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Airbnbs and homestays have changed the way we travel nowadays. Any person traveling abroad and exploring like a local would recommend staying at an Airbnb. Airbnb facilitates individuals to live whenever they want to, at a relatively lower price.
However, there have been many upcoming hidden camera cases in rooms lately. A recent March 2022 news also covers a story about an Airbnb owner planting a hidden camera in the rooms and allegedly recording videos of their guests in Comfort, Texas.
It’s not only about Airbnbs and other Homestays. A person must be responsible enough to guide his own privacy in these times. If you’re planning to go on a vacation or a trip in the next few days, you must know how to check hidden camera.
Obviously, you can’t expect to find the cameras with bare eyes. You have to spy a little to find them.
Read these hacks on how to check for cameras in hotel rooms.
Table of Contents
How To Check For Cameras In Hotel Rooms?
You can check for hidden cameras in your hotel rooms by physically inspecting every corner of the room and checking on things that appear to be suspicious.
You can also use the phone flash technique or make a phone call. Many apps and camera detector gadgets are also available online to detect and locate hidden cameras.
If you want to know how to detect hidden cameras in a room, you’re in the right place. We will show you simple and easy hacks by which you can find out if there is any hidden camera or bug located in your room or not. You can easily protect your privacy without using any superficial and expensive tools.
The best part? You can perform the steps without the requirement of any professional knowledge. This guide will tell you exact step-by-step hacks you can try to detect any camera hidden in your room.
So, let’s begin!
How To Detect A Camera In A Room
The first thing you should always do to check for a hidden camera in your room is a physical inspection. It is essential, and to do it properly, go through the following hacks:
A General Inspection
Always remember that a camera requires three things to function effectively. Below are the three things:
- A reliable power source (batteries or access to cable connection)
- Enough light to record
- Area to record
Cameras can also be fitted in the ceilings or walls, and it is comparatively difficult to locate those cameras. However, the chances of cameras present on walls are significantly less because it requires additional construction costs.
Putting batteries in cameras is not a sustainable idea because they will expire faster, so in 90% of the cases, the cameras would have access to a cable connection.
Most of the time, you can find cameras hidden in objects which are of everyday use because people usually don’t pay much attention to those objects. So look at those items carefully, especially the ones facing your bed.
Below is a list of all the items that can contain a spy camera, so make sure to check these items properly after entering your room.
- AC adapter
- TV
- Smoke Detector
- Ashtray
- DVD player
- Mirror
- Alarm clock
- Table or Standing Lamp
- Coffee Cups
- Flower Vase
- Power outlet
- Wall Clock
- Cupboard
- Telephone
- Hot Water Geyser
- Shower Faucet
- Light Bulbs
- Curtain Rods
Check all these items carefully. They might contain a hidden camera. Don’t forget to check the items that face your bed directly.
Divide The Room Into Quadrants
Read this if you’re wondering ‘how to find hidden cameras in hotels.’ For an effective inspection, stand at the center of your room and divide the room into four sections. Now go to each section at a time and look for the spy cameras in hotels.
Splitting the room into sections will help you properly inspect the room and objects without skipping any suspicious items.
Making Proper Observations
Now do a proper scan and look at all the objects present in the room. Don’t forget to look at the objects facing your bed directly. Carefully check at all the objects you find suspicious. If you don’t know the use of any object kept in a room, simply cover it with a cloth or put it in the drawer.
Look if there are any unusual holes in the ceiling and if there are, cover there too.
How To Check Camera In Hotel Room Using Mobile?
If you didn’t find any hidden camera through physical inspection, take out your phone and use it. Don’t know how to find a hidden camera in room by mobile? Check out the ways to do it:
Make A Phone Call
If you want to detect a hidden camera, simply make a phone call. Hidden cameras create interference during the calls. If you feel something is wrong or have heard some weird nieces, then know there is a spy camera nearby.
Make a phone call and take a tour of your room. Stop where you feel there is an interruption.
Use Your Cellphone Flash
Can cell phones detect hidden cameras? Obviously, they can. All the cameras, including a spy camera, will have lenses that will reflect when flashing light upon it. How to do this hack?
Switch off all the lights in your room. Cover the windows with curtains so that no sunlight enters the room. Now, take out your phone and produce a flashlight on all the objects kept in the room. If there is any reflection, no something is fishy and check it carefully.
Download the application to scan the presence of a camera
Didn’t find any camera in the room but still felt a little weird? Is there an app to detect hidden cameras? Yes, there is. Use mobile applications to scan the presence of recording equipment present in your room. Applications like detectify and radarbot can search for frequencies and detect the cameras.
Find Hidden Cameras In The Room By Checking The Mirror
You should always inspect a mirror to check if it is two-way or not. How can you tell if a hotel mirror is a camera? The ideal way of checking a mirror is by touching it using your fingertip.
Simply touch the mirror using your finger. If there is a gap between your finger and reflection, then it’s alright. Usually, there is a quarter-inch gap between your finger and its reflection. If you put a finger and there is no gap, you should inspect it further.
Another way of checking a mirror is by switching off the light and producing a flashlight over the mirror. If it reflects, there is a problem.
Make Sure To Check All The Outlets
Cameras need a source of power connection to function effectively. Camera batteries are available but are not sustainable because they die fast. So, in 90% of the cases, the battery would have a cable connection.
Check all the cables, power plug sockets, and electrical outlets. If possible, cover them too.
What To Do If You Find A Hidden Camera In Your Room?
First, chances are significantly less that you will find a hidden camera in your room. Still, if you find one, don’t panic. Just report the law enforcement agencies and police.
Ensure not to temper the camera. Just take pictures and videos that can be used as a piece of evidence in the future. Report it to the manager and remember not to touch anything. Otherwise, they may use it as evidence against you.
Conclusion
If you’re planning to stay for the first time in an Airbnb or at any other homestay, be cautious. The odds are in your favor that you’re not being recorded but still check your room for any hidden camera to maintain your privacy. It is like traveling via car and putting on a seatbelt for safety, regardless of how much you trust the driver.
By chance, if you find a camera, do not panic. Simply take pictures and video to gather proof and call the police. Remember not to touch or temper the camera as it can be used as an evidence against you.
We hope we have provided you with almost all the tips on how to check for cameras in hotel rooms. Keep these in mind the next time you plan to stay in a hotel room.
