Modern smartphones are packed with a wide range of sensors, and their magnetometer can successfully identify certain kinds of metals.

If you think of a metal detector, you’re probably thinking of a fairly simple device with a big coil and a piercing whine coming from a tinny speaker. [mircemk] has built a more modern adaptation.

This article was updated and checked for accuracy in April 2024. It was originally published in 2021. Believe it or not, metal detection is actually possible on Android phones. In fact, the first ...