Ear Spy vs LanternScan
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Ear Spy
Amplify ambient sounds and bring distant voices closer in real-time using your phone's microphone and headphones. Features include environment presets, a 10-band equalizer, personal hearing calibration, and on-device live transcription. It prioritizes privacy with all processing done locally.
- Real-time sound amplification
- Environment presets
- 10-band parametric equalizer
- Personal hearing calibration
- Unlimited clip capture
- On-device live transcription
- Hearing-safety limiter
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Spy Ear turns your phone into a long-range listening device. With your microphone and headphones, you can amplify ambient sound in real time and pull faraway voices closer - a quiet conversation across the room, a distant speaker in a hall, the hum from the next room. WHAT YOU GET • 8 environment presets — Restaurant, Lecture, Whisper, Meeting, Outdoor, TV, Music, Balanced • Full 10-band parametric equalizer — shape every frequency yourself • Personal hearing calibration — a two-minute tuning that adapts every preset to your own ears • Unlimited clip capture — save what you heard, replay it through the same enhancement chain • On-device live transcription — see what is being said • Hearing-safety limiter — prevents sudden loud sounds from damaging your ears • Zero data leaves your phone — everything is processed on-device BUILT FOR REAL SITUATIONS Whether you want to follow a quiet conversation at dinner, catch every word in a lecture, hear the TV more clearly, or simply explore what's beyond your normal hearing range, Spy Ear gives you the sharper listening superpower in your pocket. Use of headphones is strongly recommended. SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED Spy Ear requires a paid subscription or a one-time lifetime purchase to use the full app after onboarding. Plans available: • Weekly with a 3-day free trial for new users • Lifetime one-time payment, no renewals Subscriptions automatically renew at the end of each weekly period at the published rate unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the renewal date. Payment is charged to your Apple ID account on confirmation of purchase. You can manage subscriptions and cancel anytime in your iPhone's App Store account settings. The free trial converts to a paid weekly subscription unless cancelled before the trial ends. Lifetime purchase is a single payment and does not auto-renew. PRIVACY FIRST All audio processing happens entirely on your iPhone. We do not collect, store, or transmit any personal data. The app has no accounts, no analytics, no tracking, and no third-party SDKs. Captured clips and your calibration profile stay on your device. Privacy Policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nWqZMQjT6nNW28ytWD5fZShar3SW4NLPhWC9fUCCPJw/ Terms of Service: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Lpr6Gtwyb_ofa5ABEUSc1JY4Y5DklugXPq5p3PkzT6M/ Note: Spy Ear is not a medical device, hearing aid, or substitute for professional audiological care.
LanternScan
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There's usually more smart devices around you than you think: a neighbour's speaker, a ring, a wifi plug you forgot about or a phone that isn't yours sitting on your WiFi. LanternScan finds BLE and WiFi devices near you and tells you what it thinks they are. For each device you get a best guess at the make and model, plus the evidence behind that guess so you can decide for yourself whether it makes sense. Anything you recognise, mark as familiar. Anything you don't, flag it and monitor closely. Features - device recognition or best guess - blacklist feature - distance from the source (BLE only) - advanced sensing with FingerBank (opt-in)
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: LanternScan at none against Ear Spy's 2. On price, ads, 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
Both are free to download. Ear Spy sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. LanternScan asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | Ear Spy | LanternScan |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (16 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 16 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Weekly | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Subscription | — |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 16.4 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 7 MB | 41 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Awais Muneer | Impossible Labs Ltd. |
In-app purchases
Ear Spy
- Weekly (with trial)3 Days trial$3.997 Days
- Lifetime$19.99
LanternScan
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Ear Spy free?
Is LanternScan free?
Do Ear Spy or LanternScan have ads?
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