Sleepybo

Free baby monitor apps: what to check before you choose one

Updated 7 November 2026

Lots of baby monitor apps are free to download. Fewer stay free once you need video, a second parent or watching from outside the house. Before you set one up for the nursery, ask these six questions.

1. What does “free” actually include?

Check the App Store page for In-App Purchases and read the price list. Common catches: a free trial that becomes a subscription, video locked behind a payment, a time limit on each session, or ads.

Sleepybo: free, with no subscription, no in-app purchases and no ads.

2. Does it work when you leave the house?

Some apps only work on the same Wi-Fi, so they stop working when you go out to dinner, sit in the garden at the edge of the Wi-Fi or travel. Others work anywhere but charge for it.

Sleepybo: once paired, it works over any Wi-Fi or mobile data, at no extra cost. Watching away uses some of your mobile data. At home it uses none. See Watching away from home.

3. Will it tell you when it stops working?

This matters most. A monitor that silently freezes is worse than none, because you think you’re covered. Ask what happens if the Wi-Fi drops, the camera’s battery dies or the app gets closed.

Sleepybo: sounds an alarm within seconds if the picture or sound stops, even on a locked phone in Silent mode. If the camera loses power while the app is closed, our server notices and alerts you about a minute later.

4. Is anything recorded or kept in a cloud?

Look at the App Privacy section on the App Store page and the privacy policy. Some apps store clips or route video through their servers where it could be seen.

Sleepybo: nothing is recorded or stored. At home, video goes straight from the nursery to your phone over your Wi-Fi. Away, it’s encrypted end to end with keys only your paired phones hold. The App Store label reads “Data Not Collected”. Privacy policy.

5. Do you need an account?

An account means an email, a password and personal data held by another company, often for no real benefit.

Sleepybo: no account, no email, no sign-up. You pair two devices by matching two words.

6. Can someone else watch, and who decides?

A partner, grandparent or sitter may want to watch too. Check whether that costs extra and whether you approve each person.

Sleepybo: send an invite link. You see who is asking and nothing reaches them until you tap Allow. Up to four people can watch at once, and everyone gets the same alerts.

The short version

A good free monitor app should be free to use, not just to download, and should keep working when you leave the house. It should warn you loudly when it stops, keep nothing and not ask for an account. Try any app for a few evenings before you rely on it, whichever one you choose.

Sleepybo is a monitoring aid, not a medical device. It doesn’t replace adult supervision. For safe sleep advice, see Safe to Sleep or ask your health visitor or paediatrician.

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