Best Android Police Scanners - PoliceStream
PoliceStream GUI (Graphical User Interface) (5 out of 5)
The PoliceStream GUI is basic, functional and easy to use. It is in no way flashy or elaborate but with an application of this type having a GUI with too many graphics or options would actually detract from the application. I like the white text on black background and the ads in the ad-supported version are not too intrusive.
Channel Selection (4 out of 5)
The PoliceStream Channel selection is excellent, one of the best I’ve seen on the market, but the big question is – will the listed channels be online when you want them? This is a common problem with Android police scanner applications. The developers of the applications don’t actually control the streams themselves, they are run independently by private citizens in most cases, so the application itself is not to blame should some of the channels be offline. That being said I’ve had no problems at all with the streams when I’ve wanted to access them.
Other PoliceStream Options (4 out of 5)
What really makes this a top Android application is the extra options it has. These options include the ability to bookmark your favorite stations for quick access on the application home screen, a list of the top 30 stations, a map screen that shows you where the various police, fire and EMS stations are and the ability to sync the station list to ensure you always have the most recent up-to-date station list. Everything you would want in an Android police scanner application.
User Reviews (3 out of 5)
You’re only as good as your latest reviews and it seems that the latest update has caused some issues with this Android application for some users. Here are a few examples of comments being posted RE: PoliceStream on the Android Market:
“Use to be awesome but now most channels offline what happened? There are better …”
“It was awesome, then it kept saying offline! Hope it gets fixed …”
“I paid for this, now the streams are missing. Scanner buddy free works better. …”
“This used to be great so I had no problem paying for it. Since the update it hasn’t worked, keeps repeating the same two minutes over and over.”
As I mentioned in the channel section most of the complaints are more than likely not the fault of the developer of this Android application. In most cases the people who run the stations this application connects to simply have their station offline so you should take these reviews with a grain of salt. Try the ad-supported version of PoliceStream for yourself and see how the channels work for you!
Conclusion
In the end this is a very solid Android police scanner application. I recommend all users try the ad-supported free version of the app before they even consider purchasing a license. The license is basically to support the developer of this application as the content you get you can easily get from other free Android police scanner applications in the market.
Other Police Scanner Applications
Due to the recent problems with this Android application I am going to list several alternative police scanners on the Android Market that are worth a look. Please note, however, that this Android application still works perfectly for the majority of users and is still one of the best police scanners on the market. It’s always good to have options though so without further ado…
Image Credits and References
PoliceStream 2.51, Andrei Goumilevski: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.andreig.policestream
