No, thermal cameras cannot see through walls, at least not like in the movies. Walls are generally thick enough—and insulated enough—to block any infrared radiation from the other side. If you point a thermal camera at a wall, it will detect heat from the wall , not what’s behind it. However, if something inside the wall causes enough of a temperature difference, a thermal imager will be able to sense it on the surface of the wall. Building maintenance professionals often use thermal imagers to detect issues like water leaks or missing insulation without needing to tear down walls to assess the problem.