With smartphones you can do so much, the list is non-ending. Detecting metals is among one of them. Yes, you read it right, you can detect certain metals with the help of your smartphones and metal detector apps. These apps will allow you to search for things like keys, coins, gold etc. with the help of phone’s magnetic sensors.
You can also use these apps to find metal wires or pipes inside the walls or under the floor. This way you can easily locate the position of the wires and pipes without having to dig in the wrong place. I don’t know if these apps are accurate or not as I do not know much about metals, but I do know about smartphones and apps. And while trying they all responded to metals pretty well. In this article, we have made a list of some of the best apps that you can download on your Android and iPhone. So let’s begin.
Best Apps To Detect Metals
1. Metal Detector By Smart Tools
With this free app for Android, you can find metals by just moving your phone around. All you have to do is open the app, and you will be able to see the magnetic field readings. The natural magnetic field is around 49μT and as you will move the device you can see the units fluctuating. As the presence of metal increases the magnetic field and reading on the screen will fluctuate accordingly.
In addition to this, it will also notify you with an alarm or beep sound. If you wish you can customize the level of the magnetic field at which the alarm will ring and even change the sound of the beep from the given options.
Android – Metal Detector By Smart Tools
2. Metal Detector By NETIGEN
Just like the above app, this will also let you search for metals around you. Both the apps are almost similar but with a little different interface. Here you will get a large graphical screen where you can see the magnetic field and its fluctuation. And a meter showing the reading of magnetic fields.
Apart from this, here you can turn on Extended mode where the app will show you the magnetic field with respect to Earth’s magnetic field and also turn the detector sound on or off. You can also change the values of magnetic fields shown in graphs and set the magnetic level for the alarm to ring.
Android – Metal Detector By NETIGEN on Play Store | iOS – Metal Detector By NETIGEN on App Store
3. Best Metal Detector
Yet another app by the developer of the above application. And the best thing it is also available for both the platforms. The features of this application stand completely similar to the above one. You can set alarms, levels of magnetic fields for alarms, vibration intensity and also the Extended mode. The representation of this and the UI is completely different making it look more like a real metal detector. What it has extra is a power button. With this, you can turn the detector on or off, unlike other apps where it cannot be turned off while the app is in use. And you can also select the full-screen graph mode only if you wish to.
Android – Detector app on Play Store | iOS – Detector app on App Store
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4. Metal Detector By Gamma Play
If you want a simple app without much options to scan the metals then this one is for you. This one does not have any additional settings or any other options, all you have to do is open the app and start detecting wires and other metal objects. You will not get any vibration feedback here, only a digital meter showing the magnetic fields value and a graph representing the same in real time.
This value will keep fluctuating as you move your device and it comes near any metal. There will be a bar that will turn red when it detects any metal nearby and the app will notify you with the same using sound notification which you can disable if you wish to.
Android – Metal Detector By Gamma Play
5. Metal Detector: Scanner For Body
As you open the app and start to detect metal, you will get the option to choose from the given theme or skin. Here similar to one of the apps above you will get the option to turn the detection on or off while the using the application.
Moving ahead, in this app, you will also get the option to increase or decrease the sensitivity of detection. With this you will able to scan for metals more effectively as increasing the sensitivity will make this app detect the metals more quickly whenever it comes in contact with them. You may need to watch an ad in order to unlock a few skins and the sensitivity feature from the app itself.
Android – Metal Detector: Scanner For Body
6. Metal Detector By Kurt Radwanski
The interface of this app is the most simple compared to all the other apps. And it works best among all. As you open the app you will see a progress bar, which will fluctuate when the device comes in contact or near to any metal. It will increase as it comes close to any metals and vibrates when the magnetic field is maximum due to it.
In this app, you will also get the option to change the sensitivity but unlike the above app, you don’t need to watch any kind of ad. You can do it from inside the settings. While testing, this app really was responsive, and when I kept the sensitivity to maximum it started vibrating when my phone was almost a feet or two above my metal keys. You can also enable the sound for the notification and also set the sampling polarity to change the responsiveness of this app to the metal detection.
Android – Metal Detector By Kurt Radwanski
7. Metal Detector By Alexandr Balyberdin
The interface of this app feels more like a real one as you can see in the screenshots provided above. Once you have downloaded and installed the app all you have to do is start to search for metals with the help of its meter. The needle will fluctuate whenever it senses metal and the app will notify you with a vibration and a beep sound when the magnetic field reaches to the maximum.
Here also you can change the sensitivity of the magnetic sensor which will allow it to detect metals with more precision. It can be done with the help of the dial given below the meter. Honestly, it works pretty well. As I increased the sensitivity, it detected my keys even from a feet distance.
iOS – Metal Detector By Alexandr Balyberdin
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NOTE: These apps will only detect the metals that have magnetic properties also known as Ferromagnetic metals like iron, nickel cobalt etc. You can use these apps as a coin detector and other items but only of the ferromagnetic metals. Same with the gold, you can use them as gold detector apps but the gold is not magnetic and they can only detect gold which has mixed metals like iron etc.
Wrapping Up
These were my picks for the apps that will turn your Android and iPhone into a real metal detector. If you ask me then all the apps are fine but the one By Kurt Radwanski for Android and another By Alexandr Balyberdin for iOS are best to use as they are more precise than rest of the apps.
You can search for lost coins, keys, nails or wires in walls and other metal objects that are magnetic. With these apps, you can also play a treasure hunt game with your friends and family. Just hide the fake treasures made of metals and search them using this app. When it beeps or notify you of metals while searching you will really feel like finding a treasure. Sounds amazing right? Then give it a try yourself.
