No more sneaky peeks: This Jamia Hamdard student's app lets you detect hidden cameras in public spaces

We're talking of a pre-COVID world, where it was normal for people to use trial rooms and try on any number of clothes that they find desirable. However, keeping all the excitement about new clothes and flashy dressing room lights aside, almost every woman's eyes go up the ceiling, on the hanger, the mirror and almost every corner where there could be a hidden camera. It's the same worry that haunts you when you're inside a public restroom or even a hotel room.

Faisal Javed had heard of many such incidents in the past. So, when it was time for his final year project submission, this BTech student from Jamia Hamdard University did not think twice. In a month, he developed a mobile application named Night Cam Simulator which detects hidden cameras around you, even at night. "The presence of hidden cameras is an issue that people, mostly women, deal with. It even prevents them from using public spaces," says Faisal.

He then goes on to explain its working. "There is no external device here. The app merely uses the compass present in mobile phones. It uses its magnetic field to detect the magnetic field of a camera," he says.  The app detects cameras that are 10-15 centimetres away from it. "Sadly, that is the maximum frequency that a mobile's magnetic field has. You may have to move closer to surfaces to detect cameras. The minute a camera gets detected, the mobile beeps and the app sends you an indicator," he says. Cameras with infrared light can also be detected using the app's Night filter. The app is currently designed for Android and is available on Google Play store.