby Monitor App
- Unlimited range on Wi-Fi and cellular networks (3G, 4G & LTE).
Cons of Nancy Baby Monitor App
- Does not offer multiple device capability
9. Baby Monitor & Alarm App
The Baby Monitor & Alarm app is made by the same company as the Baby Monitor 3G, but it is a very different app. Baby Monitor & Alarm is only for Android, and it does not have live stream video. The app will call a 2nd phone when your baby wakes up.
This app has a few other features, like an activity log and the ability to play lullabies or your recorded voice to your baby. This is a helpful feature when you’re trying to get your baby to sleep on vacation, as the comfort of your voice could help her sleep. But the lack of video and voice options seems like a deficiency since most all devices now have video capabilities.
Device type: Android
Pros of Baby Monitor & Alarm App
- Includes an activity log
- Option to play a lullaby or your recorded voice to baby upon waking.
- It calls any 2nd phone to alert of baby waking. The 2nd phone does not have to be a mobile phone.
- Has a free version for trial purposes.
Cons of Baby Monitor & Alarm App
- No live video or voice option
10. Alfred Home Security Camera App
This app is advertised as a security camera that can be used as a baby monitor app. Alfred Home Security Camera can do pretty much everything any of these baby monitor apps can do. It does not offer a lullaby or white noise option, but it has an added feature of saving unlimited recordings of movement to the cloud, which the other popular baby monitor apps do not do.
Check out these white noise machines for travel.
Alfred offers low-light capabilities (night vision) but does not have a nightlight (flashlight) option like some of the best baby monitor phone apps do.
You might not have thought about a security camera app being the best baby monitor app. But even with these minor differences, the Alfred Home Security Camera app could easily double as a baby monitor video app.
Device type: Apple (iPhone, iPad), Android
Pros of Alfred Home Security Camera App
- Unlimited cloud storage of recordings.
- Low-light capability.
- Unlimited range through WiFi, 3G, and LTE.
Cons of Alfred Home Security Camera App
- Does not work on multiple devices at the same time.
Our Recommendation for the Best Baby Monitor Apps
Of all the baby monitor smartphone apps we reviewed for this article, Cloud Baby Monitor, Baby Monitor 3G, and Annie Baby Monitor seem to be the most feature-rich, well-rounded ones. And they work on pretty much every device.
If you’re an Android user, you might want to consider the Dormi Baby Monitor. Its maker seems to have decided to specialize in all things Android and do it well. They have leveraged the best of Android devices to wow its users with a few features none of the rest have making it the best baby monitor app for Android users.
While you won’t find a free baby monitor app in this list, they won’t break the budget either. If you are unsure, download a free version to try it out before buying.
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This post was written & edited by:
Celine is the owner of Baby Can Travel. Not only does she have years of experience traveling with babies & toddlers, but she's been helping new parents travel with their babies and toddlers for over a decade.
Celine also writes about family travel on the site FamilyCanTravel.com, which she co-owns with her husband. Being from the Canadian Rockies, she shares her passion about her home and travel to Banff National Park and area on their site TravelBanffCanada.com.