Privacy guide
How to find hidden cameras in a room
Hidden cameras and voice recorders turn up in hotel rooms, short-term rentals, gym locker areas, clinic exam rooms and public restrooms. You do not need special hardware to check a room — you need a method, good light and about ten minutes. This is the same sequence EyeSky walks you through, written out so you can use it right now.
The five-step sweep
1. Start from where you are vulnerable
Stand at the bed, the shower, the changing corner or the exam table — then turn around slowly and note every object with a straight line to that spot. A camera has to see you, so sightline narrows the search enormously.
2. Lights off, torch beside your eye
Switch off the room lights, hold your phone torch next to your eye and sweep slowly. A lens returns a distinct pinpoint blue or violet glint straight back at you. Move your head as you scan — the reflection only shows at the right angle.
3. Inspect the usual shells
Smoke detectors with an off-centre dark circle, mirrors that fail the fingertip test, modified vents and shower heads, clock radios, USB chargers, power strips and air purifiers. Microphones need an air path, so pin-sized holes drilled in odd places matter too.
4. Read the network names
Open your phone's Wi-Fi list and, where available, the router's device list. Names containing IPC, DVR, CAM, a camera vendor, or a bare hardware address are worth a second look — as are always-listening speakers and displays in a room that should not have them.
5. Document, do not touch
If something looks wrong, photograph it exactly where it sits, note the time and room number, leave, and report it to management and the police. Unplugging or moving a device destroys the evidence that it was pointed at you.
Hotel rooms and short-term rentals
The highest-risk spots are bed sightlines and the bathroom.
Any device with a clear line to the bed
Check clock radios, TV bezels, wall art and the desk lamp facing the bed.
Bathroom vent or shower head looks modified
Vent slats with something dark behind them, or a shower head with a flat centre.
Smoke detector / alarm has an off-centre lens or pinhole
Look straight up. A genuine detector has a test button and vents, not a small dark circle set off to one side.
Mirror fails the knuckle + light test
Press a fingertip to the glass. A gap between finger and reflection means normal mirror. No gap can mean two-way glass.
A flashlight sweep produced a blue/violet retro-reflection
Kill the lights, hold a torch beside your eye and scan slowly. Lenses bounce a distinct pinpoint glint back at you.
Unexplained wire, USB brick or adapter aimed at the room
Chargers, clocks, air purifiers and power strips are the most common concealment shells.
Unfamiliar camera-style device names on the local network
On shared Wi-Fi, names containing IPC, DVR, CAM, or a bare MAC-style label deserve a second look.
Pin-sized holes near vents, frames or fixtures
Microphones need an air path. Tiny drilled holes in odd places are a red flag.
Public and airport restrooms
Check the stall before you close the door, not after.
Object wedged in the stall gap, hinge or door frame
Scan the underside of the toilet paper holder and the top of the stall wall.
Displaced ceiling tile or new-looking fixture
A tile that sits proud of the grid may hide a downward camera.
Smoke detector / alarm has an off-centre lens or pinhole
Look straight up. A genuine detector has a test button and vents, not a small dark circle set off to one side.
Mirror fails the knuckle + light test
Press a fingertip to the glass. A gap between finger and reflection means normal mirror. No gap can mean two-way glass.
A flashlight sweep produced a blue/violet retro-reflection
Kill the lights, hold a torch beside your eye and scan slowly. Lenses bounce a distinct pinpoint glint back at you.
Unexplained wire, USB brick or adapter aimed at the room
Chargers, clocks, air purifiers and power strips are the most common concealment shells.
Unfamiliar camera-style device names on the local network
On shared Wi-Fi, names containing IPC, DVR, CAM, or a bare MAC-style label deserve a second look.
Pin-sized holes near vents, frames or fixtures
Microphones need an air path. Tiny drilled holes in odd places are a red flag.
Gym and pool changing areas
Objects left on locker tops are the classic placement.
Bag, bottle or towel positioned oddly on a locker top
Left-behind items facing the changing bench are a classic placement.
Coat hook, soap dispenser or vent with a lens hole
Hook cameras are cheap and common in changing areas.
Smoke detector / alarm has an off-centre lens or pinhole
Look straight up. A genuine detector has a test button and vents, not a small dark circle set off to one side.
Mirror fails the knuckle + light test
Press a fingertip to the glass. A gap between finger and reflection means normal mirror. No gap can mean two-way glass.
A flashlight sweep produced a blue/violet retro-reflection
Kill the lights, hold a torch beside your eye and scan slowly. Lenses bounce a distinct pinpoint glint back at you.
Unexplained wire, USB brick or adapter aimed at the room
Chargers, clocks, air purifiers and power strips are the most common concealment shells.
Unfamiliar camera-style device names on the local network
On shared Wi-Fi, names containing IPC, DVR, CAM, or a bare MAC-style label deserve a second look.
Pin-sized holes near vents, frames or fixtures
Microphones need an air path. Tiny drilled holes in odd places are a red flag.
What EyeSky adds
EyeSky does not sniff radio signals with your phone — no app can. What it does is walk you through this inspection venue by venue, score what you flag so you know when a room crosses into elevated or critical, explain any camera, microphone, speaker, lock or tracker name you type in, and keep a permanent, timestamped record of every sweep — which is what actually matters if you later need to report it.
This guide is general privacy information, not legal advice. Recording laws differ by country and state; report suspected illegal recording to local police.