Discover every device on your local network. See IP addresses, hostnames, hardware vendors, and open ports - all from your iPhone.
Download Free on the App StoreLAN scanning and all 19 tools are free. No ads, no account required.
PingKit scans your entire local network in seconds and builds a complete inventory of connected devices. Everything runs locally on your iPhone with no data sent to external servers.
Finds every device on your network and displays its IP address, hostname, and best-guess identity from Bonjour/mDNS, SSDP, and vendor/service signature matching. (iOS usually withholds other devices' MAC addresses; the Mac Agent adds the MAC and its OUI vendor where a device exposes one.)
Scan any discovered device for open ports to identify running services like web servers, printers, file shares, and media servers.
Discover services advertised via Bonjour and mDNS, including AirPlay devices, printers, HomeKit accessories, and shared folders.
Works out each device's maker from the signals it exposes. On the Mac Agent this includes MAC/OUI lookup (Apple vs Samsung vs a TP-Link router); on iPhone, where iOS withholds other devices' MACs, the vendor comes from Bonjour/mDNS and SSDP hints plus hostname and service signatures.
A LAN (local area network) scan turns an invisible network into a clear, readable list. Most people have no idea how many devices are actually connected to their router until they run their first scan and the count comes back higher than expected. Here are the jobs PingKit's scanner handles every day.
The core use is a complete inventory. PingKit walks your subnet and lists every device that responds, each with its IP address, hostname where one exists, and a best-guess maker and category. On the Mac Agent that includes the MAC address and its OUI vendor; on iPhone, iOS usually withholds other devices' MAC addresses, so identity is built from Bonjour/mDNS, SSDP, and hostname/service signatures instead. Phones, laptops, the router itself, printers, TVs, speakers, consoles, cameras, plugs and bulbs all show up in one place. It is the fastest way to answer a deceptively simple question: what is actually on my network right now?
Once you know what your own devices look like, anything you do not recognise stands out. If a neighbour guessed your WiFi password or an old device you forgot about is still connected, a scan surfaces it. Tap into a suspicious entry to see its vendor and open ports, then change your WiFi password if it does not belong. Our deeper walkthroughs cover this in how to detect unknown devices on your WiFi and is someone stealing my WiFi?
Setting up a game server, a security camera, a NAS, or remote access usually means assigning a port-forward rule in your router, and that rule needs the device's local IP address. Rather than digging through the router's DHCP table, run a scan, find the device by name or vendor, and copy its IP. From there you can use the port scanner to confirm the service is actually listening before you open anything to the outside world.
Smart bulbs, plugs, doorbells, vacuums and hubs are convenient but rarely transparent about what they are doing. A scan lets you confirm every gadget is online, check which vendor each one really is, and use port scanning to see whether a device is exposing a management interface it should not. Cheap IoT hardware is a common weak point, and knowing what you own is the first step to securing it. Pair this with our network security scan for a guided check.
When WiFi feels sluggish, the cause is often simply too many active devices sharing the airtime, or one device hammering the connection. A scan gives you an honest device count and helps you find forgotten gadgets that can be unplugged or moved to a guest network, freeing up bandwidth for the things you actually use.
There are plenty of network scanners on the App Store. Most do the basic discovery job competently. Here is an honest look at where PingKit differs, including where another tool might suit you better.
| Feature | PingKit | Typical free scanner |
|---|---|---|
| AI-assisted device naming | Yes, with Guardian. Cloud AI labels devices signature matching can't. | Rare. Usually shows raw IP and vendor only. |
| Ads | None, ever. | Common; often interstitial or banner ads. |
| Account required | No sign-up. Nothing leaves your device. | Varies; some require login or email. |
| Security score & guidance | Built-in security scan with plain-English advice. | Usually discovery only, no assessment. |
| 24/7 monitoring | Free Mac Agent watches the network and alerts on new devices. | On-demand scans only. |
To be clear, all 19 PingKit tools, including LAN discovery, are free with no ads and no account. The Guardian subscription ($2.99/month or $24.99/year) is what adds the AI device naming, the 24/7 Mac monitoring, and the new-device alerts. If you only ever need an occasional manual scan, the free tier covers it completely.
It helps to understand what a scanner is actually doing, because it explains both why it is fast and why some devices are harder to identify than others. PingKit combines several standard techniques and layers its own classification on top.
The scanner works through the range of addresses on your subnet (for example 192.168.1.1 through 192.168.1.254) and probes each one. On the local network this largely relies on ARP, the Address Resolution Protocol, which maps IP addresses to the physical MAC address of the hardware. On iOS, Apple redacts other devices' MAC addresses for privacy, so while the sweep still detects each device, the raw MAC and its OUI vendor are read by the PingKit Mac Agent rather than the iPhone app. A device that responds is online; one that stays silent is either absent or configured not to reply. This sweep is what produces the raw list of live IP addresses in a few seconds.
Every network device has a MAC address, and the first half of it, the Organisationally Unique Identifier or OUI, is registered to the company that made the network chip. Where a real MAC is available (on the PingKit Mac Agent, and on any device that exposes one), PingKit matches that prefix against a public OUI database to show you Apple, Samsung, Espressif, TP-Link, Amazon and so on. On iPhone, iOS usually withholds other devices' MAC addresses, so PingKit leans on the Bonjour, SSDP, and machine-learning signals below to name a device instead.
Many devices politely announce themselves on the network using mDNS (multicast DNS), which Apple calls Bonjour. This is how AirPlay speakers, printers, HomeKit accessories and Macs advertise friendly names and services. PingKit listens for these announcements to attach real names like "Office Printer" or "Living Room HomePod" to the matching IP address. Our dedicated Bonjour browser exposes this layer in full if you want to explore advertised services directly.
ARP, OUI and mDNS get you a long way, but plenty of devices still arrive nameless. For those, Guardian sends the combination of signals a device gives off (vendor, open ports, advertised services, hostname patterns - never anything that identifies you) to PingKit's cloud AI, which suggests a category such as Smart TV, game console, IP camera or robot vacuum. It only steps in when signature matching alone can't confidently label a device.
An "unknown" entry means a device gave the scanner almost nothing to work with: no hostname, no Bonjour services, and a MAC prefix that is either not in the public OUI list or has been deliberately randomised for privacy. That is not a bug, it is the device being quiet. The troubleshooting section below explains how to coax more detail out of these devices.
First, confirm the device is actually powered on and connected to WiFi rather than mobile data or Ethernet on a different segment. Some devices, especially battery-powered IoT gadgets, drop into a deep sleep and stop responding to ARP probes until they wake; try using the device, then re-scan. Finally, make sure your iPhone and the missing device are on the same WiFi network and band, not a guest network.
This is normal for quiet devices. Tap the entry and run a port scan on it; the open ports often reveal what it is (port 631 suggests a printer, 554 an IP camera, 8009 a Chromecast). If you are on Guardian, PingKit's cloud AI will usually suggest a sensible category once signature matching alone can't. You can also cross-reference the IP against your router's DHCP client list, which sometimes carries a hostname the device only shared during connection.
Modern phones and laptops rotate to a random, private MAC address per network to protect your privacy. That is good for you but it means the OUI vendor lookup returns nothing useful, because the random prefix is not registered to any manufacturer. The device is still real and still yours; it simply will not be identified by MAC alone. Bonjour names and Guardian's behavioural classification are the reliable ways to label these devices.
A scanner can only reach devices on the same subnet as your iPhone. If your router runs a separate guest network, a dedicated IoT VLAN, or you have a mesh system that segments traffic, devices on those segments are intentionally walled off and will not appear. Many routers also enable "client isolation" or "AP isolation" on guest networks, which blocks devices from seeing each other entirely. To scan them, connect your iPhone to that specific network, or temporarily disable isolation in your router settings.
With PingKit Guardian, local signature matching labels most devices automatically from open ports, Bonjour and SSDP services, hostname patterns, and (on the Mac Agent) MAC/OUI vendor - no manual tagging required. For the ones that combination leaves ambiguous, Guardian's AI suggests a category instead of leaving you with "Unknown - 192.168.1.47."
The iPhone app scans whenever you open it, which is perfect for a quick check. But intruders and new devices do not wait for you to run a scan. Guardian includes a free Mac Agent: install it on any Mac that stays on your network and it scans continuously, 24/7, building a running history of who is connected. The moment a new or unrecognised device joins, it sends you an alert, so you find out about the device that appeared at 3 a.m. without having to remember to look. It is the difference between checking your network and actually monitoring it.
Open PingKit and tap LAN Discovery. It automatically scans your local network and lists every connected device with its IP address, hostname, and hardware vendor. The scan takes a few seconds and works on any WiFi network.
Yes. LAN Discovery scans your entire subnet and shows every device that responds, each with its IP address, hostname, and a best-guess maker and category. On iPhone, iOS usually withholds other devices' MAC addresses, so identity comes from Bonjour/mDNS, SSDP, and signature matching; the PingKit Mac Agent adds the MAC address and its OUI vendor where a device exposes one. Guardian subscribers also get AI device naming for the devices that combination leaves ambiguous, suggesting labels like Smart TV, game console, or robot vacuum.
Yes. LAN Discovery and all 19 network tools are completely free with no ads and no account. The optional Guardian subscription ($2.99/month or $24.99/year) adds AI device recognition, AI explanations, and 24/7 Mac monitoring with new-device alerts.
A device shows as unknown when it broadcasts no hostname, advertises no Bonjour services, and has a MAC prefix that is not in the public OUI database or has been randomised for privacy. With nothing to read, a basic scanner has no label to show. Guardian's on-device AI can often still classify it from its behaviour and open ports.
Yes. Scanning only needs your local WiFi, not the internet, so it works on offline or isolated networks. The only thing that benefits from a connection is the initial download of the MAC vendor database, which is then cached on your device.
A scanner only sees devices on the same subnet as your iPhone. Devices on a guest network, a separate VLAN, or behind another router live on a different segment and will not appear. Connect your iPhone to the same network and re-run the scan.
The iPhone app scans on demand. For continuous monitoring, Guardian's free Mac Agent runs 24/7 on any Mac on your network and sends an alert the moment a new or unrecognised device appears, even while your iPhone is asleep.
Scanning a network you own or administer is normal and legal. You should not scan networks you do not own or have permission to test, such as a public hotspot or an employer's network without authorisation.
A LAN scan answers "what devices are on my network?" A port scan answers "what is this one device running?" You normally run a LAN scan first, then port-scan a specific device to see its open services.
Continuous TLS cert monitoring, ISO 27001 PDF export, Network History AI, Apple Watch complication, and unlimited AI. $4.99/mo.
Learn about Guardian Plus →Download PingKit free and scan your local network in seconds.
Download Free on the App StoreRequires iOS 17.0 or later.