Room Check Checklist
A 3-minute check for hotel rooms, vacation rentals and cars. Print it, screenshot it, or keep this page open on your phone.
1. Quiet the room
- Unplug your own chargers and devices you don't need.
- Turn off Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth on your phone, smartwatch and laptop, or leave them outside the room. Anything that transmits can set off a signal scan.
2. Sweep for signals
Walk slowly and pause for a few seconds at each spot. Start on high sensitivity, then turn it down as the alert speeds up.
- Smoke detectors and air purifiers
- Alarm clocks, USB chargers and power strips
- Outlets, vents and light fixtures
- TVs, speakers, streaming boxes and routers
- Picture frames, mirrors and decor facing the bed, shower or toilet
3. Look for the lens
- Dim the lights or close the curtains.
- Look through the detector's red filter with the infrared LEDs on and scan the same spots.
- A camera lens shows up as a small, sharp red point that stays in place as you move. Glass and shiny plastic reflect too, so take a closer look before you decide.
In the car
- Use the highest sensitivity in open spaces.
- Check the OBD port under the steering wheel, under the seats, the bumpers and the wheel wells.
- Trackers that only store data don't transmit, so add a quick visual check with a flashlight.
If you find something
- Don't unplug or break it. Take photos of where it is.
- Contact the hotel front desk, the host or the rental platform, and ask for another room or a refund.
- If you believe you were recorded, contact the local police.
No checklist or device can promise to find everything. Doing both checks, signal and lens, covers the two ways cameras get hidden.