How to Track a Phone Location For Free in 2022

Merely the thought of losing your smartphone is plenty to evoke panic, fifty-fifty though in that location are plenty of ways to rail and recover a lost telephone. While it's easier to track a smartphone, y'all tin can also locate older phones, so don't requite up hope if you're rocking a commencement-gen Motorola Razr — we've still got your back.

If you've got a smartphone, recollect to first ready and enable any included phone-locating software that'southward native to your device, such every bit Apple's Find My iPhone, Google's Discover My Device, and Samsung's Notice My Mobile. After this, if y'all're looking for more than choices, attempt out the following apps.

Oh, and have you always wondered what actually happens to a stolen phone? Check out this weird and voyeuristic movie — if you dare.

Tracking smartphones

Prey

Casualty is free to use for up to three devices, there are paid plans for more, and the service can be used across platforms for both computers and phones. Later signing up, simply sync your devices, sit down back, and relax. If your phone ever goes missing, all you take to exercise is observe a reckoner, log into your business relationship, and start tracking. Casualty runs discreetly in the background and won't track your phone'southward location until y'all tell it to, so there is no need to worry well-nigh your privacy while the phone is in your possession. Recent updates improved network configurations, enabled TouchID and Confront ID on iOS, and extended functionality to Chromebooks. The Camouflage feature has at present been removed from Android.

iOS Android

Avast Antivirus

Avast is a familiar name to anyone interested in computer security. The Avast Antivirus app is a complete package that offers virus scanning and protection, backup options, ability-saving, and anti-theft options. You tin can remotely lock or wipe your smartphone, listen remotely, or take a "theftie" of the criminals who made off with your phone. You tin also activate stealth mode on your device so the thief doesn't know Avast is protecting your telephone. Avast provides SIM card change notifications and locking, too, with similar services for Android, Mac, and PC. Avast is offer an all-in-one packet for device protection from viruses and thieves as a paid premium service.

Android

Lookout

Lookout combines security, tracking, and antivirus or malware protection. Headline features include the ability to record a telephone's concluding location right earlier the battery dies, a chance to dorsum up contact data before a remote erase, and an option to snap a photo of any would-be thief and email it to yourself along with location data. Lookout provides Safe Wi-Fi and System Advisor features to protect against Wi-Fi attacks and to bank check your device to make certain the operating system is working properly. It's free, but you can upgrade to Premium for $30 per year for features like safe browsing and breach reports — which send you alerts if a company, service, or app you use reports a information breach — or Premium Plus for $100 per year to get features similar identity theft protection and lost wallet recovery.

iOS Android

Tracking non-smartphones

Even if you don't ain a smartphone, y'all can still track your handset. In that instance, we recommend using a GPS tracking service. There are a few options out there, but AccuTracking is a good pick that works well.

AccuTracking

AccuTracking uses GPS to track the location of your phone — and it works with a broad variety of characteristic phones. As long as your phone is GPS-enabled — as nigh modern phones are — AccuTracking should assistance you locate information technology. When the day comes that you can't locate your phone, but log in to AccuTracking'southward web interface from any internet-connected estimator, and — so long equally your phone isn't dead — it volition immediately show you its location. The service features four plans costing $13, $16, $21, and $26 per month which update every 120, 60, thirty, or 15 seconds, respectively. It's a pay-as-y'all-go deal with no contract and a free trial. And if you have a smartphone, you tin use the iOS or Android app.

iOS  Android

Tracking your phone afterwards you lose information technology

If y'all didn't install a device recovery app on your phone before you lot lost information technology, don't worry. There are all the same some piece of cake means to go it back, especially for smartphones.

On the other manus, if you lose a non-smartphone feature telephone, you take minimal options. If yous didn't register your phone with AccuTracking or a similar service beforehand, you can endeavor calling your service provider and hoping they can assistance. Most providers exercise offering GPS location services for a reasonable fee, so if your phone is GPS-enabled, finding it is sometimes only a matter of activating the GPS fleck.

Discover My Device

Android users can utilise Find My Device. Because information technology'south a Google service, it links with your Google account and can locate any device associated with information technology. There are also options for locking your device, resetting your PIN remotely, and erasing stored data. You tin can even add a recovery message or phone number to the lock screen to heave your chances of getting information technology back, or prompt your device to play a sound in the consequence it may be nearby. Updated versions include back up for indoor use to help you find your device in airports, malls, or other large buildings.

Android

Find My iPhone

If you own an iPhone you can use the Find My iPhone app. This feature has been a part of iOS since version 5, so no download is necessary. It works with iCloud — so you can easily admission information technology through a browser or another iOS device — and the location of your missing device will show on a map, along with the option to show where information technology has recently been. You tin remotely lock the phone, display an emergency message, or erase stored data if the telephone has been lost forever.

iOS

Tracking someone else's phone with permission

While there's ever an choice to but call and ask where someone is, there's an equal chance that the person in question doesn't pick up or is terrible at giving directions. So, if you tin't always reach or trust the person you're trying to locate, here are some options.

Those with smartphones can employ a number of different location-sharing apps to let you know where they are. Facebook and Twitter both take location-aware check-in features, and Swarm has some pretty robust location-sharing features as well. Nevertheless, we accept a few more favorites for y'all to check out.

Google Maps

If you want to keep tabs on a friend or family member, there's a adept chance you already accept the tools to do then, considering Google Maps allows you to share your location in real-time. Simply open Google Maps and tap your contour moving picture at the top right, choose Location sharing, and yous can choose to share your location with the people you select. You can choose to share your location for a limited period of fourth dimension or until yous plough the function off. Anyone you share your location with will see your icon on the map when they open Google Maps. Google is constantly tweaking and improving this service, and information technology has become a swell resource over time.

iOS   Android

Notice My Friends

One of our favorite apps for keeping rail of people'south whereabouts is Find My Friends. It's available for iOS and Android. Although the two apps aren't from the aforementioned developer (Apple makes the iOS version, which is also supported on the Apple tree Sentinel), they offering roughly the same service. The apps allow you to runway multiple people at the aforementioned time, which is useful when you're trying to meet up with a big grouping. Find My Friends for Android also works on iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, and feature phones. The app uses jail cell telephone point triangulation to find people and makes location sharing easy. Send a non-smartphone user a text invite, and when they reply "yep," their icon appears on the app's map.

iOS  Android

iMessage and Google Hangouts

If you and your companions utilize iPhones, you tin utilize iMessage to share your location. The Google Hangouts app has a similar feature and is available on both Android and iOS. The app even watches for phrases like "Where are you?" and will then automatically suggest sharing your location. It'due south besides a great app for chatting and video calling.

iOS  Android

Carrier apps

Several major networks offer phone tracking services and apps, paired with a multitude of family unit safety and location services and features. AT&T offers its Secure Family unit, Sprint has Condom&Found, Verizon provides Smart Family, and T-Mobile has the FamilyWhere app. All come with a free trial, merely you will have to pay a subscription fee to go along using them.

Tracking someone else'southward phone without their permission

Yous should always be upfront about tracking somebody and respect their right to privacy, and you should never modify someone else's telephone. Even so, if you're the owner of the phone and absolutely must rails it without its current user'southward full cooperation — perhaps an always-in-trouble teen — here are a few tips on how to do it.

Tracking a smartphone user

You can always use whatsoever account your child or another pocket-size has that's connected to your own. You but need to log into the Find My Device or Find My iPhone services to find their location on a map. There are also tracking apps you can use, like Find My Friends , available on Apple tree. These tin can connect your entire family and friend circle together. Simply install the app before y'all give the phone to your preteen or perhaps an elderly family fellow member, for case, and you're set to get.

Y'all can utilise these features without your kids knowing by hiding the app in an undetectable folder. Of grade, you lot'll take to practise this before handing them the phone. Most apps require permission to exercise this, but those rules usually operate a little differently when it's your family or relative. If you'd rather exist open most it instead of hiding the app, talk to your teen or kid about why you've installed it and how it benefits them.

Tracking a non-smartphone user

Like nosotros mentioned above, tracking is much more difficult on a non-smartphone device. Fortunately, you practice have a few options. Yous can use your telephone essentially as a GPS device, so it volition show you its exact location if you lot lose information technology. Many feature phones have GPS capabilities, giving you the chance to runway your phone should the need arise. To enable information technology, simply log in to the Accutracking site and follow the simple steps to set up your account.

Tracking features like those we've explored here are just the starting time of all the privacy and protection features available for smartphones. Check out our roundups of the best Android security apps and the best iPhone security apps  for other tips and suggestions for ways that yous tin protect your valuable handset.

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Source: https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/how-to-track-a-cell-phone/