This handy mobile bug or cell phone detector from: 

tor, pocket-size mobile transmission detector or sniffer can sense the presence of an activated mobile cellphone from a distance of one and-a-half metres. So it can be used to prevent use of mobile phones in examination halls, confidential rooms, etc. It is also useful for detecting the use of mobile phone for spying and unauthorised video transmission.

The circuit can detect both the incoming and outgoing calls, SMS and video transmission even if the mobile phone is kept in the silent mode. The moment the bug detects RF transmission signal from an activated mobile phone, it starts sounding a beep alarm and the LED blinks. The alarm continues until the signal transmission ceases.

Cell Phone Detector Circuit Schematic

An ordinary RF detector using tuned LC circuits is not suitable for detecting signals in the GHz frequency band used in mobile phones. The transmission frequency of mobile phones ranges from 0.9 to 3 GHz with a wavelength of 3.3 to 10 cm. So a circuit detecting gigahertz signals is required for a mobile bug.

Here the circuit uses a 0.22μF disk capacitor (C3) to capture the RF signals from the mobile phone. The lead length of the capacitor is fixed as 18 mm with a spacing of 8 mm between the leads to get the desired frequency. The disk capacitor along with the leads acts as a small gigahertz loop antenna to collect the RF signals from the mobile phone.