If you are a newer parent and/or have wanted an audio/video monitor, there is an excellent app that will accomplish this for you. If you have upgraded to a new iPhone 5s or 5c or an iPad Mini or another iOS device and have an old device laying around, then this app is perfect for you because you will need 2 iOS devices (or one iOS device and your Mac) to make it work.

All you need to do is purchase the app for $3.99 (Click here to go to the App Store: Best Baby Monitor) and download it on both devices. The app is compatible with iPhone 3gs, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, iPad 2, iPad 3, iPad 4, iPad Mini, and iPod Touch. Launch the apps on both devices and place the one device in your baby’s room with the camera pointed at the baby’s bed (a dock can be helpful or you can use something like the Gorilla Pod Tripod (see this article for more on using a tripod with your iOS device: 3 Essential Photography Accessories for your iOS Device). The app will pick up both audio and video using the camera and mic on the iOS device. There is also an Alert Call mode that you can select where the app will initiate a call to any phone number you specify if the baby wakes up and makes noise. In the Video Baby Monitor mode, you connect the devices with either Wifi or Bluetooth (Bluetooth will limit your range significantly as it only works within a 30 foot range).

Once the devices are set up, you can begin monitoring your baby’s activity with the app on the iOS device you have with you. The app also includes multi-tasking support which allows you to do other things on your iPhone or iPad (Mini) while the baby monitor audio stays on in the background.

This setup is especially helpful when you travel. The bluetooth connection lets you set up a monitor even when Wifi is not available and the Alert Call mode gives you even greater flexibility and range. The biggest drawback to this setup is that there is no way to use the video monitor when the room is completely dark. The app’s developers suggest using the built in flash that is included with later iPhones but it seems like this might wake up the baby. Even so, for $3.99, this is a great app to have around when you need it. To find this app in the app store, click here: Best Baby Monitor

For a dedicated camera to use as an audio/video baby monitor with your iPhone that has night vision support, check out this article: Best Audio/Video Baby Monitor Setup for under $100 (iPhone, Foscam, FoscamPro App)