Here are steps you can take to protect your privacy by locating unwanted cameras.
- Look for hiding places
- Look for camera lenses
- Look for infra-red lights
- Look on the wifi network for cameras
- Other options
Look for hiding places
Look around the room for places a where camera could be placed. It needs line-of-sight to you and power. While some cameras will be obvious when found, some can be tiny, and some can be built into other devices, any small, unusual objects could potentially be cameras. This could include smoke detectors, wall clocks, and even plants.
Standard camera Small camera Integrated hidden camera
- about the size of a fist - fingernail size - good luck finding it
Look under desks, behind books, and anything on a shelf. Look for any wires or cords that seem out of place or are connected to devices that don't seem to belong. Check the sides and behind TVs and other electronic devices, as they may contain cameras set up to appear to be part of the TV or music system. Look carefully at places where cables connect at the back or undersides of desks as these provide cover for a camera's cable and power connections.
Look for camera lenses
Cameras need a lens to capture images. This lens is usually round, flat, and reflective. You may be able to discover a camera using a flashlight (or your cellphone's flashlight function) to check for reflections off of the lens.
To do so, dim the room lights or turn them off, and slowly shine your flashlight around the room, looking for unexpected reflections. Do this from a few different angles and pay special attention to areas where concealment is possible as well as to powered items like clocks and smoke detectors, to help reveal any hidden cameras.
Look for infra-red lights
To record images in dim or dark settings, many cameras have infrared lights to illuminate the room, which cannot be seen by your human eyes but can be seen by most cellphone cameras. You can use your cellphone to locate these
To do so, the room needs to be dark enough that the camera will turn on its lights, so close the blinds and turn off the light. Using your phone's camera, look at likely areas in the room for unexpected small red or purplish lights. The example below was created in daylight by explicitly turning the infra-red lamps on and off.
Cam seen by eye Cam seen by a cellphone camera
Look on the wifi network for cameras
If a camera is hooked up to wifi, you may be able to detect it by seeing what devices are connected to the local network. This will likely work in an Airbnb where there is a small home-based network, but may not work in hotels or offices where networks are more complex. Using an app like Fing or WiFiman, you can quickly scan the network and see a list of connected devices. If you see devices that are cameras where you weren't expecting any, you know that they exist and are active. Airbnb requires hosts to tell you of any security cameras in your space.
Wyze camera showing up in Fing network scan
Other options
There are other ways of finding hidden cameras, but they generally require more expertise. Cameras - as well as other electronic devices - can be located by handheld tools that detect magnetic interference or RF waves. This is beyond the scope of what most people will effectively use while traveling or in office locations. You may also see apps that claim to assist you through this process - in most cases, they are guiding you through the steps above and have mixed reviews on the Apple AppStore and Google Play Store - so we are not recommending any of them.
Sources and additional information
- Forbes: Why You Should Start Screening For Hidden Spy Cameras When You Travel
- NPR: How to detect hidden cameras in vacation rentals and hotel rooms
- Alfred Camera: How to Detect Hidden Cameras (and What to Do After)
- Curly Tales: 5 Smart Ways To Detect Hidden Cameras In Airbnbs, Homestays & Other Hotel Rooms