Metal Detector 2.0

Don’t get tricked into buying apps that claim to detect metals with the help of your phone’s “magnetometer.” Almost all of them are complete bogus. But if you want to indulge yourself, you can grab Metal Detector. At least this one isn’t a complete and utter lie.

No compromise on design

Alexandr Balyberdin knows what a good quality app needs to look like. Like most of his other apps, Metal Detector launches to a beautiful interface that takes you straight to the app’s core function without any nag screens or ads. Because of the simple purpose of Metal Detector, no explanation is required on the UI’s behalf. It’s perfectly designed for anyone to understand what it does and how you’re supposed to use it.

Not exactly reliable

You can’t trust the name Metal Detector. Most apps like these claim to invoke some special powers to detect metals around you by pointing the phone at them, or hovering it over the surface you think is made of metal.

Although based on the same principle - of using the phone’s compass to detect changes in the magnetic field around the phone - Alexandr’s app is the most sincere of all. The developer even notes in the description, “It's not fake app, it's real metal detector, but work with only magnetic metal (such as steel, iron, etc.).”

And it’s true. For lack of a specialized sensor, these apps use existing magnetic-field-sensing hardware inside your phone to detect metals that have at least some iron in them. Place it next to a magnet and the needle will jump all the way into the red at any sensitivity level you may have selected.

In our testing, we’ve discovered that Metal Detector is most reliable when the sensitivity level is set to maximum. Your readings will vary depending on the amount of iron (or the size of the magnets) found in the object you’re scanning. If you put it next to a speaker or a pair of headphones, you’ll instantly see some results.

Add to watchlist:

Detector

• EasyMeasure 12.6
• Tap Magnify 1.0