I’d think this is useful info for any place you might stay that is strange to you.
How to check for hidden cameras in an Airbnb property
- The easiest way to find hidden cameras is an old-school sweep. Turn off all the lights and sweep a flashlight or your phone’s torch around the room. Go slowly, and look out for a glint of light as any camera lenses reflect the torchlight back.
- Check items that could easily hide a camera, such as alarm clocks, shower heads or smoke detectors.
- Worried about two-way mirrors? There are a number of ways to check. Firstly see if the mirror lifts off the wall to check behind. Secondly, try the fingernail test. With a regular mirror, your fingernail and its reflection shouldn’t be able to touch. If they can, it could be a two-way mirror. Alternatively, turn all the lights out and shine your torch at the mirror. If you can only see the light’s reflection, it is probably a regular mirror. If it’s two-way, you may be able to see the area behind.
- Cameras may use infrared to detect movement in low light – and your phone can help spot this too. To test if it can, use a TV remote or similar and point it at the camera. Look out for a small, purple/pink light, which may be flashing or steady, on both the front and back cameras. Now you know what infrared looks like, turn out all the lights again and scan the room, looking for similar lights.
- If you’re regularly travelling, you may want to invest in a professional lens hunter, available from around £50.
- If you have access to the property’s WiFi, do a scan to see which devices are connected – but remember, the property may have more than one network, and not all cameras need to be online.
- If the property has a smart home device, such as an Amazon Echo Show or Google Nest Hub, check the camera tab to see if it is being monitored.
On the North River 