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EMF radiation is nothing to take lightly. To monitor the levels in your home, you’ll need the most precise app to ensure safety.
Are EMF apps accurate? EMF apps are able to detect radiation to some extent, but their accuracy is clouded by interference from your phone and from the earth’s magnetic field. Protective sleeves improve accuracy by limiting the radiation from your phone or tablet.
EMF (Electromagnetic Field) radiation is all around us, and with the conveniences of modern-day life there’s no escaping it. Harnessing its levels can save you and your family’s health and what would be more convenient than using your phone as a detector? Some monitoring apps are better than others, and I tested them out, so you don’t have to. Take a look to see what works.
How Do EMF Apps Work?
Modern-day smartphones come equipped with a magnetometer, which is a tool to measure magnetic forces. It’s already used as a compass in your map app and it can be used for EMF apps as well.
What the apps do is detect the level of magnetic field radiation in your area. This is never fully accurate because the app will detect not only the earth’s magnetic field but the actual magnetic field of the phone itself.
However, some apps use radio frequency alone to expose EMF radiation levels. This strategy is just as inaccurate because, again, your phone itself is a source of radiation and will interfere with the outer emissions you are attempting to detect.
Some argue using apps on your phone is so inaccurate it’s not worth the effort. Monitoring devices exist, but of course, they lack the convenience and cost-effectiveness that phone apps provide. It’s ultimately up to you to make a decision. But before you do, let’s take a look at what’s out there.
How to Use EMF Apps
Detecting the “hotspot” areas of your house will be a lot like playing the hot/cold game as a child. Your monitor will detect a certain number that will either increase or decrease as you pull away or get closer. Let your phone guide you through the house as the number escalates.
It may be natural to go straight for the appliances you suspect, but it’s always best to completely circle the house. You never know what unexpected surprises you may find. There’s an even higher probability of unanticipated radiation in your home if you happen to live near a cell tower or power lines.
Or, say, if your house is haunted. Since ghosts are detectable through electromagnetic fields the apps can pick up on that as well. So technically these phone apps can serve as a dual purpose for detecting two kinds of invisible threats- radiation and the paranormal.
EMF Detector Apps from Best to Worst
- Electrosmart
- Electromagnetic Detector: EMF Scanner
- Entity Sensor Pro
- Ultimate EMF Detector
- EMF Analyzer
- EMF Detector- Electromagnetic Field Finder
- True EMF Detector
1. Electrosmart
This app’s simple layout is user friendly and makes for an overall pleasant experience. It provides detailed information on all the EMF sources around you. It also procures the statistics of your daily radiation intake. Over time it could be a very useful tool to measure the effectiveness of your protective measures or compare how your health is fairing.
For example, it’s telling me my phone represents 99% of my exposure and recommends doubling my distance and using protective phone gear.
The only downside I see about the app is that the exposure rate seems to be fluctuating rather notably so I question its complete accuracy.
App features include:
- Alerts when changes in exposure are detected.
- EMF radiation source identification.
- Daily statistics of exposure.
- Advice on minimizing exposure.
Cost: Free
Rate: 5 out of 5 stars
2. Electromagnetic Detector: EMF Scanner
Yet another app with a simple main screen for easy use. It conveniently continues to measure magnetic fields throughout the day as you do your daily tasks and will time stamp significantly high levels so you can understand where the sources came from.
Unfortunately, when comparing it alongside a classic detecting meter, it is visibly not as accurate. Regardless, we already concluded that that’s to be expected with phone apps.
App features include:
- Warning beeps as you approach radiation.
- Storage with time stamps of when you were near anything with a high magnetic field.
- Stores up to 100 records.
- Sends all records to your email.
Cost: Free with optional premium features
Rate: 4 out of 5 stars
3. Entity Sensor Pro- EMF Detector
Once again, this app uses your phone’s magnetic compass to detect magnetic field radiation. This app is not as serious as the other two and is marketed more for ghost hunting rather than radiation detection, though it could technically do both. When high magnetic levels are detected a visual of a ghost pops up on the screen.
Is it fun? Yes. Is it accurate? Even less so than the other apps. Especially since it’s not free, I only recommend downloading it if you’re in the mood to hunt ghouls. Otherwise spare your wallet and go for one of the free apps that will help you to better protect your health.
App features include:
- Trigger options to start and stop recording EMF and EVP.
- Google drive integration.
- Optional vibration detection.
- Media enhancement options including:
- Camera
- LED flashlight
- High-quality EVP recording
- Availability in:
- English
- Simplified Chinese
- Traditional Chinese
Cost: $4.99
Rate: 3 out of 5 stars
4. Ultimate EMF Detector
It gives a vaguely accurate reading like the others, but it doesn’t explain where the sources are coming from. I also find the interface design outdated.
If you’re used to reading meters maybe you can give it a go, but otherwise it’s just not as user-friendly and doesn’t provide the same pleasant experience I found in the first two apps.
Free app features include:
- Recorder feature to save data and transfer to computer as a text file.
- Optional button to keep screen on.
- Statistical graphs.
- Recording features.
Pro app features additionally include:
- Recording features with timer.
- No ads.
- Sound notifications for sudden changes in magnetic field.
- Customizable backgrounds.
Cost: Free with optional pro upgrade for $0.99
Rate: 3 out of 5 stars
5. EMF Analyzer
Another app catered toward the ghost hunting community but with the functionality to detect everyday EMF emissions.
It has a very basic screen with the number at the top and a moving graph in real-time at the bottom.
As my phone is sitting on the table the number is fluctuating extremely. In the span of a minute it went from 50 to 20 and then back up to 80, which makes me question the validity of its data.
App features include:
- Calibration to remove background noise.
- Beeping alerts.
- Statistical graphs.
Cost: Free
Rate: 2 out of 5 stars
6. EMF Detector- Electromagnetic Field Finder
This app features a simple interface with four different choices to detect EMF levels. It’s more basic than probably any of the aforementioned apps, lacking storage, readings throughout the day, or identifying the sources of radiation.
Once again, the number fluctuation on my phone seems to be extreme. The simple user experience is tainted with frequent ad pop-ups.
App features include:
- Statistical graphs.
- Optional detection readings:
- Digital meter
- Cube meter
- Graph reading
- Calibration reading
- Dark and light themes.
Cost: Free
Rate: 2 out of 5 stars
7. True EMF Detector
The most basic of them all. This app consists of LED lights at the top and a moving graph at the bottom. The lights start at green and gradually turn to red as they note the increasing magnetic fields in your presence.
As I use the app my graph is spiking up and down with striking speed. However, the light at the top continues to remain at the farthest left green point. This causes me to believe the app is confused with itself, and I can’t trust an app that’s so clearly faulty. Maybe if you use the graph alone you can get somewhat of a better reading, but I have my doubts as to if it’s real at all.
Furthermore, the beeping noise isn’t associated with approaching radiation- it’s just a steady sound, which makes the app feel like it’s more for show and less for functionality.
App features include:
- A moving graph that reads in real time.
- A flashlight button.
- A detailed tutorial.
- An optional beeping noise.
Cost: Free
Rate: 1 out of 5 stars
In conclusion, most of the phone apps I tested were either questionable in truth or hard to use or understand. That being said, the first two were surprisingly informative and generally accurate. I believe with a protective sleeve the accuracy would be even more on point.
What is EMF Radiation?
To better understand if your home is safe from harmful radiation, you’re going to have to understand what exactly it is you’re searching for.
Electromagnetic Field (EMF) radiation is a form of energy created when an atomic particle is accelerated by an electric field. The wavelengths and frequencies emitted by EMFs are both natural and man-made and span a wide spectrum. The seven regions of EMFs are:
- Radio waves
- Microwaves
- Infrared
- Visible light
- Ultraviolet (UV)
- X-rays
- Gamma-rays
These are split into two categories, ionizing radiation (high-level) and non-ionizing radiation (low-level). Let’s take a look at what’s considered part of each:
- Ionizing
- X-rays
- UV rays
- Non-Ionizing
Since, for example, x-rays are considered high-risk, they’re performed with protective gear in a dark room by yourself. Other components of our daily lives such as microwaves, phones, and computers are considered low risk so there are no protective measures taken against them. But exactly how low risk are they to our health?
Why Detect EMFs?
There’s widespread discord over the safety of EMFs in the home since the radiation they emit is technically deemed safe for our health.
A case study in the US Air Force suggested an increased chance of brain cancer in the people who worked among radiofrequency or microwave-emitting equipment.
Additionally, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer deemed the radiofrequency of electromagnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans, noting an increased risk in brain cancer linked to cell phone use.
After long-term exposure to EMF radiation people have also reported:
- Headaches
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Memory loss
- Loss of libido
- Loss of appetite
- Irregular sleeping patterns
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Heart palpitations
- Skin burning sensations
- Male infertility
- Photophobia
- Tinnitus
Though the evidence against EMF radiation exists it’s generally considered too inconsistent and scarce to make concrete claims regarding its risk to human health.
But it’s always better to be safe rather than sorry, especially when you’re trying to protect your family; children are even more susceptible to radiation-induced illness than adults. That’s where monitoring detectors come into play.
What Are Normal EMF Levels?
With an EMF radiation monitoring detector, be it a meter or a meter app, you’ll be able to read the levels in your home. But do you even know what to look for?
EMFs are measured in volts per meter (V/m). Different devices emit different radiation frequencies, so the normal safety levels will vary, but generally anything over 10 V/m is considered high.
The following table shows what is considered to be the maximum levels of public exposure per EMF sources according to the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). Keep in mind higher V/m’s means more radiation, so if you’re detecting less than the recommended number there’s no need to worry.
| Sources | Electric Field |
| Microwaves | 14 V/m |
| TV Screens | 10 V/m |
| TV transmitters | 6 V/m |
| Computer screens | 10 V/m |
| Radio transmitters | 6 V/m |
| Mains electricity
(close to homes, not power lines) | 100 V/m |
| Mains electricity
(close to large power lines) | 10,000 V/m |
| Electric trains and trams | 300 V/m |
| Cell phone stations | 6 V/m |
| Radars | 9 V/m |
As you can see, though all of the above are considered safe, some soar above the 10 V/m limit of what is high radiation.
EMF Protection
Knowledge is power, and EMF detectors will provide you the awareness of the safety levels in your house. But considering they’re not fully accurate, and given that the radiation will remain in your house whether you’re aware of it or not, is knowledge alone enough?
Educating yourself on your home’s EMF radiation hotspots is a great and necessary first step. Now let’s look at some different strategies that can help you and your family safely live amongst it.
- Reduce Exposure
- EMF protective gear
1.Reduce Exposure
Naturally, distancing yourself as much and as frequently as possible is the best way to avert unwanted radiation exposure. Of course, in modern day society this isn’t totally feasible, but certain small steps can be taken that may eventually reduce damage in the long run.
To reduce high-level EMF radiation exposure:
- Only take x-rays when absolutely needed.
- Avoid sunlight exposure. When in sunlight:
- Use SPF 30 or above
- Wear a wide-brimmed hat that shades your face.
- Wear sunglasses, preferably polarized.
To reduce low-level EMF radiation exposure:
- Don’t stand directly in front of the microwave while in use.
- Unplug electronic devices if you’re not using them, including the wifi router.
- Reduce time on all electronic devices.
- Use wires instead of wireless whenever possible.
- Don’t use laptops or tablets with direct body contact. Rather, place them on a table or a holder.
- Distance yourself as much as possible from your phone:
- Put it in a different room when you go to sleep. If you can’t, at least put it on airplane mode.
- Use earbuds on phone calls to avoid direct contact with your face.
- Don’t carry your phone in a pocket or in your bra but rather a purse. The point is to distance it as much as possible from your body.
- Go camping every so often to totally unplug and give your body a needed rest among nature.
- Do not move into a house:
- By a cell tower
- By power lines
- With a metal frame and/or rooftop
- Near a known seismic fault line
- Near coal or uranium
2.EMF Protective Gear
These days you can find a vast variety of protective products against EMF exposure. They function as one of three types:
- Diverters
- Absorbers
- Blockers