Tech
Hello from the other side.
You don’t have to wait for Halloween to use a ghost hunting app. It’s a thrilling thing to do if you’re stuck at home, and even more fun to do with friends. Whether you go down to your creepy basement to talk to spirts, or venture through the woods looking for apparitions, you never know what you might find lurking in the dark.
In fact, an October 2021 survey of 2,000 people conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Phantom Wines revealed that over 63% of respondents believe in the paranormal in some form, and 44% have even had a personal paranormal encounter of their own. A third of respondents said they’ve felt a vague “unexplained presence” in their home, whether it was due to flickering lights or doors closing at random. And for the 23% who said they don’t believe in the paranormal, they admitted that they still wouldn’t want to “provoke” anything. (Looking at you, Ouija boards.)
Whether you want to debunk these claims, or prove once and for all that your hallway really is haunted, a ghost hunting app will come in handy. Most of them have heavy disclaimers stating that they can’t actually verify the presence of ghosts. But you know what? That shouldn’t stop you from playing around with tools like EMF meters or EVP recorders — and having yourself a spooky time.
Here, the 13 best ghost hunting apps that might help you detect paranormal activity.
1Ghostcom Radar Spirit Detector
This highly-rated ghost hunting app allows you to exchange messages with ghosts while locating where they’re standing. (Yikes!) It also provides “spiritual statistics” about the ghost’s emotional state, zodiac sign, etc. The creators call it spooky, mysterious — and a great party game.
2GhostTube SLS
The GhostTube SLS app uses your phone’s technology to detect “humanoid bodies” in your environment by projecting a grid of infrared light. If your phone is new enough, it’ll also give you night vision capabilities. Open the app the next time the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, and see if someone — or something — is hanging out in the shadows.
3Ghost Hunting Tools
Ghost Hunting Tools, available for iPhone and Android, includes an EMF reader that detects fluctuations in the electromagnetic field, and an EVP recorder, which picks up electronic voice phenomena — things IRL ghost hunters rely on to detect otherworldly spirits. It uses a 1000-word dictionary to help you guess the intention of the spirit. And while the app says it’s just for fun, the reviews claim otherwise. One June 2021 review is titled, in all-caps, “100% REAL.”
4iOvilus
This ghost hunting app produces speech from ghosts, called instrumental trans communication, based on changes to sensors on your phone. Who knows if it's real, or if it just relies on what your phone already knows about you to send you scary messages? Either way, it’s sure to be creepy. Note: iOvilus does not provide privacy details about how the app handles your data, meaning it could be potentially unsafe.
5Spirit Board
Ask the Spirit Board questions, or input text, and then wait for a ghost to respond. To really set the mood, the creators suggest darkening your room and lighting a few candles. Then, place your fingers on the planchette, Ouija-board style, to initiate a ghostly convo. If a spirit responds to your questions, the planchette will move to show their answer. With four stars and over 30,000 reviews on the App Store, you know you’ll be in for a spooky time.
6Ghost Detector — Haunted Radar
The Ghost Detector — Haunted Radar app claims to be the most accurate ghost detecting app. It works by picking up changes in electromagnetic fields to identify whether or not ghosts are present. Use it to search for spirits, or to scare your friends.
7Ghost Radar: CLASSIC
If you’re a skilled ghost hunter, then you probably already know that traditional paranormal equipment can malfunction if “normal energy” interferes with the readings. Ghost Radar: CLASSIC solves that problem for you by analyzing the readings only when interesting patterns occur. So rest assured that you can go about your investigation without being fooled by something mundane, like the sound of wind or water messing with your reading. Note: Users report that this app has distracting full-screen pop-up ads that link out to sites.
8Ghost Tracker EMF EVP Recorder
The Ghost Tracker EMF EVP Recorder is said to be one of the most accurate and veteran-approved ghost hunting trackers out there, according to a real paranormal researcher. In fact, in an interview with VICE in 2018, Kim Johnston, a paranormal researcher from Birmingham, Alabama, said, “I find that [app] useful because it’s built by genuine researchers and not people who are just trying to have fun or make an app that’s kind of a joke.” Rely on this one if you want to get good data.
Download Ghost Tracker EMF EVP Recorder for Apple for $3.99.
Download Ghost Tracker EMF EVP Recorder for Android for $5.99.
9Sono X10 Spirit Box
To switch things up, try the Sono X10 Spirit Box, which is another tool Johnston likes to use. To sum up what a spirit box is, the creators of the app made it simple: “It is not the spirit’s voice you hear, but the spirit can create words from the voice bank by manipulating the mobile’s sensors.” Um, creepy!
10Paranormal EMF Recorder and Scanner
This app is aimed at anyone who has an interest in paranormal investigation and research. It offers “fun and easy to use” EMF detection, automated EMF recording, and the ability analyze your findings right in the app. Get ready to hear some ~ghostly voices~.
11OVERNIGHT Ghost Hunt Toolbox
Here’s one that has everything you need to conduct a full paranormal investigation. You’ll get a spirit box, digital dowsing rods, an entity detector, and more. Once you’ve finished collecting data, go ahead and share what you found in the “community” section.
12Ghosthunting Toolkit
This app supplies you with five powerful ghost-hunting tools, including an EMF detector, a vibration detector, power detector, an EVP recorder, and even an interrogation tool to interview intelligent haunts. Use the vibration detector to verify if your furniture is, in fact, shaking all on its own, and the power detector to “coax entities into revealing their manifestation strength.”
Download Ghosthunting Toolkit for Apple for $5.99.
13Ghost Detector Radar Camera
Beware: This app is horrifying. To use it, brace yourself and walk around using the screen to hunt for ghosts. If one pops up, use the app to ask them questions. It’s an “ultra-realistic experience” that might as well be real, especially if you’re using the app alone.
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