Yes, you can use your smartphone’s built-in magnetometer to detect nails or screws in studs, making it possible to use your phone as a stud finder.
However, it won’t detect wood or plastic pipes and may struggle to spot wires. It's not going to ve very precise. Instead, you should connect your phone to an advanced stud finder like Walabot DIY will transform it into a powerful wall scanner, providing accurate and detailed visual information about hidden objects and ensuring the success of your project.
Understanding stud finder technology
Before diving into the topic, it's important to understand how stud finders work. Traditional devices use magnetic fields or electronic sensors to detect changes in density inside walls, identifying studs, pipes, wires, and other objects.
Can I just use my phone?
The short answer is yes. Your phone almost certainly has a built-in magnetometer that allows the compass to work. And there are apps that use the same sensor to turn your phone into a metal detector. Searching for "metal detector” or “stud finder” will show you the options.
It’s easy to see the appeal. Many traditional stud finders use audio bleeps or complicated displays to tell you there’s an object inside the wall. What most casual DIYers want, on the other hand, is a simple, intuitive image of a stud, pipe or wire.
Technically speaking, it’s possible to achieve accurate stud detection using your phone – but only in certain cases. Your phone’s magnetometer will probably be powerful enough to detect metal studs or nails or screws in wooden studs, but if there’s a wooden stud without nails or screws in it, you’ll be all out of luck. It will also be ineffective at detecting some type of stainless steel.
Even worse, you might detect what you think is a nail in a wooden stud, drill in that spot and end up puncturing a water pipe! That could easily become an expensive DIY disaster.
What’s more, PVC pipes can’t be detected, and the magnetometer may struggle to detect electrical wires.
The bottom line is when you’re hanging a heavy item like a mirror, TV or shelf, finding a stud to drill into while avoiding pipes and wires requires a dedicated device.
What’s the alternative?
Walabot DIY 2 is a radar-powered device that turns your phone into into a powerful wall scanner. This cutting-edge tool instantly detects wood and metal studs, plastic and metal pipes, electrical wires and even pests(!) up to 4 inches deep in drywall.
And it doesn’t just detect those objects. It shows them to you on your phone screen. It even marks the exact center of a stud for you, so you can drill in the perfect location.
Compatible with iOS and Android phones, it’s a convenient and efficient solution for DIY enthusiasts and professionals alike.
Decision time
Downloading an app is certainly a convenient and cost-effective way to use your phone as a stud finder.
But if you want your phone to detect studs when they’re unlikely to have nails or screws in them, you really need an external device. And if you’re after the perfect combination of accurate detection and a clear, easy-to-understand visual display, your best bet is Walabot DIY.
