How to tell whether a wall hook is hiding a camera

The lens is in the base, not the hook

The arm of a hook is thin metal or plastic, too narrow for electronics. So the camera, battery and memory card sit in the base plate that screws to the wall, and the lens looks out through the center of the base, usually right where the arm joins it or in a round boss just above or below. Some designs hide the lens behind a dark glossy disc that looks like a decorative inlay.

Because the base is flat against the wall, the camera sees straight out at whatever is across from it. A hook on the back of a bathroom door looks at the shower or toilet. A hook beside a bed looks at the bed.

What gives a camera hook away

• A hole or dark dot in the face of the base. Real hooks have a solid face, or two visible screws at the edges.
• Thickness. A normal hook base is a few millimeters deep. A camera base sticks out noticeably further from the wall, often 2 to 3 cm, to fit a battery.
• No visible screws. Many camera hooks attach with adhesive or a hidden bracket, because screws would get in the way of the module.
• A single hook where you would expect a set. One odd hook among matching ones, or in a different finish, stands out.
• A hook placed low or at a strange spot. A lone hook facing the shower from a height where nobody would hang a towel is placed for a view.
• A charging port on the underside. Look underneath the base for a small USB socket or a card slot.

Which Candor check fits a hook

The magnetic sensor is well suited to hooks. A real hook is a lump of solid metal or plastic with no power, so it may give a small steady shift but nothing that changes as you move across the base. A camera hook has a battery and board in a small space, and a slow pass over the base often shows a stronger rise at its center. Compare with another hook in the same room if there is one.

The lens finder checks the center of the base. Chrome and brushed metal hooks throw a lot of light back, so expect wide highlights on the arm. What you are looking for is a small, sharp dot in the base that stays fixed while the arm highlights slide as you move.

The Wi-Fi camera scan may show a streaming model if you are on the same network. Battery hooks often record to a card to save power, and those will not appear.

Handling a suspicious hook

Hang a towel or a coat over the hook so it covers the base. That blocks the view without touching the device. Photograph it first, including its position relative to the shower or bed. Do not unscrew it or pry it off; you could break the wall or the evidence. Report it to the host, hotel, landlord or platform, and to police if it faced a bathroom or bedroom. The bathroom checking guide lists other spots in that room to check.

Check a coat or towel hook

1. Look at the hook from the sideStand to one side and see how far the base sticks out from the wall. A deep base with no screws is the first thing to note.
2. Find what the base facesStand directly in front of the hook and turn around. Whatever you see is what a camera in the base would see.
3. Sweep the base with the lens finderDim the room and use the Candor lens finder from about one meter. Move in a slow arc and ignore the long streaks on the arm. Look for a small fixed dot in the center of the base.
4. Compare magnetic readingsCalibrate the magnetic sensor in the middle of the room, then pass the phone slowly across the base of this hook and of another hook nearby. A much larger rise on one is a clue.
5. Check underneathLook at the underside of the base for a port, a card slot or a switch.
6. Cover and reportHang a towel over it, take photos, and report it rather than removing it yourself.

Frequently asked questions