Free, self-service check for hidden spyware
The SpyFind Kiosk is a walk-up station where anyone can check their own phone, tablet, or laptop for signs of stalkerware — hidden software that can secretly report your location, messages, calls, photos, and more to someone else.
You connect your device to the kiosk’s Wi-Fi, use it normally for a few minutes, and read the result on screen. Nothing is installed on your device, nothing on it is changed, and the kiosk keeps no personal information. It runs SpyGuard, free and open-source software that looks only at the network traffic your device sends and receives.
Your safety comes first. If you think a device may be monitored, do not use it to open this website or to photograph a kiosk poster or leaflet. Doing so could alert the person tracking you. Use a different device you trust.
Why this exists
Digital surveillance has become a routine part of domestic violence, stalking, and harassment — often called technology-facilitated abuse (TFA).
- 97% of domestic violence service providers in New York State report technology-facilitated abuse in their cases (NY State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence).
- Commercial security products confirmed about 31,000 stalkerware victims worldwide in 2023 (Kaspersky). The Coalition Against Stalkerware estimates actual use at close to one million instances a year — roughly 30 times what gets detected.
- 46% of adults surveyed did not know what stalkerware is (Kaspersky, 2024), so most people never think to look.
Most of the people affected are not using a suitable security product and are not yet in contact with a support organization. A free check in a trusted, non-stigmatizing public place is one way to close that gap.
What the kiosk can and cannot tell you
A result — either way — can be wrong.
- “Nothing found” does not mean you are safe. The check is not forensic. It cannot see monitoring through a shared cloud account, an Apple Account, or a device-management profile.
- A warning does not prove spyware is present. Ordinary apps and services can look suspicious. A warning is a reason to look closer, not proof.
Treat any result as a starting point. The resources below can help you decide what to do next.
Public resources
If you need help now
- National Domestic Violence Hotline (US) — thehotline.org · call 1-800-799-7233 · text START to 88788. Free, confidential, 24/7.
- National Sexual Assault Hotline (US) — 1-800-656-4673.
- If you are in immediate danger, call 911 if it is safe to do so.
Understand stalkerware and technology-facilitated abuse
- Coalition Against Stalkerware — what stalkerware is, signs it may be on your device, and what to do (and not do) about it. Founded by domestic-violence organizations and security companies.
- Technology Safety & Privacy: A Toolkit for Survivors — from the Safety Net Project at the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV). Includes a technology safety plan.
- Surveillance Self-Defense — the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s guide to protecting yourself from digital surveillance, written for non-experts.
Check and secure your own devices and accounts
- Apple Personal Safety User Guide — Apple’s own guide for anyone concerned about technology-enabled abuse, stalking, or harassment. Covers Safety Check (iOS 16 and later), reviewing who has access to your Apple Account, location sharing, and configuration profiles.
- Clinic to End Tech Abuse (CETA) — Resources and how-to guides — Cornell Tech’s free guides for Google and Android accounts, Apple and iCloud, other online accounts, and smart-home and tracking devices.
For advocates, staff, and institutions
- NNEDV Safety Net Project — training, toolkits, and technical assistance for organizations that serve survivors.
- CETA Technology Abuse Clinic Toolkit — how to start and run a technology-abuse clinic, from the team that pioneered the model in New York City.
About the software
- SpyGuard on GitHub — source code, documentation, and detection methods. SpyGuard is an open-source project by Félix Aimé, released under the Apache License 2.0, and is a fork of TinyCheck.
About this project
The kiosk is a volunteer initiative: recycled hardware, free software, and help from people who work in cybersecurity and campus safety. It is provided as-is, with no guarantee of accuracy and no warranty, and it does not replace professional security, legal, or safety advice.
A Frequently Asked Questions page is coming soon.