Police Scanner: Crime Radar is an emergency radio app for iOS that provides live scanner feeds, AI-powered audio transcription, and incident mapping.
Product velocity
Intense
Daily rank 🇺🇸
#20
News · free
Sentiment
4.6
27k reviews
Nemesis
Police Scanner Radio & Fire
The App DNA
What makes this app unique?
Users hire this app for real-time situational awareness during local emergencies, seeking a more accessible interface than traditional, static-heavy scanner radios.
For Breaking news enthusiasts, true crime listeners, and local residents seeking real-time situational awareness.
Key features
Real-time speech-to-text conversion of police and fire dispatch audio, serving as a premium-tier gate.
Global map interface displaying active emergency incidents, driving session duration and ad-impression inventory.
On-demand playback of historical scanner feed audio, acting as a retention lever for power users.
How much does it cost?
The freemium model gates advanced audio processing and historical data behind a subscription to monetize power users.
Velocity
Intense developmentShow more...
5 versions in history. Development pace: intense.
Who built it?
Sepia Software
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The PDF Converter-Photo to PDFUser Sentiment
What do users think recently?
Recent user voice shows a frustrated sentiment. Users appreciate the ability to monitor local emergency responses and weather alerts for free.
How are ratings & reviews evolving?
What users say, by theme
- Users appreciate the ability to monitor local emergency responses and weather alerts for free
- The integrated map feature provides helpful context for the location of emergency scanner calls
- Users report deceptive billing practices where they are charged immediately despite selecting a free trial
49 of 49 recent reviews analyzed · high confidence · Frustrated overall
Read the full review analysisUnlock 2 more frustration themes and 1 user request, each backed by review evidence.
Access the full report for freeCompetition
Competitive landscape for Police Scanner: Crime Radar
How's the News market?
The app holds a volatile position in the News category, currently ranking #15 Free in the US, which represents a 1-spot decline this week. The reliance on a subscription model for basic stability creates friction compared to established rivals with larger, free feed libraries.
Read the market outlookThe rivals identified
By GordonEdwards.net LLC
This app maintains the largest market share in the dedicated scanner niche with a high-frequency release cadence that keeps it ahead of feature parity.
- Maintains a massive, long-standing repository of global scanner feeds that dwarfs newer entrants
- High-velocity development cycle with ten updates in six months ensures consistent platform compatibility
- Established brand authority in the scanner niche creates a significant barrier to user acquisition
Unlock the head-to-head verdict: where this rival wins, and where it loses.
Access the full report for freeThe Analyst's Read
Key takeaways for Police Scanner: Crime Radar
Where is it heading?
The scanner app market is consolidating around platforms with the most reliable feed infrastructure and longest uptime history. Unless the app addresses its core audio stability and billing transparency, it will remain a secondary option for casual users while losing power users to established rivals with better feed coverage.
- Persistent reports of subscription traps and billing issues continue to erode user trust, which will likely accelerate churn into the next quarter.
- Technical instability, specifically audio stream silence during emergencies, prevents the app from becoming a reliable tool for situational awareness.
The SWOT
- AI-powered transcription provides a visual situational awareness layer that legacy scanner apps lack
- Localized feed expansion in underserved municipalities could capture users currently frustrated by lack of coverage
Next best moves
Audit and simplify the subscription-trial flow because billing-deception complaints are the #1 driver of negative sentiment → reduce refund surge
+ 1 more prioritized moveThe counter-intuitive read
The app's reliance on AI transcription is a distraction: in the emergency-monitoring niche…
Read the full takeFeature gaps
Extensive global feed repository (available in Police Scanner Radio & Fire but absent here)
Since the last report: Users report: The app expanded its feature set and clarified its subscription tiers, but user sentiment declined due to reports of deceptive billing and poor technical stability.
Bottom line
Police Scanner: Crime Radar offers a modern feature set with AI transcription, but its reputation is damaged by billing practices and technical instability, so the PM must prioritize core audio reliability and transparent trial flows to prevent total churn to established rivals.
Unlock 1 critical friction, 1 market threat, 1 more prioritized move and the analyst’s take.
Access the full report for freeFAQ
Is Police Scanner: Crime Radar good for beginners?
How does this app compare to Police Scanner Radio & Fire?
Does the app have intrusive billing practices?
What is a reliable alternative to this app?
Sources
- [1] App Store listing, source
Report last updated