Device compatibility
Findy requires iOS or iPadOS 16.6 or later. Most features behave the same on every supported device because they rely on operating-system APIs — but the camera-based methods depend on your hardware, and we say so rather than implying otherwise.
Requirements
iPhone
iOS 16.6 or later.
iPad
iPadOS 16.6 or later.
Permissions
Camera, Bluetooth, local network and location permissions are each requested only for the feature that needs them. Declining one removes that method rather than the app.
Which features depend on software, and which on hardware
This distinction matters more than a model list. Where a feature is built on an iOS API, it is available on every supported device. Where a feature depends on a physical sensor, behaviour varies with the hardware in your particular handset.
| Feature | Depends on | Status across supported devices |
|---|---|---|
| Guided visual inspection | Nothing — it is a checklist | Same everywhere |
| Bluetooth discovery | iOS Core Bluetooth APIs | Same everywhere |
| Local-network scanning | iOS networking APIs and the local network permission | Same everywhere |
| Magnetometer checks | The device magnetometer | Available on supported devices |
| Lens-reflection inspection | Camera and torch | Varies with camera and lighting |
| Infrared-style viewing | Camera module and its infrared-cut filtering | Not yet characterised by model |
Because Bluetooth and network scanning are built on APIs available to every supported device, there is nothing model-specific to claim about them. The same is true of the iPad: aside from needing a network to scan and a Bluetooth radio to listen with, we know of no difference between iPhone and iPad worth stating, so we do not state one.
Infrared visibility varies, and we have not measured it yet
iPhone cameras include infrared-cut filtering intended to keep infrared light out of ordinary photographs. How much infrared still reaches the sensor depends on the camera module, the generation of the handset, the specific lens in use, and the wavelength the source emits. In practice this means an infrared LED that glows clearly on one iPhone may be faint or entirely invisible on another, and the front and rear cameras of the same phone can behave differently.
Not yet tested
We have not run a controlled comparison of infrared visibility across iPhone generations, so we publish no model-by-model results. We are not going to guess at a table of which handsets "see infrared best" — that would be invented data, and it would send people to trust or distrust their own phone for no reason.
| Group | Front camera | Rear camera |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone models on iOS 16.6+ | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| iPad models on iPadOS 16.6+ | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
The plan
- Use a fixed infrared source at a fixed distance in a controlled dark room.
- Photograph it with the front and rear cameras of each iPhone generation we can obtain, on each supported iOS version.
- Record whether the source is clearly visible, faintly visible or not visible, and repeat each run to check the result is stable.
- Publish the outcome per model — including the models on which infrared viewing does not work usefully — with the sample size stated.
The full design of that work, and the variables recorded, are described on the testing methodology page.
What to do in the meantime
Test your own handset rather than relying on a claim about it. Point the app's infrared viewing mode at a television or air-conditioning remote control in a dark room and press a button. If you see a faint glow on screen, your camera passes some infrared through. If you see nothing, infrared viewing is unlikely to be useful on that device — which does not affect the Bluetooth, network, magnetometer or visual-inspection methods.
A remote control test tells you whether your camera passes infrared. It does not tell you that a room is clear, and many surveillance cameras use no infrared illumination at all. See what Findy cannot detect.
Free to download
The guided checklist, Bluetooth discovery and magnetic checks work without a subscription. The camera and network tools are part of the optional subscription at $39.99 per year in the US.
Last reviewed 2026-07-23 · Written and reviewed by the Findy developer.