Guide & FAQ

Detailed user guide and answers to common questions

Pevu turns phones and tablets into a baby monitor. You need two or more devices: one parent device that stays with you and up to four baby devices – one per baby. Everything runs directly between your devices – no cloud, no account, no internet. This guide explains every step; the most common questions are answered below.

Safety first: what Pevu can do – and what it cannot

Pevu is an aid for parents – nothing more, nothing less. Before you rely on Pevu at night, please read these notes. They apply in every language and are also part of our Terms of Use (Section 3).

Pevu is no substitute for supervision. Always stay close enough to be with your baby without delay. Pevu is never a reason to leave a child alone – not even "just briefly" to the neighbours.
Pevu is not a medical device. It monitors neither breathing nor heartbeat nor oxygen and does not protect against sudden infant death. For premature babies, sick children or on medical advice, only approved medical devices belong at the bedside. In an emergency: call the emergency services immediately.
Alarms can fail. An empty battery, a Wi-Fi problem, a guest network, battery-saver mode, "Do Not Disturb", a muted device, a phone call, an update – any of these small things can suppress the connection or the alarm. Green means: the last known connection was good. It does not mean that nothing can happen.
Check before every night: all devices charged or on the charger, connection green, listening test done, volume on the parent device up, night check without warnings. And still look in on your baby in person regularly.
Place devices safely: never in the bed, pram or playpen – at least one metre from your baby and out of reach. Cables and chargers are a strangulation and electric-shock hazard, and devices and power adapters get warm: cover nothing, put nothing under the blanket, use only undamaged, approved chargers.
Quiet is better: talk-back and sounds come out of the baby device's speaker. Set the volume there low and do not put the device next to your baby's head – children's ears are sensitive.
Not suitable as supervision while bathing, near water, on the changing table, in the car, while eating, with a fever or once your child can climb. Such moments need you right there.
Whoever holds the parent device is in charge of supervision. Explain to your partner, grandparents or babysitter beforehand how Pevu works – and these notes.

The safe-sleep recommendations (on the back, own bed, no loose blankets or pillows, smoke-free, around 16–20 °C) apply with Pevu just as they do without.

How Pevu works

Pevu needs two or more devices: your device and one to four baby devices. A baby device ("With the baby") stays in the nursery and transmits sound – and, if you like, video. Your device ("With you") receives, shows a traffic light in plain words plus the noise level, and raises an alarm when something happens. If several children sleep in different rooms, your device monitors up to four baby devices at once – see "Several baby devices".

The connection runs directly from device to device over your Wi-Fi – or, away from home, over a small network that one of the devices creates itself. There is no server in between, no account, no cloud. Sound and video never leave your network and are end-to-end encrypted.

Pevu connects Android and iPhone/iPad in any combination: Android with the baby and an iPhone with you, the other way round, the same platform twice – and with several baby devices, freely mixed.

First steps: choosing roles

On first launch Pevu asks just one thing on each device: "Which device is this?"

"With the baby" – this device stays in the nursery. It always transmits sound – live video is part of Pevu Full and is switched on from the parent device.
"With you" – the device you carry. It shows the traffic light, level, video and alarms.

Pevu remembers the role. Next time you land directly on the right screen. Switch roles with the arrow icon at the top right.

Tip: the baby device works best on a charger, microphone facing the bed, one to two metres from the baby and out of reach.

Connecting on your home Wi-Fi

Your device and the baby devices must be on the same Wi-Fi. Internet doesn't matter – a router without internet works too.

Baby device: open Pevu, "With the baby" – it shows a code.
Your device: open Pevu, "With you" → "Connect baby device" → scan the code with the Pevu app (not with the camera app). Pevu clearly says "Connected" or explains what went wrong.
From now on the baby device is "known": next time a tap on the big start button on your device is enough – no code. Pevu finds the baby device even if it got a new address on the Wi-Fi. You connect further baby devices the same way – more in the next chapter.

If the camera can't read the code (e.g. a tablet without a camera), type it in under "Not working?" → "Type in code".

Important: guest Wi-Fi and some hotel networks isolate devices from each other ("client isolation"). Use the normal Wi-Fi or "Connect without Wi-Fi" instead.

Several baby devices

Twins, siblings in two rooms or a baby and a toddler: your device monitors up to four baby devices at once. The first baby device is free as always; from the second one on, your device needs Pevu Full.

Adding another baby device (on your home Wi-Fi):

New baby device: open Pevu, "With the baby" – it shows a code.
Your device: while monitoring, tap "+" ("Add baby device") at the top – or, before starting, "Add another baby device". Without Pevu Full, the purchase dialog opens first.
Scan the code on the new baby device with Pevu. The new baby device joins, the others keep running without interruption. Next time, "Start" connects all saved baby devices at once.

Naming: above its code, the baby device shows "Give it a name". Pick e.g. "Nursery" or your child's name – that is how the baby device appears on your device: in the overview, in alarms and in the log. The name is always set on the baby device itself.

The overview: with two or more baby devices, your device shows one overall line at the top and one tile per baby device below – with name, traffic light, signal, level, battery and, while the camera is running, a small picture. Tap a tile to see that baby device full size: there you use video, talk-back, sounds, night light and sensitivity as usual; the back arrow takes you to the overview.

You hear all baby devices at the same time. Every tile has its own "Sound off" button – that baby device's alarms stay on anyway.
Sensitivity is set for each baby device separately, in its full-size view. "Hear everything" and the sound switches below it apply to all baby devices.
Every alarm names the baby device, and its tile gets a red frame until you have seen it. If a connection drops, "Please check" lists every affected baby device. "Quiet the alarm" only silences the alarms shown there right now – if a new alarm comes in afterwards, it gets loud again.
"Not monitored: …" at the top means: this baby device is saved but is not monitored in this session – for example because you started only one without Pevu Full. Don't rely on Pevu for that child.
If a baby device stops transmitting, its tile turns red ("Ended – no longer monitored") and offers "Reconnect" or "Remove". The other baby devices keep running.

Ending: in the full-size view you choose "Disconnect <name>" or "Stop monitoring". "Stop monitoring" always asks first and names the baby devices that are still connected.

Without Pevu Full: if several baby devices are saved, Pevu asks at start "Which baby device should Pevu monitor?" – the others will then NOT be monitored. If you scan a new baby device without Pevu Full, Pevu asks whether it should replace your current one.

More than four baby devices at once is not possible. Before starting, "Manage baby devices" lists every saved baby device with "Pair again" and "Remove" – that is how you make room for a new one.

Connecting without Wi-Fi (on the go)

On holiday, at friends' or without a router, one of your devices creates its own small network – just for your Pevu devices. This feature is part of Pevu Full.

Network host:

Android creates its own hotspot via "This device creates the network". Android asks for "Nearby devices" or location for this – Pevu never tracks you; the permission is an Android requirement for local networks.
An iPhone with a SIM uses its Personal Hotspot. Apple doesn't let apps access it, so you type in its name and password once (Settings → Personal Hotspot); Pevu remembers them.

The host then shows ONE code. On the other device: "Connect without Wi-Fi" → "The other device creates the network" → scan the code in Pevu. That device joins the network right inside the app (if the system asks, confirm with "Join"/"Connect") and then connects by itself. Every step shows a checkmark or explains the error.

Several baby devices on the go: all devices then use ONE shared network. It works most reliably when your device ("With you") creates the network. Once the first baby device is connected, tap "+" ("Add baby device") while monitoring: your device shows a code, and every further baby device scans it under "With the baby" → "Connect without Wi-Fi" → "The other device creates the network". An iPhone hotspot handles about five devices at once.

If a baby device creates the network instead, further baby devices have to reach your device inside that network. Some hotspots don't allow that – Pevu then tells you clearly ("This network doesn't let the devices talk to each other"). In that case, let your device create the network. If you stop transmitting on the baby device that provides the network, the other baby devices lose their connection too – Pevu warns you first.

If a device says "No internet connection", that's correct: this network exists only for your Pevu devices. iPhones and iPads without a SIM can't create a network on the go – then you need an Android device or an iPhone with a SIM as the host.

Monitoring on your device

With one baby device you see this view right away; with several, after tapping its tile. At the top there is always a sentence in plain words, never just an icon:

Green: connected, sound is arriving – "Quiet" or "Noise".
Yellow: the connection is shaky, Pevu is reconnecting.
Red: no connection. Pevu sounds a loud alarm and shows since when – even with the device muted or in "Do not disturb".

The level shows in words how loud it is in the nursery (Quiet, Soft, Loud) plus a small history curve. "Camera on/off" switches the baby device's camera remotely; "Peek" fetches a picture while the camera is off (Pevu Full). "Switch camera" toggles the baby device between its back and front camera – you can also do that on the baby device itself, and Pevu remembers the choice.

"Sound off" only silences playback – alarms stay loud. "Hear everything" transmits every sound – including breathing, rustling and soft whimpering: nothing is muted, quiet sounds are raised automatically, loud crying stays undistorted. You find it as its own button and in the sensitivity menu; for this, don't put your device in the same room as a baby device. After 30 seconds without a touch, night mode dims the screen to black with a clock, status dot and level bar; on alarm, yellow, red or touch it lights up again immediately. You end monitoring deliberately via "End" – Pevu asks to be sure.

The baby device while monitoring

As soon as your device is connected, the baby device shows "Sending" with a large status field. The screen dims after a short while; tapping wakes it.

Android: the screen may be locked – Pevu keeps running as a foreground service (notification "Pevu is transmitting").
iPhone/iPad: sound keeps running in the background; for video Pevu must stay visible. Best: iPhone on the charger with Pevu in the foreground – Pevu dims the screen itself.
iPad: for video Pevu must be alone on the screen. If a second app is open next to it (Split View, Stage Manager, app windows), iPadOS pauses the camera – the iPad and your device both say so, and the picture returns by itself as soon as Pevu is full screen again.

Pevu warns when the baby device isn't charging and estimates the remaining time. Below 20 % battery without a charger it turns the camera off and transmits sound only – on your device you can deliberately switch it back on with "Turn on anyway" (down to 5 %). If the device gets warm it reduces video quality or pauses video – sound always continues.

Transmission is stopped with the slider ("Slide to stop") so an accidental tap can't end it.

Alarms – what Pevu reports

Noise alarm: when the baby cries, your device gets loud and bright. Set the sensitivity in three levels; short clicks don't trigger, sustained noise does. After an alarm Pevu waits briefly before alarming again.
Motion alarm (Pevu Full): reports movement in the picture, even in low light. Switch it on or off in the settings.
Connection loss: if the baby device's heartbeats stop, the light turns red and a loud continuous alarm sounds – even if your device is muted or "Do not disturb" is on. Pevu reconnects automatically.
Microphone watchdog: if the baby device's microphone stops delivering sound, or sound stalls despite a connection, Pevu says so – a green light at Pevu always means "sound is really arriving".
Battery: your device warns at 15 %; the baby device reports low and critical battery.

A running alarm can be silenced with a tap on "Quiet the alarm"; the light stays honest until the problem is really fixed. With several baby devices, every alarm applies to one baby device and names it – see "Several baby devices".

Talk-back, sounds and night light

Talk-back: hold the talk button on your device and speak – your voice comes out of the baby device's speaker. Releasing ends the transmission.

Soothe: under "Soothe" you start gentle noise, rain or a lullaby on the baby device. Volume and a timer (the sound ends by itself) can be set. The noise alarm stays armed – Pevu filters out its own sound.

Night light: the baby device's screen glows as a warm light; you set the brightness remotely. The night light uses some battery – best with a charger.

Test tone: a short tone on your device and on the baby devices shows that all speakers are audible.

With several baby devices, talk-back, sounds and night light apply to the baby device you currently have open full size.

Night readiness and background (Android)

Before bedtime, "Night readiness" on your device checks whether an alarm would really reach you: volume, "Do not disturb", notifications, battery optimisation (Android), Bluetooth headphones (the alarm would otherwise only play there) and battery level. Each point can be fixed directly; a "Test alarm" shows how loud it gets.

Android stops apps in the background to save battery. So the transmission doesn't break off at night:

On the baby device tap "Grant exception" and exempt Pevu from battery optimisation.
Some manufacturers (Xiaomi, Huawei, Oppo, Vivo, OnePlus and others) also have an "Autostart" or "App lock" setting – Pevu opens the right page directly.
Device on the charger, Wi-Fi not in power-saving mode.

Event log

On your device Pevu keeps a log of the night: start and end, connection established or lost, noise and motion alarms, battery warnings, camera on/off, sounds, night light and microphone watchdog warnings – with several baby devices, each with that baby device's name.

Only events with a time are stored – never sound, never video. The log stays on your device and helps you understand a restless night in the morning. You reach it via the clock icon at the top of the "With you" screen.

Pevu Full – subscription or one-time purchase, household licence

Free and without time limit: sound transmission from one baby device, all alarms, talk-back, sounds, night light and the log.

Pevu Full additionally unlocks: the camera picture, "Peek", the motion alarm, "Connect without Wi-Fi" and further baby devices – up to four at once on one parent device. Your choice: monthly, yearly (the first 7 days free, then the subscription renews automatically until you cancel) or pay once and keep it forever – all future updates included. Prices are shown in the purchase dialog.

Household licence: you pay once on your device ("With you"). One purchase covers your device and up to four baby devices: as soon as a baby device is connected to your device, it is unlocked too – whether Android or iPhone. With a subscription the unlock travels along on every connection; with the one-time purchase it stays for good – even after changing devices or reconnecting.

New phone or reinstalled app? "Restore purchases" in the purchase dialog brings the subscription or purchase back via your app store account. The baby device never shows a purchase dialog – buying always happens on the parent device. A running subscription is managed under Settings → "Manage subscription" (opens your store's subscription settings).

Privacy, security, permissions

Pevu has no server, no cloud and no account. Sound and video travel exclusively between your device and your baby devices – encrypted (DTLS-SRTP, the same standard as encrypted video calls). The code you scan when connecting contains a digital fingerprint of the baby device: only the device whose code you scanned can connect. Foreign devices without the code are rejected without any reply. Each baby device talks only to your device; baby devices never exchange sound or video with each other.

Nothing is recorded or stored – except the event log on your device (without sound and video).

Permissions and what they are for:

Microphone and camera: the transmission itself (camera only with "Video and sound" and for scanning the code).
Notifications (Android): the "Pevu is transmitting" notice so Android doesn't end the app.
"Nearby devices" / location (Android): only for "Connect without Wi-Fi" – an Android requirement for local networks. Pevu never tracks you.
Local network (iPhone): so Pevu can find your other devices on the Wi-Fi.

On Android you can block screenshots of the app in the settings.

Apple Watch and Live Activity (iPhone)

With an iPhone as the "With you" device, the Pevu app on the Apple Watch shows the status in plain words, the noise level, the baby device's battery and – when the camera is on – a live picture. On red or alarm the watch vibrates. There is deliberately no sound on the watch; that comes from the iPhone.

Without fresh data the display turns grey and says "No live data from the iPhone" – the watch never claims a green it doesn't know. The iPhone only sends pictures while the watch app is visible (battery of both devices).

On the iPhone itself a Live Activity shows the status on the lock screen and in the Dynamic Island, with a running "LIVE" clock. If updates stop, it is marked grey.

Language, settings, switching roles

Language: Pevu speaks 21 languages. By default the app follows the system language; under Settings (gear) → "Language" you pick another – it applies immediately and only on this device.

More settings: "Start with camera off" (saves battery, picture via "Peek"), "Motion alarm", "Block screenshots" (Android). Switch roles with the arrow icon at the top right. On the baby device you find "Pair again" (new code) at the bottom and "Give it a name" above the code. On your device, before starting: with one baby device, forget it under "Not working?" → "Forget pairing" and connect it again afterwards; with several, open "Manage baby devices" and choose "Pair again" or "Remove" for each one individually.

Tips for a quiet night

All devices on the charger – a whole night of transmission uses noticeable battery.
2.4 GHz Wi-Fi reaches further through walls than 5 GHz. If the baby device is far from the router, a repeater or a spot closer to the door helps.
Baby device one to two metres from the bed, microphone unobstructed, out of the baby's reach.
Before bedtime check "Night readiness" and listen to the test alarm once.
Disable router power saving and "Wi-Fi off at night".
Do a short test run the first time: speak briefly in the nursery and check that the alarm triggers.
At night sound is often enough – you switch the camera on or off from the parent device at any time, which saves battery.
Several baby devices: give each one a name – then at night you know right away which child needs you.

Frequently asked questions

Does Pevu need internet or an account?

No. Pevu works completely without internet, without an account and without a cloud. The devices only need a shared network: your Wi-Fi (even without internet) or, on the go, the small network one of the devices creates.

How far apart can the devices be?

As far as your Wi-Fi reaches – at home usually across several rooms and floors without trouble. On the go via hotspot it is roughly 10 to 30 metres depending on the devices and walls. With a weak signal Pevu shows yellow; a repeater or a different spot helps.

"That didn't work" – what now?

Check in order: are your device and the baby device on the same Wi-Fi? Is the baby device still showing the code? Did you scan the code with the Pevu app (not the camera app)? Guest or hotel Wi-Fi? Then use the normal Wi-Fi or "Connect without Wi-Fi". If nothing helps: tap "Pair again" on the baby device and scan the new code.

The picture stays black or doesn't arrive.

The parent device always tells you why: the sound view shows a card with the reason, and the status line says "Camera on", "Camera off", "Picture locked" or "Camera problem". "Picture locked" means Pevu Full is still missing – sound and alarms run, and the picture appears by itself once unlocked. Everything else is technical on the baby device: camera access denied (allow it in Settings there), app in the background (bring it to the front), iPad with a second app next to Pevu (open Pevu full screen there), battery below 20 % (charger – or "Turn on anyway" on your device), too warm, network too weak – in those cases Pevu turns the picture back on by itself. If the picture freezes or nothing arrives although the camera is running, Pevu switches the video format and restarts the camera – wait a few seconds.

I hear nothing or only very quietly.

Check your device's media volume and whether "Sound off" is active. On Android Pevu raises playback that is too quiet by itself. "Night readiness" checks all points and the test tone shows whether the speaker plays. Silence in the nursery is real silence with Pevu – the green light confirms that sound is arriving. If you also want to hear breathing, rustling and soft whimpering, tap "Hear everything": then nothing is muted, and quiet sounds are raised automatically.

My device wakes up at night by itself and turns red.

Red means: for a few seconds no heartbeats came from the baby device – usually a short Wi-Fi dropout. Pevu reports this deliberately and reconnects. Common causes: weak signal (baby device far from the router), router power saving, 5 GHz Wi-Fi through thick walls. Move closer to the router, use 2.4 GHz or add a repeater.

Android ends Pevu in the background.

Exempt Pevu from battery optimisation on the baby device ("Grant exception") and allow autostart on Xiaomi, Huawei, Oppo, Vivo and the like. Keep the device on the charger. Pevu really checks the exception and shows when it is missing.

iPhone as the baby device: does the screen have to stay on?

Not for sound – it keeps running in the background. For video Pevu must stay visible, because iPhones turn the camera off in the background. Keep Pevu in the foreground and the iPhone on the charger; Pevu dims the screen itself. On the iPad also: don't open a second app next to it (Split View, Stage Manager, app windows) – otherwise iPadOS pauses the camera until Pevu is full screen again.

How much battery does Pevu use?

A night with video uses noticeable battery on the baby device, "Sound only" much less. Pevu estimates the remaining time and warns when the device isn't charging. Recommendation: all devices on the charger.

On the go without a SIM – does that work?

Yes, if one of the devices is an Android: it creates the hotspot itself, without any SIM or internet. iPhones and iPads without a SIM can't create their own network; an iPhone with a SIM uses its Personal Hotspot (the streaming itself uses no mobile data).

Why do I have to type the iPhone hotspot name and password?

Apple doesn't let apps access the Personal Hotspot – neither turn it on nor read the password. So you type both in once (Settings → Personal Hotspot); Pevu remembers them and turns them into the code for your other devices.

The device says "No internet connection".

On a hotspot network that is normal and correct: this network exists only for your Pevu devices. Pevu keeps the connection; don't switch back to your home Wi-Fi while monitoring is running.

Why does Pevu ask for location or "Nearby devices"?

Only for "Connect without Wi-Fi": Android requires this permission for every local network an app creates or joins. Pevu never reads your location. On your home Wi-Fi the permission is not needed.

Are recordings stored?

No. Sound and video are only transmitted live and stored nowhere – neither on the devices nor anywhere else. Only the event log (times of alarms etc.) stays on your device.

Can someone else watch or listen in?

Only whoever scanned the code when connecting. The connection is end-to-end encrypted and your device checks the baby device's digital fingerprint. Devices without the code get no reply. For safety, "Pair again" creates a fresh code at any time.

Do I have to buy Pevu Full on every device?

No. Buy once on your device ("With you") – that covers your device and up to four baby devices. Each baby device is unlocked automatically after connecting, even on the other platform. The purchase dialog only appears on the parent device.

New phone – how do I get my purchase back?

Tap "Restore purchase" in the purchase dialog on the new device (same app store account). Alternatively, connecting once with the other, already unlocked device is enough – the household licence travels along.

The alarm comes too often or too rarely.

Change the sensitivity on your device – with several baby devices, for each one separately: "Only on loud crying" ignores quiet sounds, "On every sound" already reacts to whimpering. Watch out for noise sources in the room (fan, street) and the distance to the bed.

Can I monitor several baby devices at the same time?

Yes, up to four. You hear all of them at once; each baby device has its own "Sound off" button and its own sensitivity, and every alarm names it. The first baby device is free; from the second one on, your device needs Pevu Full. Add new baby devices while monitoring with "+" ("Add baby device") – more in the chapter "Several baby devices".

Can I connect two parent devices at the same time?

No – each baby device is connected to exactly one parent device. The other way round works: one parent device monitors up to four baby devices. If another parent device should take over, scan the baby device's code with it. If Pevu says the baby device is already paired, tap "Pair again" there and scan the new code – the other parent device then becomes the active one. An iPhone can additionally show the status on the Apple Watch.

The Apple Watch shows "No live data".

The watch only shows what the iPhone is currently sending. Open Pevu on the iPhone and start monitoring; the watch app must be visible to receive pictures. If it stays grey, the connection between iPhone and watch is briefly interrupted – the watch never claims a green it doesn't know.

How do I change the language?

Settings (gear) → "Language". "System language" follows your device; any other choice applies immediately and only on this device. Every other device has its own language choice.

What happens if the Wi-Fi drops briefly?

Your device turns yellow, after a few seconds without heartbeats red, and sounds the alarm. Pevu keeps reconnecting by itself – without a new code. As soon as sound arrives again it turns green and the alarm ends.

How do I cancel the subscription?

Settings (gear) → "Manage subscription" – this opens the subscription management of your app store (Apple or Google). Cancel there at any time; Pevu Full stays unlocked until the end of the paid period, after that the free part (sound, alarms, talk-back, sounds, night light, log) simply keeps running. Cancelled within the 7 free days = nothing paid.

Why doesn't Pevu show a room temperature?

Pevu shows the room temperature only if the baby device has a built-in room temperature sensor – very few Android devices have one, iPhone and iPad none at all. If the sensor is missing, the baby device and your device clearly say "No temperature sensor" instead of showing an estimated number. Battery or device temperature is not room temperature and is deliberately not shown. Tip: a simple room thermometer next to the baby device is the most reliable solution.

Further reading