Stories of short-term renters finding hidden cameras inside their Airbnb rooms are nothing new. But this shouldn’t discourage you from booking your desired beach condo for vacation or business trips. In this post, I’ve been able to put together five effective ways how you can detect hidden cameras in your Airbnb room within seconds.
Before I even come to these tips, Airbnb Australia is strictly against the hosts installing hidden cameras. A year ago, the company refunded one guest in Sydney his full amount and suspended the host for having cameras in a private area.
According to Airbnb, Hosts can only have exterior security cameras, and within their guidelines/ applicable laws. If you find any security cameras/ hidden cams indoors or in areas you’re expecting privacy, you should report it immediately.
Hidden Cameras Can Be Anywhere Nowadays!
The video surveillance industry is one of the fields that is changing/ advancing at a high rate. Hidden cameras are now small and in everyday items such that one can place them in plain sight without detection.
For instance, Mr. Vest, a US tourist, found a hidden camera disguised as a charger in his 2-bedroom Airbnb rental. That means the phone charger connected to your wall socket right now could be reporting your activity to someone.
Other common devices that now can have a hidden camera include clocks, light bulbs, smoke detectors, pens, and pencil holders. There are even fake flower vases that one can hide a compact security camera like Arlo Essential undetectably.
So, a host of Airbnb could spy on you throughout the whole occupation without your knowledge. But when you detect these cameras, you can report to the company and get a refund to rent another house.
What’s the Easiest Way How to Detect Hidden Cameras in My Airbnb?
In a nutshell, the easiest way how to detect hidden cameras is to perform a complete room sweep. It’s an easy hack, as you just need the right tools and the means to sweep your room.
Don’t worry, it’s not a must you have any specialty tools. Even that phone you’re holding right now can pick out all hidden cameras with little prep.
Nonetheless, different hidden cameras usually work differently. Some can record videos locally, while others transmit wirelessly. The cameras may also have a visible or invisible infrared light for night vision.
As such, the best way to detect hidden cameras in your Airbnb rental will vary, with some more effective than others. See below:
Option 1: Detect Hidden Cameras with Your Phone’s Camera
Almost everyone only uses their phones to shoot photos and videos of their vacation and adventures. A percentage do use their phone’s camera to make video calls too. But rarely do people think of using their phones to detect hidden cams.
The trick to detecting hidden cameras with your phone’s camera involves the built-in infrared (IR) LED for night vision. As usual, this IR light is invisible to the naked eye, especially the invisible spectrum (like 940nm).
However, the image sensor of the camera on a phone can pick up even the invisible spectrums of light. And for that, you can use it to pick out the hidden cameras in your Airbnb room.
But before proceeding with this hack, confirm your phone’s camera can read infrared lights. Some phones tend to have camera filters that can block IR rays and fail to detect the hidden CCTV as intended.
Fast forward, you can easily test if your phone’s camera can detect the infrared light of a hidden camera as follows:
- Take your smartphone and launch the camera app
- Grab the remote of the TV or home theatre around.
- Confirm the remote (in step 2) is functional by powering on the designated system
- If the remote works, now point its LED light towards the rear camera of your phone
- Next, press any working button of the remote while watching it from the screen of your phone
Scan Your Airbnb for hidden cameras
When you see the remote’s IR LED glow (in step 5), it means your phone’s camera can pick up the invisible light spectrum. That also means you can use your phone’s camera to detect spy cameras in your Airbnb room.
So, while the camera is still on, turn off all the lights in your room and do a full sweep, looking for any glowing light. I strongly recommend starting your sweep from one specific point that will also be your endpoint.
If picked, a glowing IR light of a hidden camera will appear as red, purple, or white in color. The best part here is that your phone’s camera can detect a faint IR glow of a hidden CCTV while even farther away.
After everything and you have pinpointed the location of a hidden camera/s, turn the lights back on. Then, head over to where you saw the glowing light for a closer confirmation.
Important Note:
Some phones tend to have infrared blockers on their main (rear) camera system. In such a case, you can’t even be able to read the IR light of your remote (in Step 5 above).
However, front-facing “selfie” cameras usually don’t have these filters that block out IR light. Hence, you can use it for this short project instead of the main cam.
Option 2: Detect Hidden Cameras with Your Phone’s Detector App
A second way to detect hidden cameras with your phone is by using a hidden-camera-detector app. Google Play Store for Android and Apple’s App Store has quite many of these apps, and for free.
Nevertheless, different hidden-camera-detector apps work differently, where some function by detecting devices connecting to your local network.
Well, many Airbnb hosts tend to offer their guests free internet service nowadays. But some hosts may use the same internet to spy on you by connecting a camera that transmits to their viewing/ storage system.
A network scanner app is what you’ll use in this case to identify any hidden IP camera connected to your Airbnb internet. As the name, this app will analyze the devices that may be sharing “your” internet, including WiFi cameras.
A good example here is Fing, which you just need to install. Then, launch the app and tap “Scan” to identify devices on your local network. Once the app shows the list of connected devices, locate any suspicious connected device – try looking for a device listed as a camera brand or “IP camera”.
Try a Magnetic-Activity Detector
Besides the network scanner, you could dig out a hidden camera in your room using a magnetic-activity detector app. The app in this case analyzes your room for magnetic activity, which a hidden camera on radio frequency (RF) signals may give off.
All you need to do here is install an RF signals detector app to your app. Then, launch the app and start sweeping your room from one specific location until you’re done.
If there are hidden cameras emitting RF signals from your room, a good detector app will beep and raise the alarm. A nice example here is Hidden Camera Detector by FutureApps.
Some magnetic-activity detector apps like this one by FutureApps can even help you detect invisible IR light from hidden cameras. The feature here is better as it has a luminescence effect that makes it easier to identify the infrared light.
Note: a magnetic-activity detector app relies on a built-in magnetometer and magnetic sensor of your phone to work. If your phone doesn’t have these two features (or the best of them), the hack may not be effective.
Option 3: Detect Hidden cameras with Speakerphone interference
Another method you can use to detect hidden cameras in your Airbnb rental is using the speakerphone of your phone. The trick works by tracking the electromagnetic signals a spy cam may be emitting while communicating with a receiver.
Fortunately, this hack isn’t just limited to a smartphone. A basic phone without a built-in camera or apps could also work, as you just need to call any number. Then, when on your call, move around while listening keenly for signal interference.
Technically, when the room has hidden cameras, their RF signals will collide with the signals of your call. And in that signal collision, you’ll get to hear interference noises – as buzz, click, or crackling.
Next, you can locate the source of the signal interference, and if it’s from a hidden camera, do the necessary.
Option 4: Detect hidden cameras by a Thorough Visual Scan
The fourth method how to detect spy cameras hidden in your Airbnb is through a traditional physical search. It is a straightforward hack, albeit may be time-consuming as it involves checking every inch of your room for any suspicious objects.
Luckily, we know most stalkers will hide a spy camera in a place you’re less likely to look. Some of the most common places users of Airbnb around the globe have found the spying devices include:
- Inside electronic gadgets. Some of the said gadgets are inside phone chargers, clocks, light bulbs, smoke detectors, lava lamps, audio boxes, digital TV boxes, and air filter equipment.
- Integrated with Home Decors. some examples include picture frames, desk plants, stuffed animals, decorative pots, and flower vases.
- Other options: some Airbnb hosts can hide spy cameras in pens, shelves, ventilation, cushions, hairdryer holders, and books.
Note: when you’re tracking a hidden camera traditionally, you’ll have to look for convincing clues. So, pay attention to details like a blinking status light or the faint glow of an IR (night vision) LED.
Option 5: Detect Hidden Cameras with a Dedicated RF (Radiofrequency) Detector
Although last on my list, a dedicated RF detector is the best way to detect hidden cameras in your Airbnb room. It’s the best as the detector has visual and audible indicators that wail louder as you get nearer the hidden surveillance devices.
I’ve been able to go through various dedicated RF detectors for hidden cameras, and some common features include:
- A very high signal detection capability
- Has both RF signal detection and laser scanning
- Even supports magnetic-activity signal detection
- Many include dual signal detection indicators
- Feature colorful lights to indicate signal strength
- Most operate on a built-in rechargeable battery
- The RF detector has an ultra-high sensitivity and ultra-far detection range
A good example to give here is an MGMCM camera detector or smhawk Anti-Spy Detector
Don’t Destroy the Hidden Cameras You Find
As you can see, there is more than one way to detect hidden cameras in your Airbnb rental. So, no need to let paranoia of getting spied on have you cancel the cottage you want to rest in during your vacation.
The first four hacks (using your phone and physical visual search) are something you can do without incurring any cost. They are also hacks you can do so easily after arriving at your room, plus they can be effective.
However, a dedicated RF detector is the overall best in digging out even those hidden cameras hiding in hard-to-detect places, like among Christmas lights.
When you swap around your room, the gadget always raises an alarm when it detects a signal transmitter at even the smallest frequency. And as the gadget gets closer to that signal of the hidden camera, the louder it screams.
Once you find a camera/ cameras hidden in your room, do remember Airbnb is strictly against their use. So, don’t destroy. Picture or video the spy gadgets and then report to the company immediately.
