SDRSowa for Android
Turn your phone into a radio receiver.
Listen to FM, DAB+ and shortwave, scan a band, watch the spectrum and read text signals, with an inexpensive RTL-SDR receiver. Everything is processed on your phone.
For personal, non-commercial use.
Works with
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A receiver on your network
An RTL-SDR shared with rtl_tcp, for example a PC running SDRSowa for Windows, or a small computer with a stick. No USB adapter needed.
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An RTL-SDR stick on your phone
Plug the stick into the phone with a USB-C (OTG) adapter. This also needs a separate SDR driver app on the phone, which gives SDRSowa access to the stick.
The stick and an antenna are not included. A phone without USB host support can still use a network receiver.
What you can do
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Listen to FM, AM and shortwave
FM in stereo with the station name, AM, single sideband (SSB) and narrow FM. Tap or drag on the spectrum to tune.
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DAB+ digital radio
Scan for stations and pick one from the list, with the programme text and slideshow pictures.
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Scan a band
Sweep a band and stop on active channels. Follow up to 3 channels at the same time.
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Spectrum and waterfall
See what is on the air as it happens, and tap a signal to listen to it.
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Read text signals
Decoders for Morse code, NAVTEX, RTTY, PSK31, weather fax and DSC, from the audio you are listening to.
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See who is talking
On digital voice channels (DMR, dPMR, NXDN, P25, M17, YSF and D-STAR) the app reads from the radio signal who is calling whom: talkgroup or callsign, and the name the radio sends. It is on by default, needs no internet and no website, and never plays the voice.
Record and look back
Recordings are protected and play only in SDRSowa. The Library keeps a history of what you heard, on your phone only.
Clean, clear sound
Weak stations come with noise. SDRSowa has filters for the common kinds, and every one is a switch you can try while you listen.
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Noise reduction
Spectral noise reduction for AM, single sideband and CW. Two levels of AI noise reduction, light and strong, that run on your phone and work well on FM.
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Remove hum
Takes out the steady hum of the mains and its tones, so speech stays natural.
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Auto notch
Finds a steady whistle or carrier tone inside the signal and removes it.
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Noise blanker
Cuts short clicks and pulses, such as ignition or power line noise.
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Clear voice
Makes speech easier to understand on AM and single sideband.
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Even volume and silence
AGC keeps the volume even. Squelch keeps the speaker quiet between transmissions. FM de-emphasis is set for your region, and a switch quiets the buzz of digital voice signals.
Scan ranges and the scanner
Let the phone watch a whole band for you and stop where somebody speaks.
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Scan ranges
Choose what to sweep from ready-made ranges for common services, such as PMR446, the 2 m and 70 cm bands and their repeaters. Tap a range to select it, press and hold to leave it out, add your own, and import or export your lists as files. Favourites is a second mode that watches the frequencies you saved.
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Several channels at once
VFOs sets how many channels you hear together, up to 3. With Split channels left and right, one channel plays on each speaker and a third quietly on both.
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Squelch and Skip
Squelch is how many dB a signal must stand over the band noise. Skip lets a channel go after the number of seconds you choose, so the scan moves on.
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Hang
Keeps a channel for a short time after its signal ends, so a reply is not missed. Single sideband and CW wait a little longer, because their pauses carry no signal.
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Stop only on speech
Passes channels that carry no speech, such as data or a bare carrier.
A look at the app
Private by design
Everything is processed on your phone. No account, no ads, no analytics. Nothing is sent to us unless you e-mail a crash report yourself.
- No account to create
- No advertising
- No tracking or analytics, on the app or on this website
- Audio, recordings and what you decode stay on your phone
Windows version
A Windows version is coming.
Please note
Follow the laws of your country about what you may listen to and record.