Parents' Guide to Ghost Detector Radar Camera

This is one of those apps that, despite its limitations, generates an enthusiastic community that creates something bigger and better than the app. The app itself doesn't do much; you can tell within minutes how basic its so-called ghost-hunting capabilities really are. Ask "ghosts" more than a few basic questions, and the simulation fails, providing either identical answers from multiple ghosts or answers that have nothing to do with the question. The developers clearly didn't take enough time to anticipate all possible queries (or even some fairly basic ones), so success depends on sticking to questions like "Are you a man or a woman?" or "What is your name?" Go for something more complex like "Why do you linger here?" and you might get an answer like "U want proof?" (Who knew hundred-year-old ghosts were hip to texting shorthand?)

Despite the app's less-than-stellar functionality, Ghost Detector Radar Camera has inspired hundreds of users to tell of their ghostly encounters on the app's Stories page. Scrolling through these anecdotes can give you goosebumps if you're a believer in ghostly entities, and doing so is like sitting around a fire at summer camp. The impulse extends beyond the app to both the Apple and Google app stores, where thousands of reviewers have left the app undeservedly high marks, likely because it inspired such a vibrant community of would-be storytellers. Despite the app's E for everyone rating, younger children probably shouldn't use it since the sight and sound of faux ghosts could trigger unnecessary fear, the ads don't make it kid-friendly, and the privacy policy indicates it's not intended for kids under age 13. Tweens and teens could get a limited kick out of it though, and if nothing else, will enjoy sharing their own phony ghost stories.