Check your Airbnb for hidden cameras, from booking to bedtime
A rental is someone else’s home, with plenty of places to hide a lens. Hidden Eye shows you where to look before you unpack.
Before you start
Airbnb has banned indoor security cameras in every listing worldwide since April 30, 2024. Outdoor cameras must be disclosed and can’t look inside. A short check tells you whether your stay keeps to that rule.
Hidden Eye helps before you book, when you arrive and while you sleep.
Between 2013 and 2023, guests filed about 35,000 support tickets with Airbnb about hidden cameras and recording devices, according to sworn testimony. Source: CNN
Where cameras hide
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Smoke detectors and alarms
Look for a lens or a dark hole facing the bed or the bathroom.
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Chargers, power banks and adapters
Spy cameras are sold as chargers. Check every one you didn’t bring.
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Bookshelves, plants and decor
Hosts decorate; a lens can sit between books or inside an ornament.
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TVs, speakers and smart home devices
Always on and connected. Device Scan shows what they really are.
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Bathroom mirrors and shower areas
The most sensitive spots. Do the Mirror Test and sweep with the Lens Finder.
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Clocks and picture frames
Classic hiding places, often facing the bed.
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Air vents and ceiling corners
High up with a wide view of the room.
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The router and anything plugged in near it
Wi‑Fi cameras need power and a network. Start your Device Scan here.
How to check, step by step
6 steps in the app · About 5 minutes on arrival
- 1
Check the listing before you book
Add up to 10 screenshots of the listing photos. AI flags anything that looks like a camera aimed at the bed or shower, and gives you a list of what to check first when you arrive.
- 2
Connect to the host’s Wi‑Fi
Device Scan lists the devices on the network and labels cameras and anything streaming video. Bluetooth devices nearby show up too.
- 3
Sweep every room with the Lens Finder
Start with the bedroom and the bathroom. Lenses blink back at the flash and get circled.
- 4
Turn the lights off
Infrared lights of night-vision cameras show up as glowing dots on your phone’s screen.
- 5
Take one photo for the AI Scan
It marks the objects worth checking and tells you which ones point at the bed or shower.
- 6
Test the mirrors
A fingertip on the glass tells a normal mirror from a two-way one in seconds.
What Hidden Eye does for you
The app picks the right checks for this place, tells you where to hold your phone and what each result means.
Device Scan Pro
Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth devices around you; cameras and trackers get a red label.
Lens Finder Free
The flash blinks; any tiny spot that blinks back is a lens, and the app circles it.
Lights-Off Test Free
Some cameras glow in the dark. Your phone’s camera catches what your eyes miss.
AI Scan Pro
One photo; AI marks spots worth checking and what points at the bed or shower.
Mirror Test Free
A fingertip test that tells a normal mirror from a two-way one.
Electronics Finder Pro
Hold your phone close to an object; it senses electronics hidden inside.
Good to know
- Run the Listing Check before you pay. If something in the photos is aimed at the bed, ask the host before you book.
- Scan right after check-in, so you can report a problem to Airbnb while it’s easy to rebook.
- Mark your own devices as safe in Device Scan, so only the unknown ones stand out.
- Keep the report: it has the date, the checks you ran and what you found.
Found something?
Don’t touch it. Photograph it, cover it, and report it. Our step-by-step guide has a ready message and your local emergency number.
What to do nowQuestions
Are cameras allowed in an Airbnb?
Not inside. Since April 30, 2024 Airbnb bans indoor security cameras in all listings, even if the host discloses them. Outdoor cameras must be disclosed in the listing and can’t look into the rental.
What do I do if I find a camera?
Don’t touch it. Take photos, cover it, leave if you feel unsafe and report it to Airbnb and the police. Hidden Eye gives you a ready message with the date for the host and the platform.
Can I check a listing before I book?
Yes. The Listing Check looks at screenshots of the listing photos and tells you what to look at first when you arrive.
More guides
Next room, changing room or car? Check it first.
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