How to find hidden cameras in hotels and house rentals!

Hidden cameras are increasingly found in various settings, including hotel rooms, house rentals, cruise ships, and airplane bathrooms. These cameras are becoming smaller, harder to find, and easier to buy.

They can be embedded in household items and streamed to phones. Some voyeurs may sell the footage to porn sites, raising concerns about privacy.

My team hid 27 cameras in a home, providing with recommended devices for five rounds of tests to determine the most effective method.

Test 1: Using the ‘naked eye’

The "naked eye" test was used to examine rooms, and Victor Loh found one camera embedded in a working clock, despite the clock's incorrect time, costing $0 and revealing its camouflage.

Test 2: Using a mobile phone

A user downloaded Fing, an app that scans Wi-Fi networks for cameras, and used his phone's flashlight to locate three hidden cameras. The app showed 22 devices connected to the home's Wi-Fi, but no cameras.

The team connected hidden cameras to a second wireless network, bypassing the main network. Most hidden cameras are made in China, where they are banned. The app costs $25/year for subscription.

Test 3: Using a radio frequency detector

A search for hidden cameras led to the use of handheld devices like radio frequency detectors. These devices work when cameras are connected to Wi-Fi, but are prone to false alarms.

Despite having a built-in lens detector, the beeping was distracting and failed to locate any cameras, costing $100-$200.

Test 4: Using a lens detector

Next up: a basic lens detector, which is cheap, portable and easy to use. The device emits infrared light, which reflects back from a camera lens as a red dot.

The problem? You must be close to the camera for it to work.

Despite its popularity online, Victor found only two cameras with this device — one in an essential oil diffuser, and the other in a Wi-Fi mesh device. Cost: $50 | Cameras found: 2

Test 5: Using an advanced lens detector

Victor used a sophisticated lens detector, resembling binoculars, to locate 11 cameras in a test. The device works from a distance, allowing Victor to see cameras in brightly-lit or dark rooms. The angle of the lens was crucial for locating the cameras, costing $400.

The final outcome

Victor found 17 out of 27 hidden cameras, but not great due to the time spent locating them. Social media posts about hidden cameras have increased 400% in the past two years, but cameras still have the upper hand in this cat-and-mouse game, according to data company Sprout Social.