When booking a hotel room, we prioritize cleanliness and amenities. However, we often overlook privacy. Recent incidents of hidden cameras being found in hotel rooms and bathrooms have made this issue even more serious. Therefore, it's important to be vigilant to protect your privacy and that of your family. It's especially important to check for hidden cameras in the room. However, this doesn't require expensive equipment. You can also check using a smartphone camera and a flashlight. How to detect a hidden camera in a hotel room? Find out.

How to detect hidden cameras?

Hidden cameras use infrared (IR) light to record in the dark. This light is generally invisible to the human eye. However, some smartphone cameras can detect it.

First, turn off all the lights in your hotel room. Draw the curtains so the room is completely dark. Then, turn on your smartphone's camera and slowly move it around the room. Notice if you see any small, blinking lights on your phone's screen.

Check these places especially:
Look closely at the AC vent, TV, wall clock, and other places in the room where a small camera could be hidden. If you see a small, red, purple, or white glowing dot on your phone screen, there may be a camera or device with an infrared (IR) light in that area. However, just because you see a light doesn't mean there's a hidden camera.

You can also use your selfie camera.
This method may not work on every smartphone. Many smartphone cameras can't detect infrared (IR) light. In particular, many iPhones have IR filters on their rear cameras. So, if you don't see any light with your phone's rear camera, try scanning the room with your front camera or selfie camera.

Find the camera lens with a flashlight.
Your smartphone's flashlight can also help you find a hidden camera lens. Turn off the room lights and turn on your phone's flashlight. Shine a light on the AC vent, clock, TV, and other suspicious areas. Look for any small reflections that look like glass.

If there's a camera lens somewhere, it may glow when you shine a flashlight on it. This reflection may appear blue or white. If you see such a glow, examine the area carefully. However, not every shiny object is a camera lens. Such reflections can also be seen from other shiny glass surfaces in the room.

Smartphones aren't 100% reliable.
Consider using your smartphone's camera and flashlight as your primary method for finding hidden cameras. Not all cameras use infrared (IR) light, and not every phone camera can detect this light. Therefore, seeing a reflection somewhere doesn't necessarily mean there's a camera there.

What to do if you suspect a camera?

If you strongly suspect a camera in a suspicious location in your room, inform hotel management. If necessary, contact the police. Avoid opening or touching any suspicious devices yourself. Your privacy is important when spending time with your family in a hotel room. Therefore, upon arrival at the hotel, check your room for any suspicious devices.

PC: Navratra