Key Takeaways: Can Someone Track Your Phone If Your Location Services Are Off?
Someone can track your phone even if your location services are off, thanks to other tracking methods like cell tower simulators, malware and unsecured public WiFi.
Chances are high that someone is tracking your phone if it often behaves oddly, such as restarting randomly, making humming and clicking sounds behind calls, running unfamiliar apps and overheating.
We recommend using a VPN to prevent tracking since it hides your real location. Other helpful tips include using an antivirus, avoiding public WiFi and turning off location services.
Suspect you’re being tracked?: Turn off your phone’s GPS location right away to help prevent third parties from knowing your location. In addition, don’t let apps access your location data if they don’t need it.
Gen Z and location-sharing friendships: Gen Zers are over 70% more likely to share their location with friends compared to people from other generations.1
A VPN is a smart move: A VPN changes your virtual location. This means that if anyone tries to access your phone’s location, they’ll see the VPN server’s location instead of your own.
You might have asked yourself, “Can someone track my phone if my location is off?” The short answer is “yes.” Even when you turn off your location on your Android device or iOS phone, third parties can track your phone using other means, such as GPS trackers, the nearest cell tower, cell-site simulators, public WiFi and malware.
In this article, we explain how those tracking techniques work in layman’s terms. We’ll also highlight the signs to look for if you suspect that someone is tracking your mobile device. At the end of this guide, we’ll share actionable tips — such as using one of the best VPNs — to help prevent anyone from keeping tabs on you.
How Can Someone Track Your Phone? Cell Phone Tracking Explained
People can track your phone — and consequently, your whereabouts — by monitoring your phone’s location. Turning off your phone or its location services might seem like the best way to prevent tracking, but this just makes it harder (not impossible) for third parties — like former partners, stalkers, advertisers and law enforcement — to monitor you.
A tech-savvy hacker or intruder can track your phone using different ways, including GPS, cell towers, public WiFi, cell-site simulators and malware. In this section, we’ll explain how third parties take advantage of such systems to track users.
Online Security
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Phones use GPS and location services to provide directions and recommendations for services. Many phone apps also rely on these services to function properly. A hacker who gains access to these apps or your accounts can determine your location and track you. To avoid such incidents, be careful about which apps are allowed to access your location.
Cell Towers
Also known as base stations, cell towers are structures that send and receive signals from cell phones. Each time you use your phone, it sends a signal back and forth to the closest cell tower. Cell carriers, such as AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon, can use this information to calculate your approximate location through a technique called cell phone triangulation.
Public WiFi
Connecting to vulnerable public WiFi networks could expose your location data to malicious actors. Even when your device isn’t connected to any network, it can communicate with nearby WiFi networks to record signal strength. Sometimes, a WiFi provider will ask you to agree to location tracking so that it can collect visitor location data whenever you’re in range.
Cell-Site Simulators (Stingray Devices)
Cell-site simulators, also known as Stingray devices, are surveillance devices that trick your phone into thinking they are cell towers. As a result, your calls, text messages and internet connection activity will be routed through the cell-site simulator instead of an actual cell tower. If you haven’t encrypted your phone traffic, your location and sensitive data will be exposed.
Malware & Spyware
Malware or spyware can gather information on you and send it to malicious actors. This includes sensitive information like your login credentials, credit card details, phone number, email address and location. Beware of the links you click and the apps you download, as some could contain malware and spyware.
Tools That Help You Find Your Device
Many platforms provide an opportunity for you to find a missing device. For example, Google offers the “Find My Device” feature, while Apple has “Find My” tools that help you locate your device when it’s lost.
Google has a “Find My Device” feature that helps you locate your phone.
However, you’ll need your Google account login details and Apple ID to get access. If anyone has these account details, they can use them to access and track your device location. Be sure to create strong passwords and don’t share them with anybody.
Can Someone Track My Phone If My Location Is Off?
Yes, someone can track your phone even if you turn off its location. While the GPS and location settings are the primary ways that someone can track you, other methods include cell towers, public WiFi, cell-site simulators and malware. Additionally, services like Find My Device can reveal your phone’s last recorded location before it was switched off.
Can Police Track Your Phone If Location Is Off?
Yes, police and law enforcement authorities can track your phone even when the location services are off. If they can prove that public safety is at risk or that someone’s life is in danger, they can subpoena cell carriers to release information about your phone’s last known location. Police can also use Stingray cell-site simulators to trace your whereabouts.
Does Find My iPhone Work When Phone Is Off?
Yes, Find My iPhone works when your phone is off. Before an iPhone turns off, it shares its last location. You can get this information by logging into your iCloud account. You can also view the location from another Apple device that you own or through your Family Sharing group. If you want to use another device, sign in using the Apple ID associated with the lost phone.
How Do You Know If Someone Is Tracking Your Phone?
Some telltale signs can indicate that someone is tracking your phone. These include unfamiliar apps popping up on your phone and other odd behaviors, such as your phone acting on its own, spikes in data usage and faster battery drain. Let’s walk through seven signs that could suggest tracking.
1. Unfamiliar Applications on Your Phone
If you find an application on your phone that you didn’t download — whether on your home screen or in the settings — it could be spyware or a malware carrier. Such apps often run in the background and have permission to access personal details, including your location and contacts. These tracking apps might frequently open and close by themselves.
If you update your phone, your provider might also add apps to your phone without nefarious intent.
2. Your Phone Acts on Its Own
A phone that’s infected with spyware or malware might behave strangely. For instance, the phone can turn on and off by itself, receive and send notifications, light up unexpectedly and make strange noises while you’re receiving phone calls. If these things happen repeatedly, you could be dealing with a phone tracking issue.
3. Increased Data Usage
If you notice an unusual surge in your data usage, chances are that it’s caused by malware or spyware. These apps must receive and send data to their creators, resulting in data spikes. We recommend regularly reviewing your data usage and noting any significant data consumption by apps. If you don’t remember downloading those apps, you might be infected with spyware.
4. Spikes in Battery Drain
If your battery drains faster than usual, it might be time to check for spyware. Because these apps work in the background — often without permission — they can run down your battery considerably.
A phone’s battery performance will naturally diminish over time, so a fast battery drain isn’t always due to malware.
5. Overheating
A constantly overheating phone could be a sign of malware or spyware. Since these apps use lots of CPU and RAM, they can overwork your phone and make it hotter than usual. Be sure to rule out other causes of overheating, such as over-charging, a faulty battery and direct sunlight.
6. Autocorrect Behaves Oddly
Malfunctions related to autocorrect could indicate that malware or spyware is on your phone. If you notice constant mishaps and strange suggestions while typing, we recommend thoroughly checking your app list and CPU usage.
7. Random Shutdowns or Reboots
Random phone restarts could be a telltale sign of tracking activity. For example, a hacker might need to reboot your phone to install malware and gain access to your data. To check if a malware-ridden app is the problem, try rebooting your phone in Safe Mode. If your phone works normally without constant restarts afterward, then an app could be causing the issue.
How to Block My Phone From Being Tracked
To block your phone from being tracked, you can turn it off altogether. However, this doesn’t fully stop tracking, and you can’t keep your phone off forever. Fortunately, there are other excellent ways to prevent tracking, including using a VPN and antivirus software, disabling your GPS and using a Faraday bag. Here are 10 ways to keep your phone from being tracked.
1. Use a VPN With a Tracker Blocker
ExpressVPN is a secure VPN that offers a tracker blocker.
Using a VPN with a tracker blocker kills two birds with one stone: the VPN encrypts your traffic and changes your online location, while the tracker prevents websites and apps from keeping tabs on you. ExpressVPN is the best choice since it’s secure and has a tracker blocker called Threat Manager. Learn more in our ExpressVPN review.
2. Use Antivirus Software
An antivirus software flags viruses, malware and spyware so you can avoid them while browsing. Good antiviruses — like the ones on our best antivirus software list — offer quick or full scans that can effectively detect malicious apps. Based on our tests, the best antivirus is Bitdefender, which you can learn more about in our Bitdefender review.
3. Avoid Public WiFi & Turn Off Automatic WiFi Connections
Avoid using public WiFi networks whenever you can since they are often vulnerable to hackers and malicious actors. If possible, use only secure networks that are trustworthy. In addition, turn off automatic WiFi connections so your phone doesn’t connect to an unsecured public WiFi that you can’t trust. A cellular data connection is encrypted by default.
If you can’t avoid using public WiFi, we recommend connecting toone of the best VPNs for public WiFi. It will encrypt your traffic with the unbreakable AES encryption, and prevent leaks through the kill switch and DNS leak protection. That way, you can browse without exposing your traffic to public WiFi hackers.
4. Turn Off GPS, Bluetooth and All Location Services
Most people track phones through GPS, Bluetooth and location services. If you disable location services, snoops will need sophisticated services or other means to track your phone. Furthermore, don’t let every app access your phone’s location — allow access only if the app can’t function without it.
5. Disable Cross-Site Tracking in Your Browser
Cross-site tracking refers to the practice of collecting and monitoring user activity across different websites. This process allows third parties to track your activities and whereabouts. Thankfully, you can disable cross-site tracking in your browser. For example, in Chrome, you can click the “do not track” slider under “cookies” and “other site data.”
6. Update Your Phone Regularly
Constant updates make your phone less vulnerable to tracking as they often fix bugs and security vulnerabilities. We recommend setting your phone’s system to update automatically so you don’t forget to do so yourself. In addition, update the apps on your phone every time a new version is released to prevent them from becoming a weak point.
7. Avoid Installing Suspicious Apps
Don’t download an app without thoroughly vetting it, especially if you aren’t on your device’s standard app store. Thousands of fake apps are present in app stores, and they can carry viruses and malware. Before you download an app, check its credentials, including the developer, the number of downloads and its reviews.
8. Check Your Apps’ Permissions
Review which apps can access your location and other sensitive details like contacts. If an app doesn’t have a good reason to know and use your location, we recommend denying it access.
Of course, some apps like Google Maps can’t function properly without accessing your location. Such apps often have an option to limit access to location services when they’re not active. It’s best to allow these apps to access your location only while they’re running.
9. Disable Ad Personalization Where Possible
Ad personalization allows ads to target you based on your online activity and preferences. Third parties — and sometimes, the advertisers themselves — can access your data through ad personalization and use it to track you. We recommend turning off personalized ads for all websites and apps.
10. Use a Faraday Bag
Faraday bags, also known as Faraday pouches, are sealed containers that block electromagnetic signals from passing through. If you place your phone in a Faraday bag, it won’t be able to send or receive signals, making it nearly impossible for anyone to track.
Final Thoughts
Turning your phone off will make it harder for third parties to monitor you, but it won’t stop tracking altogether. There are many other ways for others to track your phone, including GPS signals, public WiFi, cell-site simulators and malware. Random phone restarts, unfamiliar apps, spikes in data use and high battery drain can mean your phone is being tracked.
Fortunately, you can prevent tracking by using a VPN with a tracker blocker and an antivirus. Be sure to download only apps that you trust, update your phone regularly and avoid public WiFi. Do you have any further questions about preventing tracking on your phone? Share your thoughts and opinions with us in the comments section below. As always, thanks for reading.
FAQ: Phone Location Tracking
Yes, someone can track you without your knowledge. The person can track you using your phone’s GPS, an unsecured WiFi network, cell-site simulators and malware.
If someone is tracking your phone, it will likely behave in odd ways. For example, it might reboot by itself, have many unfamiliar apps, overheat often, and show increased data and battery usage.
You can take multiple steps to protect your phone from police tracking, including turning off location services, using a VPN and a tracker blocker, and installing an antivirus.
