Can I play the Quran in my house for protection?

What the hadith actually say

The Prophet ﷺ said: "Do not make your houses as graveyards. Satan runs away from the house in which Surah Baqara is recited" (Sahih Muslim 780). He also said: "The house in which remembrance of Allah is made and the house in which Allah is not remembered are like the living and the dead" (Sahih Muslim 779).

Notice the wording: a house where the Quran is recited and Allah is remembered. The focus is on people in the home doing that remembrance, including praying voluntary prayers at home.

Does a recording count?

Scholars have different views:

• Many scholars say the specific promises (like Satan fleeing because of al-Baqarah) apply to actual recitation by a person, not to an audio file playing by itself, although listening is still good and rewarded.
• Some scholars are more relaxed and hope for blessing from playing it, especially when someone in the house is listening.

Both agree on one thing: the Quran isn't an amulet. Playing it on loop in an empty house while nobody listens, prays or obeys it misses the point.

Protection you can do yourself

The Sunnah gives simple daily practices that anyone can learn:

• Ayat al-Kursi at bedtime: in a well-known narration, the Prophet ﷺ confirmed that reciting it when going to bed brings "a guard from Allah who will protect you all night long" (Sahih al-Bukhari 5010).
• The last two verses of al-Baqarah at night: "that will be sufficient for him" (Sahih al-Bukhari 5009).
• The three Quls before sleep: the Prophet ﷺ recited al-Ikhlas, al-Falaq and an-Nas, blew into his hands and wiped over his body three times (Sahih al-Bukhari 5017). See What are the "three Quls" and when do I read them?
• Reciting al-Baqarah at home: over a few days if needed, or as a family.

When you're worried about something specific

If you fear jinn, the evil eye or bad dreams, the answer is the same: prayer, dhikr and your own recitation, with trust in Allah. Fear itself isn't a sign that something is wrong. See Can jinn possess me after I become Muslim? and What is ruqyah and can I do it myself? If anxiety or sleep problems are serious, talking to a doctor or counsellor is also part of taking care of yourself.