Girls What's Ur Greatest Paranoia Re:Airbnbs? 🥲

i’ll go first: hidden cameras.

and yessssss i *KNOW* that hidden camera detectors exist but if ure looking for a quality one that really works be prepared to spend at least $400+. if u manage to score a $50+ one and think u lucked out u shld also know that those detectors can have an accuracy rate of as low as <10% so all in all GG 🥲 but tbh srsly who has the money to figure all that out

which is why today, for the sake of the girlies who love their airbnbs but also do not wish to be privately recorded, i’ve done my hw to help u track down those nasty spycams, without having to burst ur budget. my only disclaimer is that none of these methods are 100% failproof on their own, BUT, when u combine them all tgt, they can actually be a pretty effective 360 strategy.

of cos if u have $$ to splurge go get that fancy detector NOW cos it will save u this trouble – but for all us other peasant gals, LISTEN UP.

[Post Note: altho i initially wrote this with airbnbs in mind, ive come to realize that it can be just as applicable if u live in hall, or if ure at a public restroom, fitting room, hostel… or even your ONS’s house 🫠 basically if u have a reason to be sus, BE SUS. in todays crazy world, we better be safe cos theres no time to be sorry.]

𝟭. 𝗗𝗥𝗔𝗪 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗧𝗔𝗜𝗡𝗦 & 𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗡 𝗢𝗙𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦

sounds almost neanderthal and too-basic-to-be-true but hear me out. this works bcos most hidden cameras (both wired AND wireless) have red or green LEDs that will blink or shine when in low-light conditions so this is def the first step to take, at least as a base.

when doing this, slowly pan around the room and look for any blinking lights. u can also shine every inch of space with a flashlight, and look out to see if you get hit back by any reflective light; if u do, u might have just caught a reflection from a lens.

pro tip: don’t forget to shine upwards too: smoke detectors/light bulbs are one of the most infamous hidden camera locations cos theyre so out of reach and sight.

𝙀𝙌𝙐𝙄𝙋𝙈𝙀𝙉𝙏 𝙉𝙀𝙀𝘿𝙀𝘿: Flashlight

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𝟮. 𝗨𝗦𝗘 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗠𝗢𝗕𝗜𝗟𝗘 𝗣𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗖𝗔𝗠𝗘𝗥𝗔

don’t turn on the lights just yet. after scanning the room with your flashlight, now do a second scan - but this time, with your front phone camera.

not to get too technical, but basically our mobile phone cameras have infrared detectors that help them capture images better in the dark; so when you use it in low-to-no light conditions, the hidden camera will literally show up on your screen as bright red dots, which is basically indicating to u that there is something there giving off infrared vibes (which can be many things, BUT ALSO a hidden camera).

𝙀𝙌𝙐𝙄𝙋𝙈𝙀𝙉𝙏 𝙉𝙀𝙀𝘿𝙀𝘿: Smartphone (the later the better)

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𝟯. 𝗣𝗨𝗧 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗘𝗥 𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗜𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗥 & 𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗖𝗞 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗚𝗔𝗣𝗦

the next time youre at 7-11 walk towards the back where you may find a door camouflaged by a mirror (it’s usually the door into their back office). most of the time, when you place the tip of your finger directly on the surface of this mirror, you will not see a gap between your fingertip and its reflection.

this means that you are looking into a one-way mirror, and anyone on the other side can see you perfectly clearly.

always do this to confirm that all mirrors in ur room/house are 2-way. if they are, you will notice a gap between your finger and its reflection. the easiest way to understand what im saying is to literally go up to ur mirror NOW and do it. u will see a gap. and then if u want to see what it looks like when there is no gap, just go around in public and keep doing this whenever u see a mirror. chances are you will stumble upon a 1-way mirror sooner or later

(p.s. 1-way mirrors in public does NOT mean ppl r secretly spying on u for nefarious reasons. most times theyre used for security purposes of the property. but that said, there is absolutely no reason for living/private spaces to have them so that is the only time u shld worry).

𝙀𝙌𝙐𝙄𝙋𝙈𝙀𝙉𝙏 𝙉𝙀𝙀𝘿𝙀𝘿: Your Finger

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𝟰. 𝗗𝗢𝗪𝗡𝗟𝗢𝗔𝗗 𝗔 𝗛𝗜𝗗𝗗𝗘𝗡 𝗖𝗔𝗠𝗘𝗥𝗔 𝗔𝗣𝗣

OF COS the accuracy rate of these apps r not going to be anywhere near your $400 detectors, but like i said, the more of these simple checks you combine and do together, the closer you come to achieving good efficacy.

there r many options available in your playstore so just find one that u like. basically, how it works is that a red glow will appear on your phone when it is near any hardware emitting radio frequency (RF), which MIGHT be a sign of a hidden camera. n i say “might”, because stuff like TV/ & Radio etc also emits RF so tldr, use this app more as a guide to streamline all the possible areas you need to double, triple check with a fine-toothed comb- rather than a confirmation that there is an actual hidden camera in the room.

𝙀𝙌𝙐𝙄𝙋𝙈𝙀𝙉𝙏 𝙉𝙀𝙀𝘿𝙀𝘿: A Hidden Camera Detector App

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𝟱. 𝗕𝗘 𝗔𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗧𝗬𝗣𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗟 𝗛𝗜𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗧𝗦

if you wanna be SUPER careful, after doing all the above, you can also visually just scope out all the potential hiding spots that ppl r talking abt on the internet. many of them are so ‘innocent’ it’s genius. apart from smoke dectectors & light bulbs which i alr mentioned, also keep in mind USB charging blocks, screw indents, wall or shelf décor or even common household items like clocks, air fresheners, bottles, toothbrush holders etc...

generally speaking, u can look out for weird/sus-looking clutter around a power outlet or electronic device – or even wires running thru walls or under furniture with no obvious end point.

be v informed, and then remember to check all these spots on arrival.

𝙀𝙌𝙐𝙄𝙋𝙈𝙀𝙉𝙏 𝙉𝙀𝙀𝘿𝙀𝘿: Pre-Arrival Research

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𝟲. 𝗦𝗖𝗔𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗜𝗙𝗜 𝗡𝗘𝗧𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞

this is more with regard to airbnbs and hostels. there are lots of apps that can scan a Wi-Fi network but if ure a tech noob like me, Fing is a good app to start with.

basically, it will show ALL the devices that are connected to a particular wifi network, so all u have to do is identify them one by one, and be wary of sus devices that you cannot trace down to anything. take note that stuff like printers, speakers, and now even a whole bunch of home appliances can be connected via wifi, so you will need to keep them in mind too. for most part, if u see weird letters and numbers, u can do a google check and see if it pulls any results (i.e. it might be the model for a home robot vacuum, that sorta thang). BUT, if there is anything u just CANNOT trace down or seems to even have been suspiciously and very ambiguously renamed, be on guard.

if u r sus on the verge of almost-confirmation, then just turn off the wifi and it will stop working. (sucky thing is then u better have backup plans for ur own data).

take note, this only works if the hidden camera is wireless, but between the check in the prev step (i.e. looking out for wires and stuff ard power outlets) and this network scanning method, at least you will be able to rule out both kinds of hidden cameras more holistically.

𝙀𝙌𝙐𝙄𝙋𝙈𝙀𝙉𝙏 𝙉𝙀𝙀𝘿𝙀𝘿: A Network Scanning App

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𝟳. 𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗦𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗠 𝗦𝗜𝗚𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗙𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘

if at some point along the way, your sus radar is going bonkers and u want to bring that over the bridge with a confirmation+chop, call someone.

many surveillance cameras also emit radio waves which disrupt nearby phone calls, so when on the call, walk around the room and listen for weird buzzing or crackling noises – if you have spot in mind, go really close to it and see what happens.

if your call starts breaking up, you know what you know.

𝙀𝙌𝙐𝙄𝙋𝙈𝙀𝙉𝙏 𝙉𝙀𝙀𝘿𝙀𝘿: Your Phone & A Human You Can Call

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stay safe, travelling girlies – and if u have your own safety tips to share, drop them below so that we can all stay alive tgt!

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