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5 best police scanner apps for Android
People use police scanners for all kinds of reasons. It helps some stay current on crime in the area, while others use it for entertainment. In this quick list, we’ll round up the best police scanner apps for Android. The good news is that there are a few very decent options. Unfortunately, it’s not a category where we see any actual releases year to year, so you’ve likely seen all of these before.
There haven’t been any substantial new releases in this space in quite a long time. Luckily, the current apps get consistent updates. Before we begin, it’s important to note that having and using a police scanner is illegal in some places, so be sure to check your local laws before downloading any of these so you don’t get into trouble. Let’s begin.
The best police scanner apps for Android
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Broadcastify
Price: Free / $2.99
Broadcastify is one of the newer police scanner apps. It boasts over 6,000 police, fire, EMS, and aviation channels. The app is easy enough to use. It includes a search by location. You can also save channels on your favorites list for quick recall. There is a premium version as well. The premium version removes advertising and gives you access to 180 days of archived radio transmissions. It still has the occasional bug. However, it’s nothing too major.
Police Scanner
Price: Free / $4.99
Police Scanner by Logicord is one of the more stable police scanner apps. This app boasts over 5,000 police, fire, rescue, and other radio feeds. Some features include the ability to listen over slower Internet connections, the ability to find feeds based on your GPS location, and the support of international feeds. The interface could be better. However, it’s still easy to use. The pro version is available for $4.99 as an in-app purchase.
Police Scanner X
Price: Free
Police Scanner X is another decent police scanner. It contains thousands of scanner stations to sift through. They’re organized in the top 50 feeds for faster access. It also has a resume function for quicker access. Like most, there are some areas that it doesn’t have. It also has the occasional bug. However, the experience is generally enjoyable. You can pick up the app for free. At least, it’s free at the time of this writing.
Scanner 911
Price: Free
Scanner 911 is a reasonably decent police scanner app. It offers stations for police, fire, and EMS scanners around the United States. Stations are sorted by distance. Thus, the results are closest to Chicago if you search for Chicago. Additionally, it comes with an equalizer, lock screen controls, and Material Design. The app is entirely free to download. You have to deal with advertisements. The only potential downside is that it hasn’t been updated since 2021, so we hope the developer hasn’t given up on this one.
Scanner Radio
Price: Free / Subscription ($3.99/month or $39.99/year)
Scanner Radio is among the most popular police scanner apps out there. There are 5300 radio stations from all around the world, and it covers police, fire, weather, and amateur stations. It also has many valuable features, including sending notifications when many people tune into a particular station. It also has a Material Design.
This is probably the best one available right now. We recommend you start here. The free version contains most features as well as advertising. The pro version removes ads and adds a few extra features. We recommend the premium version because it’s just better.
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