How to Make a Phone Camera Into Night Vision

Here's how to convert you camera phone into a night vision or infrared camera.

1

Get an old mobile phone.

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    You'll want to use a phone you don't need anymore. Remember, this hack isn't really reversible so don't do this on a camera you want to use in the future.
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2

Open the phone and find the camera.

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    Use a screwdriver to open the phone. Once the phone is open, locate the camera inside.
3

Remove the lens.

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    The camera will have an unscrew-able lid where the lens is. Unscrew it and remove the plastic containing the lens. Make sure not to let any dust fall onto the shiny CMOS sensor inside.[1]
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4

Remove the infrared filter.

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    1
    On the bottom of the part you just removed, you'll find a transparent disc stuck near the lens. This is the infrared filter. You have to remove this by applying some pressure on it sideways till the glue gives way and it comes off.[2]

=== Put the phone back together.

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    1
    Close the camera and close up the phone. Screw the phone back together securely.
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5

Connect IR LEDs to a battery.

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    Buy a couple of IR LEDs or pull one out from an old TV remote. Connect the LEDs in parallel to a battery of about 3-5 volts. It's better to use more than one in parallel to spread out the current equally. Test the LEDs by looking at them through any a digital camera.[3]
6

Mount the LEDs on a holder and secure the phone inside.

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    The phone should be secure inside of the holder. You're almost done.[4]
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7

Turn on the camera and LEDs.

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    Turn the lights off to test your camera. You now have an infra-red night vision Camera.

Community Q&A

  • Question
    If I remove the IR filter in my Canon FS400 vcam, will it convert into a night-vision vcam?
    Pavan Abeysinghe
    Pavan Abeysinghe
    Community Answer
    It will not turn into a night-vision camera. The sensor must be sensitive to infrared.
  • Question
    Will the camera still work in daylight?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Yes, it will still work in daylight. However, the quality will not be the same as before.
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References

  1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gt_p9loJUO4
  2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_otDBRFmGI
  3. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUOiz-SXh7o
  4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay_YDy9X6xU

About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 86,353 times.
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Co-authors: 6
Updated: June 3, 2022
Views: 86,353
Categories: Photography Genres | Telephones
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