PrivacyScan How do you check for hidden cameras when moving into a new house?
Scan the Wi-Fi that came with the place before you change its password or swap the router, then walk every room with a Bluetooth scan running and a 29-point checklist open. That finds cameras that announce themselves and points you at the objects worth a closer look; a camera that records to a card or sits on a network you are not on only turns up when you look with your own eyes.
The order matters more than the app. When moving into a new place, the router in a hall cupboard is often still the landlord's, on the old password, and that is the one moment the network can tell you anything about what the previous occupants left plugged in.
Scan the Wi-Fi before you change anything
A camera only shows up in a Wi-Fi scan if it is on the same network as your phone. Once you put in your own router or change the password, anything the previous occupant or the owner set up can no longer join. It is still powered, still recording to its card if it has one, and now invisible to the scan.
Scan first. Change the Wi-Fi second.
- Join the Wi-Fi that was already there (ask the landlord or agent for the password if it is not on the router label).
- Open PrivacyScan, go to the Scan tab and tap Scan Network. Allow Local Network access when iOS asks, or the scan finds nothing.
- Wait. The scan runs about 8 seconds and stops on its own; the status line says how many devices it found.
- The list is sorted with the highest camera score on top. Tap anything marked High or Medium and read Camera Score, Detected Services and IP Address.
- Write down the names you cannot match to something you can see. Results are not saved: the next scan or closing the app wipes them.
| Device name | Service advertised | Base score | Name bonus | Camera Score | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hallway-Cam | RTSP stream | 90 | +40 ("cam"), capped | 95 | High |
| Front Door | ONVIF | 95 | none | 95 | High |
| Ring-Chime | HTTP | 10 | +40 ("ring") | 50 | Medium |
| Garage Hub | HTTP | 10 | none | 10 | Low |
| Thermostat | HomeKit | 5 | none | 5 | Low |
| Living Room TV | AirPlay | 2 | none | 2 | Low |
| Kitchen Speaker | AirPlay audio | 2 | none | 2 | Low |
| EPSON-Printer | Printer (IPP) | 2 | none | 2 | Low |
Three of the eight land at 30 or above, which is why the Suspicious count on the Scan tab reads 3. Front Door is almost certainly a video doorbell. A doorbell advertises the same ONVIF service as an indoor camera, so it scores 95 too. Ring-Chime just has a brand word in its name, and Hallway-Cam is the one worth finding before unpacking anything else. Ignore the big ring at the top of the Scan tab while you do: in this version it always shows 100, whatever the scan finds.
How to tell if your rental has hidden cameras the network can't see
Bluetooth does not need a password. Tap Scan BLE on the Scan tab and carry the phone from room to room. The list refreshes about four times a second, strongest signal first, and a red SUSPICIOUS tag appears on any name containing a camera word. In an empty flat the list is short. Once your own earbuds and watch are accounted for, there should be next to nothing left.
Anything still advertising in an empty room is worth a walk. Tap it, watch Signal (RSSI), and move until the number climbs. Above -50 dBm the app says you are under a metre away. Tap Stop BLE when you are done.
Room by room with the checklist
Open Inspect, tap New Inspection, type a name in Location name (e.g. Hotel Room 204) and tap Start. The 29 items are grouped by type (electronics, decor, bathroom, ceiling and walls, entry), each with a one-line tip. The tip under Smoke Detector is the one that matters most in a house: real detectors have no lens, so look for one, or for a USB port.
One real limit: the checklist is one list of 29 items, not one list per room, and a new inspection replaces the old one on screen; there is no way to go back to the earlier one. A workable approach: name the inspection after the address, work through the place one room at a time, and only tick an item once it has been checked in every room that has one. Bedroom and bathroom first, since that is where a camera does the most harm. The percentage is not worth watching closely; the tips are the useful part.
| Items ticked | Shown in the app |
|---|---|
| 8 of 29 | 27% |
| 19 of 29 | 65% |
| 24 of 29 | 82% |
| 28 of 29 | 96% |
For the spots the tips flag in red (Air Vent / Duct, Ceiling Corners, Hooks (coat, robe), Mirror), wait until dark, open Camera Tools, choose Lens Finder, tap Start and switch to Torch On. A lens throws the torch light back as a tiny steady dot. Dust and glitter sparkle and move as you move.
What this cannot find, and what is free
- A camera recording to a memory card with no Wi-Fi, or one that is switched off. Only looking finds these.
- A camera on a network you are not on: a neighbour's Wi-Fi, a separate network the owner kept, or mobile data.
- A camera on your Wi-Fi with a plain name that only advertises a web page scores 10 and shows Low.
- Microphones, audio bugs, AirTags and GPS trackers. The app does not identify any of them.
- No report or PDF to send a landlord. Use your own camera app to photograph what you find.
Every tool on this page is free with no scan limit. The free version shows ads and opens an upgrade screen after a Wi-Fi scan that found something; close it and the list is still there. The optional Pro upgrade removes the ads and those prompts and adds nothing else you need for a move-in sweep.
Questions and answers
How do I check my house for hidden cameras or bugs?
What do hidden cameras look like in smoke detectors?
Can a landlord put cameras inside the house?
I already changed the Wi-Fi. Is the scan still useful?
You might also like
More PrivacyScan guides
- How to find hidden cameras connected to Wi-Fi with your iPhone
- How to find hidden Bluetooth devices and cameras on your iPhone
- How to find a hidden camera with your phone flashlight
- Can an iPhone camera see infrared light? Try the remote-control test
- How to Check a Hotel Room or Airbnb for Hidden Cameras Without Wi-Fi
- Where hidden cameras are usually placed: a 29-point room checklist
- Do hidden camera detector apps really work?
- How do you detect a hidden camera in an office?
- How do you check for a camera in a changing room?
- All questions about PrivacyScan
- Back to PrivacyScan