Is there a way to listen to portable phone conversations via a scanner?

Question

I have heard that people can listen to your phone conversation when talking on your portable phone through a scanner and sometimes through a walkie talkie. Is this true? If so, what kind of scanner is required to do this? Is there a special chip someone must buy?

Answer 1

Old analogue cell phones and cordless phones could be picked-up on a scanner.

For the same reason you're worried/curious, people wanted better protection against eavesdropping.

Some scanners are gapped, meaning they do not receive cell phone frequencies. For those you need a special chip.

For the most part, new phones, cellular or cordless are becomming much more difficult to intercept. Innovations such as frequency-hopping, where your conversation is moved from channel to channel many times a second, or digital spread spectrum, where your voice is digitized into a stream of ones and zeros, and bits of your conversation is transmitted across a range of frequencies, all at the same time - has all made it more difficult to listen in on a phone conversation.

Ultimately, though, any wireless communication can be intercepted with enough know-how and equipment.

But rest assured, your average cellphone or cordless phone is sufficiently complex to keep most amateurs out of your calls.

If you're concerned, look for a cordless phone with features such as digital spread spectrum, a security code between the handset and the base, or voice scrambling.

Answer 2

Most newer phones make this very hard. If you are speaking of home cordless phones, a few years ago, this was easy. Cordless phones started around 46 to 47 Mhz., and could be heard on most scanners. Later they went to 900 Mhz. Many scanners still were able th hear these. (903-904 Mhz.) Nowadays, most cordless phones are on 2.4 or 5.8 Ghz., and using digital spread spectrum technology. Pretty special equipment to hear these. You also have to be fairly close to them also. Within a block or two.

Answer 3

This is 2015 -and I have learned through experience of my nosey neighbors Bill Donaldson and dyke Annette of Patterson, NC, that no matter how much money you spend for top of the line phone w/scrambler - it's no match for the older than 1991 scanner. Our Avon lady walked up on the drunks one afternoon in their garage listening to my conversation....this is what they do daily from 5pm-11pm -sit in the garage at the door staring at everyone and listening to private conversations. No yard work, no life just sitting and drinking. A retired Secret Service Agent told me the older the scanner - which is what they must have -they will always be able to listen into the conversation. Even now that I switched to internet telephone I've done a few experiments to know they still listen in. So each afternoon I take the cordless phone to the gospel preaching on the radio and let them listen to preaching since they have nothing better to do. YES - BILL DONALDSON AND ANNETTE IN PATTERSON, NC. or LENOIR, NC.

Answer 4

The old analog phones used frequencies below 900 mHz which were able to be scanned by Radio Shack scanners. Now, the phones are digital and use 900 mHz and above, so you cannot scan them. It was fun for a while...used to hear some weird stuff.

Answer 5

Yes if they are 24 mhz or lower I believe. Otherwise scanners do not go that high in the mhz range

Answer 6

Yes, my neighbors do it all the time. You can get a reasonably good scanner at Radio Shack.

Answer 7

they got everything in Radio Shack...but with the new technology U need better scanners...spyshops...we have a great one in Miami...