Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

The best police scanner apps for iOS and Android

You don’t have to be an investigative journalist or a private eye in an old noir film to use a police scanner, nor do you need to splurge on a stand-alone device just to get the inside scoop. The right smartphone app will allow you to eavesdrop with ease and stay informed about the goings-on in your neighborhood, including emergencies and current road conditions. For your convenience, we’ve rounded up the best police scanner apps below.

Did you land here looking for police radar detectors? Here are our picks for the best radar detectors you can buy.

PoliceScanner +

Image used with permission by copyright holder

This app lets you listen to live audio from police and fire scanners all over the planet. You can select from thousands of feeds, find the current top 100 feeds, search for your favorites, listen in the background, and even locate your feed on the map. The premium version is $5, and a yearly subscription costs $40.

iOS

Police Scanner

This highly rated Android scanner lets you listen in on live audio from over 7,000 police radio scanners, fire scanners, and amateur radio repeaters worldwide, mostly in English-language nations. The app lets you view the top 25 most popular police scanner radio stations, save your favorites, and tune into air traffic, rail, marina, weather, and emergency radio stations.

Android

Scanner Radio

Scanner Radio lets you browse a variety of channels worldwide, view the top 50 scanners and recently added scanners, and target your specific location. You can also find public safety, air traffic, and marine scanners with the app. You can receive notifications when major events or emergencies take place, and it supports Android Auto. The $3 pro version removes ads, includes push notifications, and offers the ability to record audio. You also have the choice to only remove ads without new features for $2.

Android  iOS

Broadcastify

Broadcastify offers 6,500 global channels for you to listen to, each sorted by country and metro area. The app’s interface is clean and easy to read, although the media player has bulky buttons. Channels focus on fire and emergency services as well as aviation, rail, weather, marine, and amateur radio streams, and you can even search for channels near your location and establish a favorites list. The free version includes ads, which you can remove for $3 with the pro version.

Android  iOS

5-0 Radio Police Scanner

5-0 Radio Police Scanner is one of the best-rated iOS police scanner apps out there, providing global coverage of Fire, EMS, and Police feeds. Users can even create their own custom feeds, as well as browse lists of broadcasts by country.

The “Feeds with Active Alerts” system notifies users of notable events within their feeds. This means you can monitor your feed even when the app runs in the background, leaving you free to check your social media or texts while not missing important broadcasts.

Like a lot of free apps, you’ll encounter plenty of ads, but you can always upgrade to the ad-free version for $5.

IOS

Scanner 911

Scanner 911 has a sleek design that makes it easy to navigate, regardless of what kind of smartphone you’re using it on. Sound quality is generally good, and the app features numerous options to adjust the audio settings. This highly rated scanner helps you find nearby scanners or search anywhere in the country, listen in the background, adjust the sound with a built-in equalizer and amplifier, control the stream with lock screen controls or headset buttons, and view 10-codes to stay current with the local action.

Android

Jackie Dove
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Jackie is an obsessive, insomniac tech writer and editor in northern California. A wildlife advocate, cat fan, and photo app…
This could be what to expect from Apple’s massive iOS 19 overhaul, sneak peek
iOS 19 mock

Apple has just confirmed the dates for its WWDC 2025 and now we've seen a leak of just what we may be able to expect from iOS 19.

The rumour mill has been churning out lots about this being Apple's biggest redesign and overhaul since iOS 7.

Read more
WWDC 2025 date confirmed as we wait for iOS 19, macOS 16, watchOS 12 and more
Apple WWDC 2025 logo

Apple has confirmed the date for its annual World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC 2025), where executives from the Cupertino, California-based firm will reveal the next generation of its various software platforms.

WWDC 2025 will take place between June 9 and June 13, with the keynote presentation (which Apple is teasing as a "special event") set to happen on the first day of the conference. Apple has also confirmed that this year's WWDC event will be entirely online and all developers can join for free.

Read more
iOS 19: everything you need to know
iOS 19 sample logo.

Apple is expected to announce its next Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in a few weeks. This event, likely scheduled for sometime in June, will showcase the next software version for iPhone, iOS 19. This update could prove significant if the current rumors are true. Here’s what we know — or at least think we know about iOS 19.
When will iOS 19 be revealed?
Apple has announced that this year's WWDC will be held the week of June 9. That means the keynote address will occur Monday, June 9, starting at 10 a.m. PDT.

Besides iOS 19, the company should introduce iPadOS 19, watchOS 12, and more.
What the rumors say
According to Bloomberg reports, iOS 19 will bring "one of the most dramatic software overhauls" in Apple's history, described as "the biggest revamp since iOS 7" in 2013. The update will "fundamentally change" the operating system's look with a redesigned interface that will update "the style of icons, menus, apps, windows, and system buttons."

Read more