How to Make a Phone Camera Into Night Vision

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

Steps

1
Get your hands on an old mobile phone. Remember, this hack isn't really reversible so don't do this on a camera you want to use in the future.
2
Open up the phone with a screwdriver and find the camera.
3
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
On the bottom of the part you just removed, you'll find a transparent disc stuck near the lens. This is the infra-red filter. You have to remove this by applying some pressure on it sideways till the glue gives way and it comes off.^{[2]
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5
Once this is removed, close the camera and close up the phone.
6
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]
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7
Mount the LEDs on a holder and secure the phone inside it.^{[4]
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8
Turn on the camera and LEDs on and put the lights off. You now have an infra-red night vision Camera.