- A camera works as a full baby monitor with an app if it gives a local stream with H.264 video and G.711 sound. That's the whole test.
- Tapo (wired models) works after one setting in its app: a Camera Account.
- Hikvision, Dahua and Imou work once their sound is switched to G.711.
- Reolink, eufy and UniFi give a picture, but their AAC sound can't be heard without go2rtc.
- Nest, Ring, Blink, most Arlo, Xiaomi and current Wyze have no local stream: they work only in their own app.
- Each common camera has its own page with the full story: your camera as a baby monitor.
- Cheapest good pick: a Tapo C200, about $25. Cheapest of all: an old phone, tonight.
The three things a camera needs to be a baby monitor
Picture a camera sending its video and sound to your phone through three gates. If all three open, any good baby monitor app can watch and listen. If one stays shut, you'll find out which in the checker above.
A local stream (RTSP)
The camera has to offer its video on your own Wi-Fi, usually as an RTSP stream (ONVIF cameras have one too). Tapo calls the switch "Camera Account", eufy "NAS (RTSP Stream)", Arlo "Local Network Access". Cameras that send everything to the maker's cloud, like Nest, Ring and Blink, have no such door, so no other app can see them.
A picture the phone can decode (H.264)
H.264 (also called AVC) is what every phone plays smoothly. Many cameras record in H.265 to save space, but nearly all of them also send a smaller H.264 sub-stream, and for a crib in a dark room that's plenty.
Sound the phone can listen to (G.711)
This is the gate nobody mentions. G.711 (PCMA, PCMU, A-law, μ‑law) is the plain, uncompressed-style audio that a monitor app can analyze in real time. AAC is common and sounds fine in the camera's own app, but a camera can show a perfect picture and still be deaf to crying. Mamoon says so after about 20 seconds ("Offline") rather than pretending to listen; the fix is a G.711 setting on the camera, or go2rtc converting the sound.
Every common camera, at a glance
| Camera | Picture | Hears crying | What to do | Effort |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Works | ||||
| TP-Link Tapo, wired (C100, C110, C200, C210, C220, C225, C310, C500…) | yes | yes | create a Camera Account in the Tapo app | 1 min |
| A go2rtc, Home Assistant or Frigate stream | yes | yes, with #audio=pcma | add it in Mamoon as a go2rtc server | 1 min |
| Works after one setting | ||||
| Hikvision, HiLook, Annke | yes | after the setting | Audio Encoding → G.711 on the camera's web page | 5 min |
| Dahua, Amcrest | yes | after the setting | Audio → Encode → G.711A or G.711U on the web page | 5 min |
| Imou (Ranger, Rex, Cue, Bullet) | yes | after the setting | RTSP on in Imou Life, then G.711A in Dahua's ConfigTool | 15 min |
| Picture only | ||||
| Reolink, wired (E1, E1 Pro, E1 Zoom, RLC…) | yes | no, AAC | convert the sound with go2rtc | 1 hour |
| eufy with NAS/RTSP (Indoor Cam 2K, C24, eufyCam 2/2C) | yes | no, AAC | convert the sound with go2rtc | 1 hour |
| UniFi Protect | yes | no, AAC | convert the sound with go2rtc | 1 hour |
| Needs a 30-second test | ||||
| EZVIZ (C6N, C6, C6CN, C3TN, C1C…) | if RTSP is on | test it | RTSP under LAN Live View, then test | 5 min |
| Foscam | usually | test it | test with VLC or Mamoon | 5 min |
| Tuya / Smart Life cameras (LSC, Nedis, TESLA, Immax…) | rarely | test it | look for an ONVIF switch in the app | 5 min |
| Wyze Cam v2, v3, Pan v1 | with beta firmware | test it | flash Wyze's RTSP beta firmware | 15 min |
| Arlo Pro 3, Pro 4, Ultra, Ultra 2 with SmartHub VMB5000 | through the hub | test it | Local Network Access on the SmartHub | 5 min |
| Won't work | ||||
| Google Nest | no | no | none; Home Assistant can relay it via Google | — |
| Ring | no | no | none; ring-mqtt relays it via Ring's cloud | — |
| Blink | no | no | none | — |
| Arlo Essential, Go and doorbells | no | no | none | — |
| Xiaomi Smart Camera (C200, C300, C400, C500 Pro…) | no | no | go2rtc's xiaomi source, needs Home Assistant | 1 hour |
| Wyze Cam v4, OG, Pan v2 and v3 | no | no | none | — |
| Battery cameras (Tapo C400–C425, Reolink Argus, most eufy) | no | no | none; they sleep between events | — |
| Nanit, Owlet, Cubo Ai, Infant Optics, eufy Baby, Philips Avent | no | no | nothing to fix: it's a monitor of its own | — |
Checked October 1, 2026 against the makers' documentation; sources below. Tap a camera to open its card with the exact steps.
If you're buying a camera for the nursery
You want all three gates open, infrared for a dark room, and ideally pan and tilt, so you can follow the baby to the far corner of the crib from your bed. These four cover every budget.
Prices checked October 1, 2026.
If you'd rather not add any app at all, the Tapo app's own free cry detection is a fine start; here's what Mamoon adds on top. For the full price picture, see what a baby monitor really costs.
The 30-second test for any camera
- Find the stream switch. In the camera's app look for RTSP, ONVIF, Camera Account (Tapo), NAS/RTSP (eufy) or Local Network Access (Arlo). If there's nothing like it and the maker says the camera streams only through their cloud, stop here: no third-party app will see it.
- Open it in VLC. On a computer: Media → Open Network Stream, paste the camera's RTSP address.
- Read the codecs. Tools → Codec Information (Ctrl+J). You want "H264" for the video and "A-law" or "mu-law" for the sound. "MPEG AAC" means picture only.
- Or skip VLC: add the camera in Mamoon as "Other RTSP camera" and it tells you within seconds.
Limits worth knowing
- One camera per parent phone. Twins in two cribs: one camera that sees both, or a second parent phone.
- No two-way talk, no lullabies, no recording in Mamoon. It watches, listens and wakes you; talking to the baby stays in the camera's own app.
- Tapo allows about three viewers at once, and only two of Tapo Care, microSD recording and ONVIF together. If Mamoon can't see your Tapo, close the Tapo app or turn one of those off.
- Bridged cameras stop when the internet does. Nest, Ring and Xiaomi through go2rtc still route video via the maker's cloud.
- Cords at least 3 feet (1 m) from the crib, out of reach. More in where to put the camera.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a regular Wi-Fi security camera as a baby monitor?
Yes, if it offers a local RTSP stream with H.264 video and G.711 sound. Wired Tapo cameras do out of the box, and Hikvision, Dahua and Imou do after one audio setting. Cloud-only cameras like Nest, Ring and Blink work only in their own app.
Does a Wyze camera work as a baby monitor with another app?
Mostly not. Only Cam v2, Cam v3 and Cam Pan v1 have Wyze's old RTSP beta firmware, which is unmaintained and turns off Wyze's AI alerts. Cam v4, Cam OG, Pan v2 and v3 and the doorbell have no local stream at all.
How do I use a Tapo camera as a baby monitor?
Set it up in the Tapo app, then create a Camera Account under Advanced Settings (a name and a 6–32 character password). In Mamoon choose "Wi-Fi camera": it finds the Tapo by itself, you type that name and password, and you can pan and tilt from the app. The Tapo guide has photos of each step.
Why does my camera show a picture but the app says it's offline or not monitoring?
Almost always the sound is AAC, which the app can't analyze for crying. Mamoon shows the video, then after about 20 seconds without usable sound says Offline rather than pretending to listen. Switch the camera's audio to G.711 if it offers that (Hikvision, Dahua, Imou), or let go2rtc convert it with #audio=pcma (Reolink, eufy, UniFi).
Can a Nest, Ring or Blink camera work with a baby monitor app?
Not directly. None of them has a local stream: Nest and Ring send video only through their cloud, and Blink's battery cameras sleep between clips. Home Assistant can relay Nest and Ring, but the video still passes the maker's cloud and stops with the internet.
Does a Reolink or eufy camera work as a baby monitor?
The picture does, but both lock their sound to AAC, so an app can't hear crying. With Home Assistant or Frigate, go2rtc converts the sound to G.711 in about an hour of setup, and then it's a full monitor. Reolink's battery Argus and Go models don't stream at all.
What is RTSP, and how do I know if my camera has it?
RTSP is the standard way a camera shares its live video on your home network, so another app can watch it without the maker's cloud. Look in the camera's app for RTSP, ONVIF, Camera Account (Tapo), NAS/RTSP (eufy) or Local Network Access (Arlo). If there's none, the camera is cloud-only.
My camera uses H.265. Will it work?
Usually yes. Nearly every camera that records in H.265 also sends an H.264 sub-stream (Hikvision 102, Dahua subtype=1, Reolink sub, Tapo stream2), and that resolution is plenty for a crib. Many also let you switch the main stream to H.264.
What's the best cheap camera to use as a baby monitor?
A TP-Link Tapo C200, about $22–30: infrared night vision, pan and tilt, G.711 sound and a one-minute setup. The C210 adds a 2K picture for about $30. If you'd rather spend nothing, an old phone works tonight.
Do I need the camera maker's cloud or internet for this to work?
Not for the cameras that work. Mamoon reads the video straight from the camera over your Wi-Fi and keeps working when the internet is down; you need the maker's app only for the first setup. Bridged cloud cameras are the exception: they stop when the internet does.
Sources
- TP-Link: Camera Account, RTSP stream1/stream2, ONVIF port 2020, supported wired models; battery models have no RTSP (October 1, 2026)
- TP-Link: Tapo Care, microSD and ONVIF can't all run at once
- Hikvision E-series manual: Video/Audio → Audio; encodings G.722.1, G.711ulaw, G.711alaw, MP2L2, G.726
- Dahua audio setup: Setting → Camera → Audio → Encode; G.711A/U, AAC
- Imou RTSP address (cam/realmonitor), safety-code password, RTSP enabled in the app
- Imou defaults to AAC audio; switching to G.711A fixed it, only via Dahua's ConfigTool
- Reolink: AAC audio on all cameras, cannot be changed; H.265 main stream on 8 MP models
- Reolink: RTSP/ONVIF must be enabled on the camera; VLC live view
- eufy: NAS/RTSP guide, H.264 1080p, audio AAC-LC 16 kHz mono
- eufy models with RTSP: eufyCam 2/2C, Indoor Cam 2K, Solo IndoorCam C24
- EZVIZ: RTSP and ONVIF addresses, port 554, LAN Live View on consumer models
- Home Assistant community: enabling RTSP on EZVIZ (Settings → LAN Live View → Local Server Settings); off again after a firmware update or reset
- Tuya developer docs: ONVIF is an optional feature of TuyaOS cameras
- Tuya cameras: ONVIF off by default, switched on in the Smart Life app where the model supports it; user admin
- go2rtc: ffmpeg source, #video= and #audio= transcoding options (pcma, pcmu)
- Google Device Access: 5-minute stream sessions, WebRTC on current cameras
- Home Assistant Nest integration: US$5 fee, WebRTC for current cameras
- go2rtc: Nest source
- ring-mqtt: Ring as RTSP, "all streaming still goes through Ring cloud servers and is not local"
- blinkbridge: Blink has no native RTSP; stream rebuilt from motion clips
- Blink: no RTSP on any model
- Arlo: local RTSP only on Pro 3, Pro 4, Ultra, Ultra 2 with SmartHub VMB5000 ("Local Network Access")
- go2rtc: Xiaomi source, Mi Home account, internet needed for encryption keys
- Wyze: RTSP firmware for Cam v2, v3, Pan v1 only; none for OG, v4, Pan v2/v3, doorbell
- docker-wyze-bridge: authentication change broke all forks (December 2025)
- Wyze RTSP beta page: "released for initial testing only"
- VLC: Tools → Codec Information (Ctrl+J) shows the video and audio codec
- CPSC OnSafety: baby monitor cords at least 3 feet from the crib
Spotted a mistake or an outdated figure? Write to [email protected].