I checked into a hotel and I was told that there was some suspicious activity going out in the hotel and there were some hidden cameras in the light bulb. I was amazed to listen to this Hollywood-type story but I had to find the hidden cameras in the light bulb. This article is all about finding the hidden camera in the bulb. Let’s dive in!
How can you tell if a light bulb has a hidden camera?
Turn the light off, then hold your phone up to the bulb and see if you notice anything inside reflecting back. This could indicate there’s a camera lens inside. Still, another indicator is a buzzing sound.
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#1. Use the Android App To Find the Hidden Camera in the Light Bulb
This app will help you find the camera. Get it on Android or on iOS. It works both infrared and with the magnetic camera detections. It’s interface is simple to find the camera and there are great review for it.
#2. Examine the Light Bulb
Normally cameras emit infrared lights which can be seen with naked eyes. Turn off all the lights in the room and see if you can see some purplish light in the light bulb. You can also use infrared light-detecting mobile apps for Android and iOS.
#3. Use Camera Detector Devices
If you are really concerned about your security and think that you live in a place where there are often cameras hidden in the light bulb then I will highly recommend getting a device from Amazon. There are a bunch of Camera Detectors with great reviews.
The camera detector devices look like those shown in the picture below!
#4. See Physical Locators in The Light Bulb
- Larger than typical bulb: If the bulb is larger than normal then it may have a camera hidden in it to adjust the size of the camera
- Small glass or plastic dome (potential lens)
- Small holes or slits (potential microphone)
- Reset button or switch: Unusual switches near the light bulb may be to reset the camera which indicate that there may be camera in the light bulb
#5. How Camera Hidden In The Light Bulb Look Like
A light bulb with the hidden camera can look like the one shown below.
In this example of the camera hidden light bulb, the camera is set for 360 degrees view and it comes with night vision technology so you need to be very cautious. The good thing is that it can b found with infrared light sensor.
Here comes the second example of the light bulb with a hidden camera.
Here it is important to notice that the bulb is of normal size but there are some slits and holes inside it which are not like a normal bulb.
The above picture shows a clear camera in the tip of the light bulb and it is easy to navigate with the naked eye. Just make sure th bulb is off.
Why is it important to find the hidden camera in the light bulb?
On the 6th of September 2021, police uncovered a massive network of hidden cameras in rooms live streaming unsuspecting guests. A friend discovered a cell phone under the sink in the bathroom at their Airbnb. An Indiana couple said they found a camera in a smoke detector. Thousands of people were paying to watch the live streams on a spy camera website.
Real-Time Hidden Camera Detection
Well, intrude TikTok made me buy it fashion. I bought a bunch of these gadgets, which I’m going to try out on my upcoming trip. Are these spy detectors real, or are they a waste of money? Well, let’s find out.
Test 1
So, this is the first tool we’re going to try, but essentially, they work the same. They’ve got this viewfinder that you’re supposed to look through as you pan the room. On the back, it’s got an LED light, which typically flashes, and the idea is that it will reflect off any hidden cameras that are actually installed in that location. All right, let’s begin the scanning.
So, we’ll bring it up to the lens. In your case, it will be your eye. Looks like a bit of an interesting movie scene going on here. But we’re in the bathroom now, and now we’re going to pan around the room. I’m not going to go against the mirror; otherwise, it’s going to blind you.
And as we carry on panning through, oh, there it is, you see, it’s reflective, you can very clearly see it, and if you’re actually looking at it without the camera, it’s even clearer. But you can see how instantly it spotted that as we moved around the room. Oh, let’s switch it off, and you can see the difference. So, someone with a little bit of skill would have done a superb job hiding the spy camera.
Test 2
All right, next up, we got the fancy schmancy detector. Now, this is a little bit different; it’s more expensive because you can actually search for radio frequencies. So, if you’re worried about having a bug planted in your room with the audio and the mic being transmitted, this is the one to go for. We’re registering hidden cameras today, so let’s put this one to the test.
Infrared cameras and various spy camera detection devices
And you can clearly see the reflective lens of the infrared camera reflect straight back at this. I will say again, it looks much better in the real world, not having to put this through my camera lens. Next up is the one that simply uses the power from your phone’s USB port, so no app involved. You simply go through the viewfinder like we did before. Once again, it detects it absolutely no problem.
Oh, which is the one to buy? Well, this is the cheapest ranging to the most expensive. Now, if you’re worried about somebody planting a bug and listening to your conversations, maybe in your boardroom or your hotel room, that’s the one to go for. But if you just want to make sure nobody’s creeping in on things that you’re doing behind closed doors, well, either of these would work. I prefer this one, but it’s a personal choice.
Devices on online marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, and AliExpress.
So, knowledge is power. Head over to places like Amazon and think like a creep and do a search for hidden spy cameras. What you’re looking for is to see what form they take on. Look at how darn cheap they are; it’s no wonder that they’re popping up everywhere. You want to know what the creeps are able to buy.
Common ones are smoke detectors, USB chargers are very, very common, and things like the hotel alarm clock. Whenever I see that, I simply disconnect it; I have my phone, I don’t need their alarm clock, thank you very much. I also head over to places like eBay and do the same search: hidden spy cameras. See what gadgets they are. But my favorite is heading over to AliExpress, doing a search for hidden spy camera, and look how it auto-completes.
This is for use in the bathroom. Essentially, it’s so popular that you’ve got to be really, really wary. Spend a couple of bucks, get yourself the USB detector, and protect yourself. And speaking of USB, check out this video over here where I put a tracker inside a USB stick. Also, check out this video over here. The YouTube things you should watch. Hit the head down here to subscribe if it’s your first time here, and I’ll see you in this video or in this video, or I’ll see you in a bit. Let’s go.
Incident discovering a hidden spy camera
I’m outside on this very hot South Florida day, but I have something very neat and interesting to share. You won’t see anything like this on YouTube. So, I had an organization come in in April and pretend to be insurance agents in case my home, let’s, you know, look for signs of weakness, hiding points, places to put bugs, things they can get into, etc. And a month later, in May, I found somebody at the exact second I was walking into the bathroom replacing my light bulb. So, I let them leave, and then I took it apart.
So, here we have the light bulbs around my bathroom mirror. Very simple, single wire connected to the LED part. And then they were actively putting in this bug here. Just look at this. How wild is that? So, this is the awesome power of the government. I don’t know who they think I am or what they’re trying to get me to do, but this is what they planted. And there is a very tiny… I thought I saw in here a little antenna in here, hiding. Oh, I think it’s connected to that part here at the top. Yep, there it is, right there. And so, this is the bug.
Can my iPhone detect listening devices?
Your iPhone camera can not only be used for taking pictures but also for detecting hidden cameras, GPS trackers, and listening devices in any room. To use your iPhone to detect hidden cameras, first install the hidden camera detector app on your iPhone from the provided link.
Smart TVs have hidden cameras
Cameras on Smart TVs are often found at the upper edges of the TV on the bezels. A small circle for the lens usually denotes these cameras. If the unit has thin bezels, these cameras are hidden within this location and usually pop out when needed.
Full so you can see that they’re made to look very similar to each other, almost identical. The average person would not be able