The iPad has been around for a very long time, and while much of the hardware eventually becomes too old to be useful, some components can still be put to good use. One DIY enthusiast ripped apart an old iPad and turned it into an always-on display for smart home security cameras.
The project starts with an old iPad that’s no longer practical as a tablet. In this case, the screen was cracked but the display itself was still functional. By carefully disassembling the iPad, removing the battery, and wiring the display to a driver board, you can turn the screen into a standalone monitor.
The key components needed are an LCD driver board compatible with the iPad’s display, a Raspberry Pi (or similar single-board computer) to run the camera monitoring software, and a power supply. The Raspberry Pi runs software like Home Assistant or a dedicated camera viewer that connects to your security cameras via RTSP streams or the camera’s API.
The result is a dedicated security camera monitor that sits on your desk or mounts on a wall, always showing a live feed from your cameras. It’s a clever way to reuse an otherwise useless iPad screen while saving money on a dedicated monitor. The total cost is typically under 0 for the driver board and cables, assuming you already have a Raspberry Pi and the old iPad.
