Comparison

SmartWear Scanner vs beacons

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

SmartWear Scanner

Features
Read full description

Detect nearby Smart Glasses, Bluetooth wearables, smart watches, earbuds and other Bluetooth devices with SmartWear Scanner. Stay aware of nearby Bluetooth activity, review detected devices and monitor changes over time through a clean and easy-to-use scanning experience. FEATURES • Detect nearby Smart Glasses and Bluetooth wearables • Scan nearby Bluetooth devices in seconds • View device details including signal strength and estimated proximity • Monitor nearby Bluetooth activity in real time • Simple radar-style interface designed for quick awareness • Track nearby devices over time (Premium) • Clean, privacy-focused experience Free vs Premium Free • Scan Nearby Bluetooth Devices • View Device Details • 2 Free Device Tracking Sessions Premium • Unlimited Device Tracking • Ad-Free Experience IMPORTANT Notice SmartWear Scanner detects nearby Bluetooth devices that are actively broadcasting Bluetooth signals. It does not identify people, access personal information or determine whether a device is recording. Perfect for anyone who wants greater awareness of nearby Bluetooth devices, including Smart Glasses, Bluetooth wearables, smart watches, earbuds and other compatible devices. Support : ab.barnes2023@yahoo.com

About

beacons

Detects and maps surveillance devices broadcasting over WiFi and Bluetooth. It identifies cameras, trackers, and drones, offering a live view of nearby recording gear. Explore its features with sample data even without hardware.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

beacons is a free open-source companion app for the soyboi beacon detector. it 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 pairs the 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.

Screenshots

SmartWear Scanner4 screens
beacons4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: beacons at none against SmartWear Scanner's 1. beacons also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs monthly). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. SmartWear Scanner sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. beacons asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SmartWear Scanner ships an update monthly, beacons weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
SmartWear Scanner versus beacons: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSmartWear Scannerbeacons
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyWeekly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS17.6 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKhwanhathai BarnesSoyboi LLC

In-app purchases

1 purchases

SmartWear Scanner

One-time1
  • Unlock$7.99
None

beacons

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SmartWear Scanner free?
SmartWear Scanner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is beacons free?
beacons is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do SmartWear Scanner or beacons have ads?
SmartWear Scanner shows ads; beacons does not.
Which is updated more often, SmartWear Scanner or beacons?
SmartWear Scanner ships an update monthly, and beacons weekly. Most recently, SmartWear Scanner was updated on October 9, 2026 and beacons on October 24, 2026.

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