A radio enthusiast who uses the name OffGridPete has launched a no-cost application on GitHub. The software, named Fieldwatch, can detect over 240 different kinds of wireless devices and cautions you when one looks like it is trailing you.
Fieldwatch is released under an MIT License. It operates by tuning into Bluetooth and WiFi transmissions in your vicinity. This allows you to locate and monitor devices close to you.
The developer claims the program picks up on signatures tied to cameras, drones, smart glasses, and trackers, plus hundreds of other gadgets sending out signals nearby. A signature list inside the program can be changed by the user.
When a selected device type or address appears, the app notifies you. It also allows you to save a session at a single location or while traveling, then match it against future situations.
OffGridPete shared that he originally created Fieldwatch for himself. He was curious about which WiFi access points and Bluetooth ads his phone could catch, so he could gain a better sense of the gadgets operating near him.
He aimed to design a filter that would spare him from reviewing every single item. He also wanted a signature collection he could expand, along with a feature to produce summaries of what the app detected.
A few commenters mentioned that WiGLE and other tools already fill this role. OffGridPete responded that Fieldwatch plays a different part. In his words, WiGLE focuses on mapping and pooling access points into one large web database, whereas Fieldwatch organizes the signals your phone picks up so you can pay attention to the ones you find important.
OffGridPete also appears as one of two contributors to Go Flock Yourself. This is a compact GitHub project that only listens, with the aim of locating Flock Safety cameras close by.
He stated that Fieldwatch now assists users in recognizing equipment owned by the license plate recognition firm with greater precision. It also lowers mistaken warnings caused by comparable radios and enriches the reports you send out.
You can check out the repository of Fieldwatch on Github here.