# beacons: surveillance scanner — See the devices watching you

> Detects and maps surveillance devices broadcasting over WiFi and Bluetooth. (iPhone/iPad app by Soyboi LLC.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beacons-surveillance-scanner/id6781841861 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Soyboi LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/6780344817)
- Category: Utilities, Navigation
- Price: Free
- Rating: 5.00/5 from 2 App Store ratings
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 18.0 · 7 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2026-08-31
- Data updated: 2026-09-28
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beacons-surveillance-scanner/id6781841861/reviews.md

## What is beacons?

beacons finds the cameras, trackers, and other recording gear broadcasting around you and puts them
on a live map on your phone. A lot of modern surveillance gear announces itself over WiFi and
Bluetooth. beacons listens for those signals so you can see what's nearby.

beacons is the free, open-source companion app for the beacons detector, a pocket receiver that
pairs with your phone over Bluetooth. No detector yet? Open the app and tap "See how it works" on
the first screen to explore the whole app on sample data, with no hardware and no permissions
required.

WHAT IT FINDS
- Automated license-plate readers: known fixed sites shown on a map, plus a live flag when nearby gear actually broadcasts over WiFi or Bluetooth (a bonus, not a guarantee, since many report home over cellular and stay silent)
- Networked and WiFi cameras from known camera brands, professional and consumer (optional, off by default)
- Bluetooth trackers like AirTags (optional, off by default, so everyday tags don't bury the rest)
- Drones broadcasting Remote ID overhead
- Body-worn and wearable cameras in range
- Recording glasses, by the vendor IDs in their Bluetooth broadcasts
- Anything you star: teach it your own category and it calls that device out every time it's near

PRIVATE BY DESIGN
- The detection side only listens. It never jams or spoofs, and can't track or affect any other device. The only thing the detector transmits is the Bluetooth link to your own phone.
- No account, no cloud, no telemetry. Every detection stays on your device unless you explicitly
  export or send it.
- The app and the firmware are fully open source, so you can read exactly what it does.

HOW IT WORKS
- Every detection lands on a live map with signal detail and history.
- An optional Drive mode keeps a live counter on your lock screen while you travel.
- An opt-in community layer also maps known fixed plate-reader sites near you, drawn from the DeFlock project and OpenStreetMap contributors, as a reference on top of live detection.
- Free firmware updates install over Bluetooth, so it keeps recognizing new gear.
- Spotted a device it mislabeled or missed? Share that capture from the app to help improve detection. It is manual and optional, and nothing leaves your phone unless you send it.

HONEST ABOUT LIMITS
It hears what announces itself over WiFi and Bluetooth, not what stays silent. Wired and purely
optical systems won't show up, and neither will gear that reports home over its own cellular link,
which some fixed plate readers do. A quiet screen means nothing spoke up, not that you're unwatched.

beacons needs the beacons hardware for live detection. Learn more at soyboi.tech.

## Key features

- Detects WiFi and Bluetooth broadcasting devices
- Live map display of detected gear
- Identifies license-plate readers, cameras, and trackers
- Open-source and privacy-focused design
- Optional drive mode with lock screen counter
- Community layer for known fixed sites


## Frequently asked questions about beacons

### What devices can beacons detect?

beacons can detect devices broadcasting over WiFi and Bluetooth, including automated license-plate readers, networked cameras, Bluetooth trackers like AirTags, drones broadcasting Remote ID, body-worn cameras, and recording glasses. It can also be taught to identify custom devices.

### Does beacons require the hardware to work?

Yes, beacons requires the companion beacons hardware for live detection. However, you can explore the full app functionality using sample data without any hardware or permissions by tapping 'See how it works' on the first screen.

### Is beacons free to use?

Yes, beacons is a free application. The app itself does not have any associated costs, and it is also open-source, allowing users to inspect its code.

### How does beacons protect user privacy?

beacons is designed with privacy in mind. It only listens for signals and does not jam, spoof, track, or affect other devices. All detection data stays on your device unless you explicitly export it, and there is no account, cloud, or telemetry collection.

### How often is beacons updated?

The latest version of beacons is 2.0.9, and it was last updated on 2026-09-22. Firmware updates are delivered over Bluetooth, ensuring the device keeps recognizing new gear.

### What are the limitations of beacons?

beacons can only detect devices that announce themselves over WiFi and Bluetooth. It cannot detect wired or purely optical systems, nor can it detect gear that reports home over its own cellular link. A quiet screen means no device broadcasted, not necessarily that you are unwatched.

### What is the age rating for beacons?

beacons has an age rating of 4+. This indicates it is suitable for a wide range of users, including children, with no significant content concerns.

### Does beacons have ads?

No, beacons does not contain advertisements. As a free and open-source application, it focuses on providing its core functionality without interruption from ads.

## Version history (last 4 releases)

### 2.0.9 — 2026-09-22

Ready for iOS 27: beacons is now built with Apple's newest tools and tested on iOS 27.
- Your beacon, remembered: once you pair, your beacon waits at the top of the connect screen, so reconnecting is one tap. No scan needed.
- A cleaner Clear log: clearing the log now also deletes the app's temporary copies of past exports and removes its detection notifications. Temporary export copies also clear themselves after an hour.
- Safer alerts: device names in notifications are cleaned up, so a nearby device can't disguise the text of an alert.
- Easier to read at large text sizes, and a clearer home screen widget when nothing is nearby.
- Plus second-radio update improvements, stability fixes, and nothing uploaded automatically, as always.

### 2.0.8 — 2026-09-13

The Log now has a search box and a strongest-signal sort, tells you how much of the log you are looking at, and gains a filter for devices you starred. Exports carry exactly what the Log is showing. The Map opens on the last 15 minutes with one tap for all history, and the gear and layers menus become a single Map options sheet. Pins sit where your phone was when the signal was strongest, so a stale board fix no longer parks a whole drive in one spot. Status, the Beacon tab and detection dossiers are reorganized, and board readouts go quiet instead of showing stale numbers. Eleven new help answers, plus screen reader and large text fixes.

### 2.0.7 — 2026-09-04

Ready for beacon 2.0.7: 
Higher contrast: brighter secondary text and clearer control edges. Follows your iOS contrast settings, or force it on under DISPLAY on the Beacon tab.

Update your beacon from the Beacon tab with one tap. With network camera detection on, the new firmware recognizes more camera makers on WiFi (Blink, Night Owl, SkyBell, Ezviz, Uniview and more) and grades Flock signals more carefully, so a name-only match no longer claims more confidence than the evidence supports.

Beacon updates now accept the new production signing key alongside the original key, so this update and every future one keeps installing on every beacon already out there. Update packages are still checked on your phone before anything is sent to the beacon.

Demo mode mirrors the 2.0.7 beacon.

### 2.0.6 — 2026-09-01

No release notes.

## Apps similar to beacons

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [QuietCheck Privacy Scanner](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/quietcheck-privacy-scanner/id6802415771) | — | Free | Utilities |
| [SmartWear Scanner](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartwear-scanner/id6781221784) | — | Free | Utilities |
| [Remote ID Drone Radar](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/remote-id-drone-radar/id6809578705) | 5.0 (1) | Free | Utilities |
| [Oureon](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/oureon/id6767263457) | — | Free | Utilities |
| [DroneDAA by uAvionix](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dronedaa-by-uavionix/id6760476059) | 5.0 (2) | Free | Utilities |
| [LensAware Smart Glasses Radar](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lensaware-smart-glasses-radar/id6770272103) | — | Free | Utilities |

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-28.*