How to Find Hidden Cameras With Your Phone

Why is it important to find hidden cameras?

Hidden cameras have become more compact and easier to hide, making it simple for someone to invade your privacy. They can pop up in places you'd never expect, like vacation rentals or changing rooms, capturing your private moments without permission. You never know whether it’s your landlord spying on tenants or a sneaky Airbnb owner.

Learning to find these devices lets you take charge of your surroundings and protect your privacy, no matter where you are.

What does a hidden camera look like?

Hidden cameras come in many disguises, often blending into everyday objects. Someone might have hidden them in smoke detectors, alarm clocks, picture frames, or even behind air vents. Some are incredibly small, with just a tiny pinhole lens that's easy to overlook. Others mimic USB chargers or other electronic gadgets.

When looking for hidden cameras, remember to check for unusual or out-of-place items that could contain a tiny lens or camera. If you think you know who hid the camera—like your ex—try to imagine where they would’ve hidden it. Is your ex stalking you?

How to detect a hidden camera with mobile phone

Here’s how to check for hidden cameras with your phone:

1. Use your camera to spot reflections or glints

You can use your phone to see reflections and glints caused by hidden cameras. To do so, start by dimming the lights in the room—this will make any reflections much more noticeable. Then, slowly shine your phone’s flashlight around the room, paying close attention to areas where someone would have hidden a camera. Move the light around at different angles and watch for any unexpected reflections or glinting that could indicate a camera lens.

2. Find hidden cameras using an RF detector

A radio frequency (RF) detector can detect and measure radio frequency signals emitted by wireless devices. It can locate hidden cameras, bugs, and other surveillance devices that transmit data wirelessly. You’ll need to purchase one online or from a local store.

Once you have the device, turn it on and adjust the sensitivity according to the device instructions. Walk slowly around the room, keeping an eye on the signal strength indicator. When you approach a wireless camera, the detector will register stronger signals.

Keep in mind that other wireless devices, like routers or smartphones, will also put off a signal. For the best results, consider turning off these devices first. Further, some wireless cameras only transmit signals sporadically—when they’re sending footage back to a server. In these cases, an RF detector will only work when it’s actually transmitting.

3. Detect infrared (IR) light sources

You can detect infrared light sources in a similar way to finding reflections. Cameras often give off an IR signal and your phone’s front-facing camera can detect IR light, meaning you can use it to find hidden cameras.

Here’s how to detect infrared light sources with your phone camera:

1. Darken the room to make IR lights more visible.
2. Open the camera app on your phone. Some phone cameras have IR filters on the rear cameras, so use the front (selfie) camera if possible, as it often lacks an IR filter.
3. Slowly pan your phone camera around the room. Look at the phone screen for any sources of bright, pulsing, or steady lights that you can’t see with the naked eye. These lights can appear magenta or purple on your phone screen.

4. Scan for wireless signals

You can detect hidden cameras in your house if they’re connected to your Wi-Fi network. The easiest way to do this is by using dedicated Wi-Fi scanning apps like Clario Anti Spy’s Spycam detector. This feature will scan your network for trustworthy and untrustworthy devices, alerting you to anything that might be a camera in disguise.

Here’s how to use Clario Anti Spy’s spy cam detector:

1. Download Clario Anti Spy and create an account.
2. Open the app and search for the Spy cam detector feature. Press Scan.
3. Wait for Clario Anti Spy to scan your network, then check each of the devices it discovered. If there are any suspicious devices, scan these to make sure they aren’t hidden spy cameras.

5. Combine manual inspection with your phone’s tools

If your smartphone tools—camera, flashlight, and apps—aren’t enough, try combining them with a thorough manual inspection. As you walk around the area, check everywhere that could possibly be hiding a camera. Here are some of the most common hiding spots:

• Power outlets and electronics like adapters, alarm clocks, and speakers
• Smoke detectors and fire sprinklers, as well as other ceiling-mounted devices
• Mirrors—they may be two-way
• Decor items including picture frames, vases, and wall hangings
• Furniture and fixtures like lights, shelves, and lamps

Look for anything that seems out of place.

6. Check for Bluetooth devices

Using your smartphone to scan for active Bluetooth devices can help uncover hidden cameras that transmit data wirelessly.

Here’s how to check for Bluetooth devices:

1. Go to your phone’s settings and turn on Bluetooth.
2. Access the Bluetooth menu and scan for nearby devices. When the scan is complete, it’ll show a list of discoverable devices.
3. Look through the list for unfamiliar or suspicious device names. Hidden cameras might have generic or unknown brand names, a series of letters, or have common names—like well-known speaker brands.

Conclusion

It’s crucial to remain vigilant about hidden cameras if you want to safeguard your privacy and feel secure wherever you go. You can spot a hidden camera with your phone by identifying suspicious Bluetooth devices or scanning for reflections or IR signals. But for added peace of mind, use Clario Anti Spy's Spycam detector to locate hidden cameras and make sure no one is watching from behind the scenes.