I get it, you want to be a ghost hunter. Watching shows like Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures has prepared you to become an expert, but where do you get the equipment?
Amazon sells products ranging from $30 to well over $500. There are so many options and it becomes a bit overwhelming.
Fortunately, with the technology we have today, you can get this equipment in the form of a mobile EVP app. Keep reading to find out what exactly EVP is, and some of the apps you can download.
What is EVP?
An EVP captured in an episode of Ghost Adventures
EVP stands for electronic voice phenomena. An EVP is an actual voice that is heard (or recorded), rather than the device that picks it up.
EVPs are usually short phrases or individual words, they aren’t all the same quality though. Some are clear and easy to understand, but many are very difficult to make out.
These EVPs need to be analyzed further, sometimes sped up or slowed down to fully understand what it means.
There are three different EVP categories (A, B, and C), rated by the quality.
Class A EVPs are clear and easy to understand.
Class B consists of EVPs that are a little harder to understand and are usually quieter or more distant.
Most EVPs are class B. Class C are the hardest to understand and can include whispering. These EVPs are very quiet as well.
So, where do EVPs come from? The answer hasn’t been found out yet! Most people assume that they come from the dead, but they could also come from another dimension as well.
Some argue that EVPs are the researcher’s subconscious picked up by a recorder. Of course, others think that it is all a fake; the voices are faked, or other noises are interpreted as the EVP.
EVPs are traditionally picked up on a piece of equipment called a spirit box. If you’ve watched any ghost hunting show, you know that a spirit box is a little device that sweeps through different radio frequencies to find any EVPs that may be coming through.
The average person doesn’t have a spirit box though, so detecting EVPs can become a challenge.
Now that you know what an EVP is, let’s look at five great apps for recording them:
Ghost Radar: Legacy
Price: Free
Available On: iOS and Android
Ghost Radar is the original ghost detecting app. You can download the original Classic version or this updated Legacy version. Both of these are free, but Ghost Radar: Legacy contains an ‘advanced user interface’, with:
- Energy translation to words
- Energy translation to radar indicators
- Energy translation to numeric values
- Energy translation to graphics
- Word logs
- Word log management
- Advanced settings options
- Reporting capability
- Spoken words
- Multi-language support
- Multi-platform support
It’s always difficult to judge a ghost detecting app in a review; is the app faking noise or are they real?
Alternatively, is the app failing to pick up EVPs, or are there just none to pick up? Fortunately, we have some trustworthy reviews to work from. One review states;
“About a week ago I developed a tingle in my right temple that went all the way down to my jaw…
I turned on the app and the first word that come up was “tooth”. I had a dentist visit a few days later and sure enough, I had a tooth abscess that required a root canal.”
SV-2 SpiritVox “Ghost Box” SV1
Price: $9.99
Available On: Android
I know, paying almost $10 for an app sounds crazy if you are like me and refuse to download anything but free apps. This Ghost Box app is completely worth it though.
There are a lot of apps out there that are created and never tested by professionals, but Ghost Box is not one of them.
When you download this, rest assured that it’s not just an overpriced, fake app. Bill Murphy (Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files), Barry Fitzgerald, and Robb Demarest (Ghost Hunters International) have all used this app, confirming its validity.
These are three very qualified individuals who also think you should download this app!
This app is packed with features to help you record EVPs. Some of these features include;
- 2 Noise Banks
- 2 Recording Modes
- 4 Noise Channels and the ability to control the speed
- Ability to adjust channel ‘sweep’ rate
- Recording/naming sessions
There are many promising reviews for this app, with one user stating;
“I downloaded Wavepad on my laptop & upon listening to my saved files I distinctly heard “Lisa” and “I miss you”. We were trying to get a response from my best friend Lisa who just passed Dec 2013 from cancer. Awesome!”
Sono X10 Spirit Box
Price: Free
Available On: iOS
Sono X10 Spirit Box works like a real spirit box device, turned into a free mobile app.
It can be a little confusing, causing the user to feel like it is fake, but the creators have helped with this. T
he page for this app in the App Store explains how to use their app to get the most out of it. When you download Sono X10, remember to read the explanation so you can begin right away!
This app works with English phonemes that ghosts and spirits can manipulate. Because of this, the voice that comes through isn’t the voice itself, but an indirect way of communication.
It’s important to remember that reviews for ghost and spirit detecting apps are extremely subjective.
This goes for the Sono X10 Spirit Box as well as every app on this list. Reviews on app stores tend to have a bias for apps like this, so if you really want a good, in-depth review, check blogs and other websites.
The Nerdic Vikings reviewed this app on their website. Initially, they were skeptical, but after a few tries they were a bit freaked out and convinced, ending their review by stating;
“Of course, it’s very easy to say that I’m just reading the words and interpreting them in my own way, and yes, I agree that it is a very subjective experience.
But the non-scientific side of me does wonder if perhaps these apps are tapping into something that we don’t yet understand, and maybe that’s the appeal of them – they’re driven by the quest for knowledge.”
Ghost Sonar
Price: $0.99
Available On: iOS
You opened up the app store on your phone and couldn’t find the right ghost detecting app for you. Don’t worry just yet though, Ghost Sonar is available for iOS, but can be downloaded directly through this website.
An online review of this app stated that Ghost Sonar is;
“…the only app I tested that never gave me any readings. Perversely, this makes me believe in its viability all the more—it would be pretty ballsy to release a ghost tracking program that doesn’t ever do anything.”
Like most apps, this detects EMFs (electric and magnetic fields), which are altered when a ghost is nearby. This, in addition to the EVP detector makes for a great app to assist you on your ghost hunting.
Ghost Hunting Tools
Price: Free
Available On: iOS and Android
Like many of the apps listed above, Ghost Hunting Tools uses EVP detection along with EMF meters. A recent update helped redesign the interface of this app, making it easier for you to use.
This app works like the Sono X10 Spirit Box, allowing ghosts and spirits to manipulate phonemes to create meaning. In addition to this, Ghost Hunting Tools also allows you to directly record an EVP.
One reviewer went from skeptic to believer while using this app, stating;
“… I know that this was likely just a random word generator… Then I actually asked questions directly expecting a response. I chose something I felt very strongly about. I asked, “Tell me the name of someone I love” … and it responded, “Alexander”, who is my oldest son. Color me a believer.”
Ghost Observer
Price: Free
Available On: iOS and Android
Our final app on this list is a little less serious than the others. With it, you can see any spirit or ghost that may be around you.
Ghost Observer includes voice effects, letting you communicate with the ghost. The effects also include voices from the app itself telling you to run.
This is a little silly, but many reviewers of this app stand behind the validity of it completely, claiming that it really detects and lets you communicate with spirits and ghosts.
A few reviews claim this app is a hoax, making up ghosts just to spook the user, but many reviews claim that this really detects ghosts, allowing you to see and communicate with them.
Who’s to say which is true, but if you are looking for a fun ghost detecting app, definitely check this one out.
So fo these apps work in non-English-speaking countries as well?