# How Ectify Works, and Whether It Really Detects Ghosts

> Canonical page: https://ectify.app/how-it-works

No. Ectify doesn't detect ghosts, and no phone app has been shown to. It reads a real sensor, your phone's magnetometer, and uses those readings to drive an entertainment experience: a level from 1 to 5, and words picked from a built-in list and read aloud. This page explains the whole chain, so you know exactly what you are looking at during a session.

## A session, step by step

1. **Calibration.** Ectify averages 20 magnetometer readings over about two seconds. That average becomes your baseline.
2. **Reading.** Ten times a second, it compares the magnetic field strength with the baseline and converts the difference to a level from 1 to 5. The [EMF page has the exact thresholds](https://ectify.app/emf-app).
3. **Word selection.** A timer and any EMF spikes give the app chances to produce a word. The higher the level, the better the chance. If a word comes up, it is picked from [a weighted word bank](https://ectify.app/spirit-box-app) that depends on your response mode.
4. **Output.** The word appears on screen and is spoken with a text-to-speech voice. If enabled, you also feel haptic feedback when a spike occurs and hear sound effects.
5. **Logging.** Your microphone [records the session](https://ectify.app/evp-app), and each word is saved with its time and EMF level.

Word frequency is tuned for pacing, so the session has a rhythm rather than long dead spells.

## What is real and what is generated

| Part of the session | Real or generated? | What it actually tells you |
|---|---|---|
| EMF level and µT value | Real sensor reading | How much the magnetic field at your phone has changed since the start |
| Haptic buzz on a spike | Triggered by the real reading | That the level reached 3 or higher |
| Spoken words | Generated by the app | Nothing about your surroundings |
| Timing of words | Random, influenced by the reading | Nothing beyond the EMF level |
| Audio recording | Real microphone audio | What the phone's microphone picked up |
| Sound effects | Added by the app | Nothing, as they are there for atmosphere |

## Why it can feel uncanny anyway

Knowing how it works doesn't stop it being unnerving at midnight, and there are good reasons for that:

- **The words are written to be evocative.** "Behind you" and "under the stairs" work in almost any building.
- **Your brain looks for patterns.** [Apophenia and auditory pareidolia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_voice_phenomenon) make people find meaning in random input, and darkness and expectation strengthen the effect.
- **You remember the hits.** One response that fits your question will stick with you, while the twenty that made no sense won't.
- **The setting does a lot of the work.** Cold, dark places feel threatening with or without an app, as our guide on [why haunted places feel creepy](https://ectify.app/blog/why-haunted-places-feel-creepy-the-science-behind-emf-spikes-cold-spots-and-sudden-sensor-anomalies) explains.

## What data the app uses

| Data | Where it goes |
|---|---|
| Magnetometer readings | Processed on your phone |
| Microphone audio | Saved on your phone until you delete it |
| Video exports | Session data and audio are sent to a server to render the video |
| Usage analytics and purchases | Handled by third-party services, listed in the [privacy policy](https://ectify.app/privacy-policy.html) |

The microphone is the only device permission Ectify asks for, so it doesn't ask for your location. If you want to go further, our guide to [using paranormal apps without giving up your privacy](https://ectify.app/blog/smartphone-ghost-hunting-how-to-use-paranormal-apps-without-giving-up-your-privacy) covers permissions and settings.

## How to get the most out of it

Treat Ectify like a ghost story you take part in. Run it with friends, take it somewhere with a real history, and let the session give you something to talk about afterward. If you're more of an investigator at heart, use it as a recorder and a rough magnetic reading, and check everything against the ordinary explanations first. Our guide to [checking your evidence](https://ectify.app/blog/how-to-vet-your-ghost-hunting-evidence-without-convincing-yourself-too-fast) is a good place to start.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ectify fake?

The EMF level comes from a real sensor and the recording comes from a real microphone. The spoken words are generated by the app, and it says so during onboarding and in the store listing. It is an entertainment app, and it is honest about that.

### Are the words random?

They are weighted random. The category weights depend on the response mode, and the chance of a word depends on the EMF level, but the app doesn't know what you asked and doesn't listen to the content of your questions.

### Does the app listen to what I say to choose its answers?

No. The microphone only records the session for you to replay. Words are chosen without reference to anything you say.

### Why does it sometimes seem to answer correctly?

About 700 ambiguous words and phrases, a dark room and a person looking for meaning will produce hits by chance. You tend to remember those and forget the misses.

Last updated: 2026-11-04