Scanner Radio - Police Scanner icon
Scanner Radio Professional Review: Live Emergency Audio Monitoring

by GordonEdwards.net LLC

4.7
ANDROIDNews & Magazines
Scanner Radio provides access to over 8,000 live emergency service feeds worldwide. The app serves journalists, first responders, and curious citizens seeking real-time access to police, fire, and weather communications.

Detailed Review

Scanner Radio by GordonEdwards.net LLC establishes itself as a comprehensive mobile solution for accessing live emergency service communications. The Android application aggregates over 8,000 real-time audio streams from police and fire departments, NOAA weather stations, air traffic control, marine radios, and amateur radio repeaters globally. With a 4.7-star rating, the app positions itself as a go-to resource for real-time information during developing situations and routine monitoring of public safety channels. The application's core functionality centers on three primary access methods: geographic proximity scanning, popularity-based filtering through the 'Top 50' feature, and recently added streams. The notification system triggers alerts when any scanner exceeds 2,500 simultaneous listeners, effectively serving as a breaking news detection mechanism. Audio quality varies by source feed but generally maintains reliable streaming performance across most connections. The volume control operates independently from system media settings, allowing users to maintain separate audio levels for scanner monitoring versus other phone functions. User experience demonstrates thoughtful design with intuitive categorization and search functionality. The interface prioritizes quick access to frequently used features while maintaining depth through advanced filtering options. Real-world usage patterns show journalists monitoring developing stories, emergency personnel tracking adjacent jurisdictions, and weather enthusiasts following storm developments. The app maintains background operation effectively, though some users report connectivity issues when switching between applications, as noted by Average_Joe87 in their July 2025 review. User feedback trends reveal generally positive experiences with specific technical observations. Sunflower's September 2025 review praises the independent volume control while requesting caption editing capabilities for recorded clips. Dire Wolf's June 2025 comment highlights excellent regional coverage but notes audio artifacts from priority channel signaling. Technical issues appear periodically, as Marti Young experienced in July 2025 with silent scanning following updates, though these seem resolved through standard troubleshooting methods. The development team demonstrates responsiveness to user-reported issues based on review timelines and resolution comments. The application's primary strength lies in its extensive feed database and reliable streaming architecture, though audio quality remains dependent on source providers. Limitations include occasional connectivity stability when multitasking and variable audio quality between feeds. Ideal use cases include emergency monitoring during natural disasters, journalistic research on developing events, and general public interest in local emergency response activities. The application serves as a valuable tool despite minor technical inconsistencies that occasionally affect user experience.

Key Features

  • Global access to 8,000+ live emergency feeds including police, fire, and weather communications from international sources
  • Smart notifications alert users when scanners exceed 2,500 listeners indicating major breaking news events
  • Independent volume control allows separate audio management from system media settings for precise monitoring
  • Geolocation functionality automatically surfaces nearby scanners based on the user's current physical location
  • Top 50 scanner listing identifies most popular feeds based on real-time listener statistics and trends
  • Continuous feed updates with recently added scanners ensuring expanding coverage of available audio sources

Why Users Love It

Extensive feed database
Reliable streaming architecture

Perfect for: Journalists, emergency personnel, and public safety enthusiasts monitoring real-time communications

Screenshots

Scanner Radio - Police Scanner screenshot 1Scanner Radio - Police Scanner screenshot 2Scanner Radio - Police Scanner screenshot 3Scanner Radio - Police Scanner screenshot 4Scanner Radio - Police Scanner screenshot 5Scanner Radio - Police Scanner screenshot 6

Ranking History

Track Scanner Radio - Police Scanner's performance in News & Magazines over the last 30 days

Top 5
Top 10
Top 15
Below 15

Current Rank

#10

2 from last week

Best Rank

#7

All-time high

Average Rank

#9

30-day average

User Reviews

Sunflower
Sep 2, 2025

Excellent! Love that you can control the volume for the scanners without it affecting your phone's media volume settings. One suggestion: Allow us to edit the caption of our clips. I've made mistakes and don't realize it til after the clip's been uploaded. One wrong word can determine its popularity.

Dire Wolf
Jun 17, 2025

My area is covered very well. The app runs smoothly. I only wish that whoever provides coverage would disable the priority channel. It makes a very annoying thump when used with speakers and headphones. I can't null it out. I don't use that feature at all on my own radio scanner.

Damion S.
Sep 4, 2025

I don't like tomatoes, but most cheese is ok, I guess. I mean, if I have to pick a favorite, Jeep would be it. Then, last would be the Thanksgiving Day Parade. Those pukes just blow bubbles out of their butts for distance, you know what I mean?! Go Tampon Tim!!

Mark Antoni
Jun 17, 2025

it's a really great live scanner .... I listen to it all the time, and it's very informative EXTREMELY clear transmission broadcasts.... it's totally awesome to listen to what's happening around town as well as other areas ....

Average_Joe87
Jul 3, 2025

I love the app. But recently, it disconnects when I open another app and has trouble reconnecting. Never had this problem before.

App Details

Developer

GordonEdwards.net LLC

Platform

android

Rating

4.7

Last Updated

10/7/2025