How to check a speaker for a hidden camera

Where the lens hides in a speaker

Nearly always behind the grille. On a fabric-covered speaker, the lens looks through the weave, often near the center or just above the brand-style badge. On a perforated metal or plastic grille, the lens lines up with one of the holes, which may be slightly larger or rounder than the rest. A few models use the power button ring or a small dark panel on the front that looks like a display window.

The lens faces the same way the speaker faces. People aim speakers at where they sit or lie, so a camera speaker placed normally already points at the bed or the sofa.

Why the magnetic sensor does not help here

Every speaker driver has a permanent magnet in it, and it is strong. Bring any phone close to a real speaker and the magnetometer reading jumps, camera or no camera. So on a speaker, the magnetic sensor tells you nothing useful. A spike is exactly what a genuine speaker produces. It is better to skip this check on speakers than to be alarmed or reassured by it.

Reading a Bluetooth scan full of speakers

The Bluetooth scan will see many legitimate devices: speakers, headphones, TVs, watches, fitness bands and the phones of people nearby. A speaker showing up in the list is normal. What matters is how Candor flags it. A device with a camera-style name is worth attention. A close device with no name at all, whose signal gets stronger as you walk toward the speaker, is also worth a look, because many cheap camera modules advertise without a clear name. A speaker named like a speaker, which you can pair with and play music on, is most likely just a speaker.

Keep in mind that many cameras do not use Bluetooth at all, and a camera speaker's Bluetooth may only belong to its music function while the video goes over Wi-Fi or to a card.

Checks that do work on a speaker

• Lens finder. Fabric grilles absorb light, so a lens behind one shows as a single bright point against a dark, matte surface. That makes speakers one of the easier objects for the flashlight method. Metal grilles are harder, with many small glints; look for the one that stays fixed as you move.
• Infrared check. In a dark room, the front-camera infrared check may show a faint glow through the grille if the camera has night vision.
• Wi-Fi camera scan. Many camera speakers stream to an app. On the same network, Candor can flag a device that offers a live video stream. A normal Bluetooth-only speaker should not appear as a video device.
• Your eyes and hands. Look for a memory card slot or a second USB port on the back, a lens-sized hole in the grille, or a speaker that sounds thin and tinny for its size because the camera took the space.

If a speaker looks suspect

Turn it to face a wall or put it in a drawer; that is safe and does not damage it. Photograph it first, including the grille and any ports. Report it to the host, hotel or landlord, and to the platform for a rental. For a wider look at how phone checks fit together, see the hidden camera finder guide.

Check a speaker in five steps

1. Sweep the grille in the darkTurn off the lights, open the Candor lens finder and hold the phone about an arm's length from the grille. Tilt slowly. One steady pinpoint against the fabric or among the holes is what you are after.
2. Look at the back and baseCheck for a memory card slot, an extra port or a reset pinhole that a plain speaker would not need.
3. Walk the Bluetooth scanRun the Bluetooth scan, then move closer to the speaker and scan again. Note any unnamed or camera-style device whose signal climbs as you approach.
4. Run the Wi-Fi camera scanOn the same Wi-Fi, look for a device flagged for offering video. A plain speaker should not be one of them.
5. Turn it away and reportFace the grille to the wall or put the speaker away, take photos, and tell the host or property manager.

Frequently asked questions