The questions
Four questions live here. Three checked so far.
- Is there an app that blocks spam calls?yes
- Is there a website that can check if a link is safe?yes
- Is there an app that can detect hidden cameras?partly
- Is there a device that can detect airtags?being checked
The things
Every thing we've checked here. From 3 checked questions.
Vendors measure free use differently, so we show their own units.
Checks a URL, domain or file against over 70 antivirus scanners and URL or domain blocklisting services.
- Free
- Free to end users for non-commercial use under its Terms of Service.
- Paid
- price not checked
- Best at
- Showing many scanners' verdicts in one place; you can submit via the website, browser extensions or the API.
- The catch
- VirusTotal says it simply aggregates the output of different antivirus vendors and URL scanners and does not produce any verdicts of its own, so a clean result is not a guarantee.
- web
- chrome
- api
A tool in Google's Transparency Report that lets anyone check whether a site contains content Safe Browsing has flagged as dangerous.
- Free
- Free to use; no account shown on the pages we read.
- Paid
- price not checked
- Best at
- Checking a link against the same Safe Browsing data that Chrome uses to warn people before they visit a dangerous site.
- The catch
- It only reports what Safe Browsing has flagged, so a site that isn't flagged is not proven safe.
- web
Website reputation checker that scans an address against 30+ blocklist engines and online reputation services.
- Free
- Basic website scanning is free; a paid API (URL Reputation API by APIVoid) exists, price not checked.
- Paid
- price not checked
- Best at
- Showing which blocklists flag a site, plus its IP address, domain creation date and server location.
- The catch
- It says data submitted is shared with security companies, so do not paste private links such as password-reset or document-share URLs.
- web
- api
Built-in iPhone settings (Screen Unknown Callers, set to Silence) that silence calls from numbers not in your contacts and send them to voicemail, plus call screening that asks callers to say why they are calling.
- Free
- Built into the Phone settings; no separate price.
- Paid
- price not checked
- Best at
- Needing no extra app: Apple says Silence Unknown Callers automatically silences calls from numbers not in your contacts and sends them to voicemail.
- The catch
- Apple advises adding expected callers such as family, friends, your child's school or your doctor's office to Contacts so their calls ring, and says calls are not screened while you are roaming.
- ios
Caller ID and spam protection in Google's Phone app, with warnings about potential spam callers and, on Pixel phones, Call Screen.
- Free
- Built into the Phone app on supported Android devices (Android 6.0 and up for basic caller ID and spam protection).
- Paid
- price not checked
- Best at
- Warning you about likely spam callers: Google says it gives information about callers outside your contacts or warnings about potential spam callers.
- The catch
- Google says not all spam calls and robocalls can be detected, and its numbers of unknown callers are sent to Google for identification. Call Screen needs a Pixel phone and does not work while roaming.
- android
Caller ID and spam-blocking app that says it identifies and blocks spam calls and helps search unknown numbers.
- Free
- Free to download, but the UK App Store listing says caller ID and spam blocking on iPhone need a paid subscription.
- Paid
- from £2.99 per month
- Best at
- Identifying unknown numbers: the App Store listing describes spam detection plus a search for unknown numbers.
- The catch
- Its UK App Store privacy label lists data linked to you, including purchases, location, contact information, search history and identifiers, and the listing carries user reviews saying some blocked numbers still get through.
- ios
Spam-blocking and caller ID app.
- Free
- Free to download with in-app purchases (UK App Store); which features are free is not stated.
- Paid
- from £2.99 per month (Lookup Plan)
- Best at
- Caller ID and spam warnings, per its UK App Store listing.
- The catch
- The UK App Store listing says its AI voice detection and intelligent call screening are only available in the United States and Canada, and that features vary by device, OS, carrier and plan.
- ios
A network-level feature of Vodafone's Secure Net Mobile that flags scam, spam and nuisance calls on screen before you answer.
- Free
- Free for the first three months for Vodafone customers, then paid.
- Paid
- from £2 per month
- Best at
- Working with nothing to download: Vodafone says it works automatically in the background for Secure Net Mobile customers.
- The catch
- Only for Vodafone mobile customers, and it is part of Secure Net Mobile, which costs £2 a month after the first three months free.
- network
An O2 network feature that checks phone numbers and tells you when a call might be a scam or spam, alongside Brand ID for genuine business callers.
- Free
- Free to eligible O2 customers (Pay Monthly custom plans, SIM Only plans, O2 Business accounts).
- Paid
- price not checked
- Best at
- Showing a warning for possible scam or spam calls at no extra cost to eligible O2 customers.
- The catch
- Only for O2 Pay Monthly custom plans, SIM Only plans or O2 Business accounts, and iPhone users need iOS 18 or later.
- network
A counter-surveillance kit with an RF detector and a lens finder, sold by US maker KJB Security Products.
- Free
- No free tier; a hardware kit.
- Paid
- from $799.99 (MSRP, USD)
- Best at
- Detecting wireless cameras by radio signal and finding lenses by LED reflection, which KJB says works whether devices are on or off.
- The catch
- KJB lists an MSRP of $799.99, with purchase through a dealer log-in and counter-surveillance sales final. Nothing on the page covers UK shipping. Fing notes RF detectors can give false positives from routers and Bluetooth speakers.
- hardware
A 2021 research system, recorded by Yonsei University, that uses a phone's time-of-flight sensor to find lens reflections.
- Free
- Not a product; no pricing.
- Paid
- price not checked
- Best at
- In the researchers' test with 379 participants it reached an 88.9% detection rate, against 46.0% using just the naked eye.
- The catch
- It is a research paper, not a product we could link to for download, and it relies on a time-of-flight sensor on the phone.
- research prototype
Fing's guide describes shining a torch to catch lens reflections and using the front camera to spot infrared LEDs.
- Free
- Free: uses a torch and your phone's camera.
- Paid
- from Free
- Best at
- A free way to catch lens reflections and some infrared LEDs, with no extra equipment.
- The catch
- Not all phone cameras show infrared equally, per Fing's guide.
- any phone
The answer key
Three honest answers.
yes
yesReal things do this today. Here's the shortlist.
partly
partlyThings exist, but they only do some of it, or not well.
not really
not reallyNothing does this properly. We say so, and point to the nearest fix.